PBS KIDS: what parents of kids 4–7 should know

• –Official rating above age 7
  App Store: 4+, made for ages 0–5
• –Contact with other players or strangers
  No chat listed by the App Store
• –Purchases with real money
  No in-app purchases listed
• –Paid random items
  None listed
• –Violence or scary content in rating descriptors
  No descriptors listed
• –Government lawsuits, fines, or safety warnings
  None found

Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count.

Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?

Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.

What is PBS KIDS?

PBS KIDS is the children's service of PBS, the US public broadcaster. Families can watch on the PBS KIDS Video app, on connected TV devices, and at pbskids.org with no subscription required, according to PBS. The 24/7 PBS KIDS channel and livestream launched on January 16, 2017, carried by local PBS stations. Games are in a separate app, PBS KIDS Games, which has its own guide.

PBS KIDS: what's in the video app

Short answer: The PBS KIDS Video app is rated 4+ and made for ages 0–5.

• App Store: 4+, "Made for Ages 0–5"; no in-app purchases or chat listed.
• Google Play: Everyone.
• Common Sense Media: 3+.

The App Store page describes 700+ full episodes of more than 50 PBS KIDS shows, such as Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts and Sesame Street, plus songs, downloads for offline viewing, and live TV from the local PBS KIDS channel. It's in English and Spanish.

Are PBS KIDS shows rated?

Short answer: Yes, the PBS show pages we checked list TV-Y.

For example, PBS's page for Wild Kratts: Cats and Dogs lists TV-Y, meaning designed for all children. We checked individual pages, not every show on the channel.

The habit kids may copy: the next episode

Episodes are short, and the next one is a tap away. A 4-year-old rarely stops on their own.

Try tonight: pick the last one

Before you press play, let your child choose which episode is the last one tonight. When it ends, say: "That was your pick. I want more, and I can wait until tomorrow." In our program, this is the lesson "Boss of My Want": "I want it now," and learning to wait.

What age is PBS KIDS for?

PBS says PBS KIDS serves children ages 2 to 8. The PBS KIDS Video app is rated 4+ and listed as made for ages 0–5.

Does PBS KIDS cost money?

PBS says families can stream PBS KIDS with no subscription, and the App Store lists no in-app purchases for the PBS KIDS Video app.

Can you watch the PBS KIDS channel live?

Yes. The 24/7 PBS KIDS channel launched in January 2017, and the PBS KIDS Video app streams live TV from the local PBS KIDS channel.

What is the difference between PBS KIDS Video and PBS KIDS Games?

PBS KIDS Video is for episodes, songs and the live channel; PBS KIDS Games is a separate app with learning games.

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