What is KidVideos?

KidVideos is an online video streaming platform, devoted to providing a kid-safe, kid-friendly, and kid-unique environment, where kids and parents can watch, create, and share their movies and videos.  We are able to ensure such an environment by following the FTC's COPPA guidelines, reviewing all uploaded material with the intentions of filtering out all potentially harmful and unsuitable content, monitoring the website's activity, which includes reviewing posted comments, and continuing to make the functions and features of the site fun and easy to use.

How do I join KidVideos?

KidVideos is a free website and registration is not required to watch videos and to share videos.  However, to comment on videos and to upload and create videos, you must join KidVideos.  It's all very easy!  Just follow these steps:

1. On the Watch page, click on Register Now!
2. Fill in all the starred ("*") categories.  Make sure you've read the Terms and Conditions document [before you agree to them] and, when you get to the bottom of the registration form, make sure to type in the verification code [the letters/numbers contained in the rectangle box
3. Click the Register button.
4. Your parent will receive an Account Activation email.  After taking the appropriate measures to acquaint themselves with KidVideos, they can activate your account by simply clicking the "Activate" link in the Account Activation email.
5. Now you're ready for the KidVideos experience!

For Parents and Guardians: How do I activate my child's KidVideos account?

1. After your child has registered their account, you will receive an Account Activation email, which will acquaint you with KidVideos, so you know what you're approving for your child.
2. Make sure to save your child's username and password, in addition to the parent username and password in a safe and recallable space.
3. If you feel comfortable allowing your child to explore the KidVideos universe, click the "Activate" link in the Account Activation email.
4. We recommend logging into the Parent's Link (which can be located at the bottom of the KidVideos Watch page) with your parent's username and password.  Within this section, parents can review and manage their kids' accounts.

I cannot log in, even though I entered my username and password correctly. What is the problem and what can I do?
If you are unable to login with your correct username and password, it may be that your browser does not have cookies enabled.  To make sure your browser has cookies enabled, please find the instructions, below, for the browser you're using.

Enabling Cookies

Enable cookies for Internet Explorer 7:

Enable cookies for Internet Explorer 6:

Enable cookies for Mozilla Firefox 2.x (PC):

Enable cookies for Mozilla Firefox 1.x (PC):

Enable cookies for Mozilla Firefox (Mac):

Enable cookies for Safari:

Clearing the Browser's Cache

If your cookies were already enabled or enabling cookies doesn't resolve the problem, you may also want to clear the cookies that are stored on your computer (Please note that while clearing your cookies may resolve the problem, it will also remove your saved settings for sites you've previously visited.)

Clear the cache for Internet Explorer 7:

Clear the cache for Internet Explorer 6:

Clear the cache for Mozilla Firefox 2.x (PC):

Clear the cache for Mozilla Firefox 1.x (PC):

Clear the cache for Mozilla Firefox (Mac):

Clear the cache for Safari:

I forgot my username.  How do I retrieve it?

Contact registration@kidvideos.com with your inquiry.  In order to locate an account on our server, we need the user's email address and/or the parent's email address.  Regardless of who contacts us, we will always send the retrieved username to the parent who activated the user's account.

Remember, KidVideos employees will never contact you, asking you for your password, email address, and other account information.  Don't be fooled if someone contacts you pretending to be from KidVideos!  Always consult support@kidvideos.com before responding to any potentially unsafe inquiries.

I forgot my password.  How do I retrieve it?

Click on "Forgot Password?" at the top of the Watch page.

For Parents: I never received the Account Activation email.  What happened?

If you haven't received the Parent Confirmation email yet, check your email client's spam folder—some spam protection programs are more aggressive than others, and the Parent Confirmation email may have been recognized as spam.

If the Parent Confirmation email is not in your spam folder, contact registration@kidvideos.com with your inquiry.  Please provide the username of the account in question.

How do I change my password and/or my other account information?

For Kids: You can change your password and account information by clicking on the green My Profile button above the video player on the Watch page.
For Parents: You can change your child(s)' password(s) and account information by logging into the Parent Link.  You can also change your own password and account information within the Parent Link.

Can I change my KidVideos username?

No, unfortunately, you cannot change your username—there is too much information tied to your account, using your username as reference.  You can sign up for a new account with the desired username.

How do I find my uploaded videos?

You can find your uploaded videos using one of three methods:

How do I manage my uploaded videos?

After logging in, click the My Videos button (green) above the video player on the Watch page.  Here, you can edit your video's information or delete your video from KidVideos.

