Skip to the main content
PeabodyMake a free story

🔭 Science, nature and the world · 🎓 Courses and learning platforms

Crash Course (and Crash Course Kids)

By Complexly. Visit Crash Course (and Crash Course Kids)

Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.

Free fast-paced video courses on YouTube, with more than 50 series covering high school and college topics from biology, chemistry and astronomy to history, economics, media literacy and AI. Hosts talk quickly over animations, and episodes run about ten to fifteen minutes. The older Crash Course Kids channel covers elementary science. The website lists courses and offers teacher resources; watching happens on YouTube, supported by Patreon donors.

Our take: Great for teens reviewing for class; younger children should watch Crash Course Kids on a supervised account.

The facts
Ages it suitsabout 13-18 (Crash Course Kids about 8-11)
What its terms say about ageNo terms of its own; viewing happens on YouTube, whose rules apply. Under-13s should watch through a parent-set-up supervised YouTube account or a parent's device. (terms)
PriceFree. Free on YouTube (Oct 2026); optional Patreon support and a merch store.
Works onWeb
AccountNo account needed
AdsNot stated
In-app purchasesNone
The AI in itNo AI.

What's good

  • Huge free catalog aligned to AP-style courses
  • Engaging hosts and animation
  • Media literacy and AI series
  • Kids channel for younger learners

Watch for

  • YouTube's autoplay, recommendations and comments
  • Fast pace can overwhelm younger viewers
  • Includes a Sex Ed course; preview topics
  • Kids channel is older content

Data and privacy

Not stated on the Crash Course site; viewing data is handled by YouTube and Google under their policies. Read the privacy policy.

Does it work?

The maker's own claims only (over two billion views); we found no independent study of learning outcomes.

In the Big Index

Alternatives to Crash Course (and Crash Course Kids)

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Adafruit Circuit Playground Express

    Adafruit Industries · ages about 8+ with adult help

    A low-cost, flexible first electronics board for kids 8+ with a helper; kids who want a guided kit may prefer a subscription box.

  • Desk researchFreeNo ads

    Adafruit Learning System

    Adafruit Industries · ages about 10 and up with an adult

    A top free resource for families building electronics together; kids should not work through it alone.

  • Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads

    Algodoo

    Algoryx Simulation AB · ages about 8 and up

    A great creative sandbox for curious kids and science classes; parents should supervise use of the public sharing site and forum.

  • Desk researchFree

    Babble Dabble Do

    Ana Dziengel · ages about 3-12

    Great for families and teachers who want craft projects with a design or science twist; an adult should pick and prep the projects.

  • Desk researchFree, with paid extras

    Birdbuddy (AI bird feeder)

    Bird Buddy Inc. · ages family use; kids with a parent's account

    A fun family science gadget for bird-curious kids if parents accept the subscription and default model training; skip it if you want an offline camera.

  • Desk researchFreeNo ads

    BirdNET

    Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics and Chemnitz University of Technology · ages about 9 and up with a parent

    A good pick for a curious older child with a parent who is comfortable sharing recordings for science; Merlin is friendlier for beginners.

Every product in science, nature and the world →

Where these facts come from

Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.