How do I find cool videos to watch?

You can explore the videos of the KidVideos community one of two ways:

1. Use the Search to find videos that you are interested in, be it a particular type of animal, a sport, or a particular type of video
2. Browse through the categories and when you find a category that interests you, click on the category title.  The ribbon below the video player will populate with thumbnails of the videos within that particular category.

How do I get back a video I watched a couple of minutes ago?

You can use the Playlist to view the past 14 videos you have watched.  The titles in the Playlist functions as links to the videos, meaning when you click on them, the video will begin to play in the video player.

How do I add a video to "My Favorites"?

1. Play the video you wish to add to your favorites.
2. While it's playing, click on the "Add to Favorites" heart below the Playlist.
3. You will be prompted to confirm the Add.
4. Once you click OK, your video will be added to your Favorites.  To view your Favorites, you can click on the green My Favorites button above the video player or you can click on the View My Favorites tab next to the Categories tabs.
5. The heart button pales to acknowledge that the Add was successful.

How do I view my favorite videos?

You have two options:

1. You can click the green "My Favorites" button above the video player.  Clicking this will populate the video ribbon with all of your favorite videos.
2. You can click the "View My Favorites" tab next to the Categories tabs.

What happens when I click on a category?

The video ribbon will populate the videos within that category.

What happens when I click on the username of a person who uploaded the video I'm watching?

The video ribbon will become populated with all the videos that have been uploaded by that user.

How are the videos organized?

The video ribbon is sorted by the videos' upload dates, with the more recent uploads starting on the left.

How does a video become Most Popular?

This section ranks videos by View Count.

Once in full screen mode, how do I return to the regular KidVideos Watch screen?

When you view a video in full-screen mode, you can refer back to the KidVideos Watch page without closing the full-screened video, by clicking the "minimize [ _ ]" button at the top right-hand corner of the full-screen window.  
Alternatively, you can close the window either by:

1. Clicking the "close [X]" button at the top right-hand corner of the full screen window; or
2. Clicking the "Full Screen" button on the bottom right-hand corner of the Full Screen video player.

How do I make a video?

In order to make a video, you will need a webcam or other digital camera device that can connect to your PC or Mac.  Once recorded and uploaded to your computer, you can edit your video(s) using iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, AVID, Final Cut or Adobe Premiere, or other equivalent video editing software.  

Do I have to have a camcorder to make videos?

No.  As explained in the previous question, there are many different devices that can capture digital video.  For younger kids (2-5), we recommend webcams (some computers and laptops come with them), which can be easily used utilizing our "Create a Video" feature.

How do I use my webcam with KidVideos?

You can use the software that came with the webcam and, once the video has been saved as a file, you can upload it onto KidVideos or you can use our "Create a Video" feature.

Tips and Rules

• Use a popular video file format, such as AVI, WMV, MOV, and MP4.  Try to use a frame size of 320 x 240, and a frame rate of 25 or 30 frames per second.  For additional help with your video, see our frequently asked questions
• You need to own the video or have permission from the owner to upload it.  All video content must be kid appropriate (rated G or PG only).  Files can be up to 20 MB, and up to 5 minutes in length.  You agree to abide by the KidVideos Terms & Conditions

Do I have to sign up to upload videos?

Yes.  You must be a registered member of KidVideos to use all of our features, though you can watch videos without signing up.

How do I upload a video?

To upload your videos, please follow these easy steps:

1. Click on the "Upload" tab.
2. Name your movie in the box next to Title.
3. In a few sentences, summarize your movie in the box next to Description.
4. Choose a Video Category (five questions down, we provide help with choosing a Category).
5. Tag your movie with as many words as you can think of that go with your movie.  It is essential to tag your movies with a set of precise and relevant terms to ensure that searching for it will be appropriate and easy.
6. Click on Browse… to find your video on your computer.  A small screen will pop up and when you find your movie, click on it and then click Open.
7. Hit the big green "Upload Your Video" button and you're done.

Please be patient once you've uploaded your movie.  The KidVideos Team will review your movie as soon as possible. This may take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

How large can my video be?

The file-size limit is 150 MB.  This usually translates, in time, to a 15-minute video.  If your video's size is anywhere within the 130-150-MB range, we recommend splitting it up into two videos [using Windows Movie Maker , iMovie or Quicktime Pro].

Is there a limit to how many videos I can upload?

There is no limit.  

What video file formats can I upload?

Use a popular video file format, such as AVI, WMV, MOV, and MP4.  Try to use a frame size of at least 320 x 240, and a frame rate of 25 or 30 frames per second.   To keep the file at a reasonable size, we do not recommend a 640-by-480 frame size for KidVideos.

What should I name my video?

We recommend that you treat naming your video like a Hollywood director would handle naming their movie: something specific, something that will generate interest just from reading it, something that distinguishes your video from the millions of other videos in the KidVideos universe.

How should I describe my video?

Your description should serve as a summary for your video and/or it should include any information not conveyed by the video would help the viewer understand what goes on.

In what category should I put my video?

While our category list is always changing, the following examples will give you an idea of the best category to place your video.   To suggest a new category, contact info@kidvideos.com.

What are tags?  How should I tag my video?

Tags are keywords that describe videos.  For example, a video of a rock concert might be tagged with "rock," "guitar," "loud," "cool," and "[band's name]."  Then, when someone searches for a video about rock music on KidVideos, your video of the rock concert will appear in their search results.  Ultimately, tags are used to direct people to your videos more easily and to attract more attention to your videos.

How long will my video take to upload?

As the bigger or longer your video is, the longer it will take to upload.  Currently, with a high-speed Internet connection, a video that is 5-minutes long will take 10 minutes to upload.  A video that is 1-minute long will take 2 minutes to upload.  And so forth.

How long are my videos available on KidVideos?

Videos stay on KidVideos until the members who uploaded them choose to take them down.

How do I change the default thumbnail for my video?

While we may add this feature in the future, there is currently no way to change the screen shot that we capture from your videos for thumbnails.

How do I remove one of my videos?

First, make sure you're logged in on your username.
Second, click on the green My Videos button above the video player.
Third, find the video that you want to delete.
Fourth, click on the Delete button directly to the right of the video.

How do I change or add to the information I entered about my video?

First, make sure you're logged in on your username.
Second, click on the green My Videos button above the video player.
Third, find the video that you want to edit.
Fourth, click on the Edit button directly to the right of the video.  Make sure to click save when you are finished making editing your video's information.

Why isn't my video showing up in the search?

Depending on site traffic, changes to video information can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days to show up in the search index after they've been uploaded, changed, or removed.  This includes changes to tags, ratings, views, and comments.  Please be patient—the video will show up in the search index.  In the meantime, if you want to direct someone to your video, you may want to use the Send to a Friend button, which can be located below the playlist and details.

Create a Video

How do I create a video?

First, make sure you're logged in on your username.
Second, click on the Create tab.
Third, make sure your webcam is plugged in and turned on.
Fourth, to begin creating a movie, hit the Record button.  To stop the recording, hit the Stop button.

What is the difference between "Create a Video" and "Upload a Video"?

We at KidVideos believe above all else that the individual expression of kids is the most desired aspect of our content.  While we applaud the achievements of our advanced movies and videos, we also understand that many don't always have access to the resources for making one of those advanced movies.  With the Create a Video feature, a user can use their webcam to create and upload their video all with one click.  The video will be saved on the KidVideos server only, meaning it won't be accessible on the user's hard drive.  This will save space for the user.  And, we feel the use of the webcam allows for more rapid, more direct personal expression.

Promoting Your Videos

How do I tell my family and friends that I have a new video?

Click the "Send to a Friend" button below the playlist.

What are tags?

Tags are keywords that describe videos.  For example, a video of a rock concert might be tagged with "rock," "guitar," "loud," "cool," and "[band's name]."  Then, when someone searches for a video about rock music on KidVideos, your video of the rock concert will appear in their search results.  Ultimately, tags are used to direct people to your videos more easily and to attract more attention to your videos.

How do I know who has watched my video?

KidVideos does not offer a way to see the specific viewers of your video.  However, if you want to know how many people have viewed your video, check the View Count, which can be found in the Details of your video.

How do I edit or delete a comment I made on someone else's video?

You can't edit or delete comments you make on other people's videos. Once you've made a comment, it can only be removed or moderated by the KidVideos Team.

How do I remove a comment from one of my videos?

You can't edit or delete comments you make on other people's videos. Once someone has made a comment, it can only be removed or moderated by the KidVideos Team.  The KidVideos Team reviews all comments to ensure positive user-to-user interaction, however if you wish for a particular comment to be removed, contact support@kidvideos.com.

How do I comment on a video I'm watching?

Click on the "Read Comments" button below the playlist.

Does KidVideos limit my comments?

No.

How does KidVideos handle inappropriate content?

Before an uploaded video can make it onto KidVideos, it must receive approval from the KidVideos Team.  As proprietors and chief programmers of the site, we reserve the right to approve and reject videos for any reasons.  Generally speaking, we're open arms to anything positive, entertaining and interesting.  Generally speaking, we'll likely reject anything with unofficial advertising, offensive material or displays of illegal activity.  This is a site for kids.  We aren't any stricter and, on the other hand, we aren't more lenient than any of the popular kids-entertainment websites out there.

How do I flag inappropriate videos?

If you see a video that you think is inappropriate, you can report it to us using the "Flag as Inappropriate" button below the playlist.

Why was my video rejected or taken down?

Your video was taken down, after a review by KidVideos Team, because of either inappropriate content or copyright violation, as defined by our Terms and Conditions.

What can I find under the Explore tab?

Right now, this page contains two important features: promotion of our most active KidVideos users and promotion of our youth moviemaking partners.  Acknowledgment as a Featured Friend means that you have been extraordinarily active on the KidVideos.com, meaning you've uploaded lots of quality videos and you've engaged your fellow KidVideos users with positive and constructive comments.
If you were introduced to KidVideos early on (in the summer of 2007), chances are you encountered a lot of really neat, polished-looking movies and videos made by kids.  These were all produced at youth moviemaking camps, which have teamed up with KidVideos before the public launch, to maximize our resources in promoting youth moviemaking.

I recorded my video at a sporting event, concert or from television or a DVD.

Recording a television show, sporting event, concert, or clips from a purchased DVD onto your computer doesn't necessarily mean that you own all necessary rights in that video to upload it to KidVideos. Even if you never claimed to own the copyright or gave the copyright owner credit, posting these videos on KidVideos may violate copyright law.

What are you doing to prevent unauthorized copyrighted content from appearing on KidVideos?

Since all content on KidVideos is posted by our users, we make it clear in our terms of use and at the time of upload that they must own the copyright to the videos they post or have permission from the copyright holder. We encourage copyright holders to report any specific infringing videos via the DMCA takedown process.  User accounts of repeat infringers are automatically terminated.

What if I believe I have been falsely accused of copyright infringement?

If you feel a content owner has misidentified your content as infringing, you may file a DMCA counter-notification.

What is your policy on copyright infringement?

KidVideos respects the rights of copyright holders and publishers and requires all users to confirm they own the copyright or have permission from the copyright holder to upload content. We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and promptly remove content when properly notified. Repeat infringers' videos are removed and their accounts are terminated and permanently blocked from using KidVideos.

Why was my video removed for copyright while similar videos were not?

When we are notified or otherwise become aware that a particular video uploaded to our site infringes another's copyright, we respond promptly, as the law requires. If there remain videos on the site that appear similar to the one(s) we've removed, we are likely either not aware of them or do not have reason to believe they are infringing. Sometimes a copyright owner authorizes some, but not all, of its works to appear on our site. Other times, very similar videos are owned by different copyright owners, and one may grant permission while another does not.

How do I report copyright infringement?

To file a copyright infringement notification with, send us a written communication that consists of the following (consult your legal counsel or see Section 512(c)(3) of the Copyright Act to confirm these requirements):

1. A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works, on a single online site, are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works on that site.
3. Identification information of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information that will allow the service provider to locate the material, like a title or URL.
4. Contact information that will permit the service provider to reach the complaining party, like an address, phone number, or e-mail address.
5. A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
6. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Please send to:


Important: Please note that under Section 512(f) any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material or activity is infringing may be subject to liability.

How do I file a counter notice?

To file a counter notification with us, you must provide a written communication that sets forth the items specified below.  

Important: Please note that you will be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you materially misrepresent that a product or activity is not infringing the copyrights of others.  If you are not sure whether certain material infringes the copyrights of others, we recommend first contacting an attorney.

Please understand that filing a counter notice may lead to legal proceedings between you and the complaining party to determine ownership, and if your claim is rejected, you may face severe legal and financial penalties.

To expedite our ability to process your counter notification, please use the following format (including section numbers):

1. Identify the specific titles of the material that KidVideos has removed or to which KidVideos has disabled access. Include the username of your KidVideos account as well.
2. Provide your name, address, telephone number, email address, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of Federal District Court for the judicial district in which your address is located (or San Francisco County, California if your address is outside of the United States), and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided notification under subsection (c)(1)(C) or an agent of such person.
3. Include the following statement: "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that I have a good faith belief that each search result or message identified above was removed or disabled as a result of a mistake or misidentification of the material to be removed or disabled."
4. Sign the paper.
5. Send the written communication to the following address:

Please send to:

If you have any questions about KidVideos.com or your child's registration, please contact registration@kidvideos.com.

Your Safety

Showcasing your work and your life in front of an audience of millions can be fun and exciting.  However, sometimes things are better left private.  It's up to you.  If you think a video may reveal too much about you or someone else and if you think that you or the other person would not want millions of kids to be watching this video, then we highly recommend not posting the video.  We recommend asking your parents for their opinion before uploading videos that you are not sure about.

Something else to consider before uploading a video is whether the video could help a stranger figure out who you are and where you live.  You should never share personal information like telephone numbers and home addresses.  Make sure license plate numbers on cars cannot be clearly seen.  There are features in video editing software, like AVID and Final Cut Pro, which allow the user to blur out things.

Often this can be a difficult decision.  If you are unsure but really like the video, we recommend uploading it and letting the KidVideos Team, when they are reviewing your video, determine if too much personal information is revealed.  The KidVideos Team is on your side!  If we ever encounter a video where too much personal information is revealed, we will contact the user before approving it for posting.

We know that self-expression can be extremely exhilarating, and wish to foster an environment for it and promote it as much as possible.  However, we also want our users—our KidVideos stars and celebrities—to be safe.

And remember… KidVideos employees will never contact you, asking you for your password, email address, and other account information.  KidVideos will never ask you for any personal information. Don't be fooled if someone contacts you pretending to be from KidVideos!  Always consult support@kidvideos.com before responding to any potentially unsafe inquiries.

How We Review Videos

We know what some people consider harmful to kids, others consider entertaining for kids.  There is a great deal of subjectivity and grey area with kid's entertainment.  The only way to deal with this is to use the sound judgment of the collective team.  As a creation of PorchLight Entertainment, we can always depend on their experience and knowledge in this area.  They've been dealing with family entertainment for years and years!

Yes, we fully expect disagreement and conflict.  If you truly disagree with our decisions, you can contact us at support@kidvideos.com.  As parents ourselves, we understand each household treats their kids' entertainment in different ways.  We simply want KidVideos to be a site where kids can entertain and be entertained, without having to encounter that may negatively affect them and at the same time, without having to trudge through boring content.

To be specific, we don't accept unauthorized advertising, displays of illegal activity, and offensive material.  That third point is tricky.  What is offensive material?  What's offensive to one person may not be offensive to another.  

Here's a list of a few things that will not be accepted onto KidVideos: the display of excessive violence, the display of gratuitous violence (videos showing someone getting hurt, attacked or humiliated), the performance of a dangerous act, pornography, sexually suggestive dialogue and/or action, hate speech, slurs, the malicious use of stereotypes, and gross-out material, like for example, the recording of dead bodies.

A Place to Make Friends, Not Enemies

Just like the real world: you'll find people and things that you like and people and things that you don't like.  Feedback is important in any type of art or mode of self expression, especially moviemaking.  In reviewing comments, we tend to accept comments that can be characterized as one of the three things: Constructive Criticism, Communication, and Compliments, all of which must be G-rated.  We encourage sharing stories or tips, making video responses, and we hope, after watching a video, you take the time to rate the video using the ratings feature within the video's Details.  And we reserve the right to remove any comments, however, you'll find that we just want to keep out the negative and harmful ones.  
Yes, we believe in free speech.  Honestly, we do.  But, truth be told, we have witnessed some downright awful, some unfathomably heinous uses of free speech on the Internet, where seeing how far one can take free speech has taken precedence over one's humanity.

We want KidVideos to be a place where kids can make friends.  We want it to be place where kids can embrace not just their own creativity and self-expression, but the creativity and expressions of others.  This doesn't mean we want you to embrace everything or compliment a video against your will.  Just ignore a video you don't like!  This way no feelings are hurt.  
And this way a future award-winning director or a future star of the screen isn't deterred from pursuing their dreams!

We Want To Know What You Think

Even as you read this, the KidVideos Team is conceiving and planning new features and functions for the site.  We want you to know this because, well, we want to know what you think about the site and what you think can be improved.  Stretch your imagination.  We truly care about the user experience.  We want KidVideos.com to be safe and we want it to be really, really, really fun.  Feel free to contact us whenever at info@kidvideos.com.

That's all for now!

-The KidVideos Team