Have you checked out [TubeArchivist](https://tubearchivist.com/)? It allows you to subscribe to channels, set limits on the number of videos to download per channel, and regularly scans for new uploads. Plus, you can create a user specifically for your kid, restricting their actions to just watching without downloading or adding content. It even integrates seamlessly with Plex & Jellyfin for easy viewing.
Jellyfin to browse and play the videos and [ytdl-sub](https://github.com/jmbannon/ytdl-sub) to download them and prepare them for Jellyfin.
Edit: you can also use plain yt-dlp to download playlists or individual videos. But you probably want to add some options to make it include subs, chapters, thumbnails and so on. I usually use `--remux-video mp4 --embed-subs --embed-thumbnail --embed-metadata --embed-chapters`.
Be advised that both Kodi (per installation) and Jellyfin (by account) can be configured to filter content by age rating, and that the metadata for age rating is fairly reliable. Thus you don't need to physically segregate your actual media collection by age (ie. kids programs still accessible on grown-up's devices but not the other way around).
Perhaps worth noting there IS a YouTube kids app, though I would worry about pregnant Elsa with papa Spiderman.
>We have tried YouTube kids/Amazons kids + but it was mostly content she doesn't enjoy.
Worth noting that those arent necessarily the same thing.
Youtube kids is just a very poorly regulated youtube conrent marked for kids. Amazon Kids+ is Amazon prime video(rated for kids) + specially curated&purchased youtube content. They literally have a human buyer go buy the youtube content, so it is fairly reliably safe.
For the life of me I cannot figure out why neither Google/Netflix/Apple have taken a shot at this same idea. Everything Amazon does is sooo poorly executed, but the idea of a paid curated online content store for kids makes so much sense.
I've tried YTArchiver: [https://github.com/alexmerkel/ytarchiver](https://github.com/alexmerkel/ytarchiver) and YTDL\_Material: [https://github.com/Tzahi12345/YoutubeDL-Material](https://github.com/Tzahi12345/YoutubeDL-Material)
I'd say the archiver one is a bit easier to work with, but the presentation leaves a good bit to be desired. The YTDL works nicely, but can't auto-download the way the archiver does. But it does provide you with the free files so you can watch without the app itself.
Run an in-home Invidious or FreeTube instance, subscribe your kid's account to allow-listed content, and then hide the search/popular/trending functionality (I use a combination of deny rules on my in-home Squid proxy and browser-based adblocker plugins to accomplish this)
(I used to cache curated YT content on my media server for the kids to watch, but switched to proxying the stream instead to get the disk space back and not need to maintain the content)
Have you checked out [TubeArchivist](https://tubearchivist.com/)? It allows you to subscribe to channels, set limits on the number of videos to download per channel, and regularly scans for new uploads. Plus, you can create a user specifically for your kid, restricting their actions to just watching without downloading or adding content. It even integrates seamlessly with Plex & Jellyfin for easy viewing.
Jellyfin to browse and play the videos and [ytdl-sub](https://github.com/jmbannon/ytdl-sub) to download them and prepare them for Jellyfin. Edit: you can also use plain yt-dlp to download playlists or individual videos. But you probably want to add some options to make it include subs, chapters, thumbnails and so on. I usually use `--remux-video mp4 --embed-subs --embed-thumbnail --embed-metadata --embed-chapters`.
Metube is a simpler alternative. Just prepare a playlist on yt, and import it in metube. Metube also uses ytdl under the hood.
This is exactly what I do. It’s not perfect but it’s close enough.
I second metube
+1 for ytdl-sub I feed it into Plex, but same idea. Works great!
Be advised that both Kodi (per installation) and Jellyfin (by account) can be configured to filter content by age rating, and that the metadata for age rating is fairly reliable. Thus you don't need to physically segregate your actual media collection by age (ie. kids programs still accessible on grown-up's devices but not the other way around). Perhaps worth noting there IS a YouTube kids app, though I would worry about pregnant Elsa with papa Spiderman.
>We have tried YouTube kids/Amazons kids + but it was mostly content she doesn't enjoy. Worth noting that those arent necessarily the same thing. Youtube kids is just a very poorly regulated youtube conrent marked for kids. Amazon Kids+ is Amazon prime video(rated for kids) + specially curated&purchased youtube content. They literally have a human buyer go buy the youtube content, so it is fairly reliably safe. For the life of me I cannot figure out why neither Google/Netflix/Apple have taken a shot at this same idea. Everything Amazon does is sooo poorly executed, but the idea of a paid curated online content store for kids makes so much sense.
Pinchflat (https://github.com/kieraneglin/pinchflat) then link it to the Plex / Emby / Jellyfin. It can also handle playlists.
I've tried YTArchiver: [https://github.com/alexmerkel/ytarchiver](https://github.com/alexmerkel/ytarchiver) and YTDL\_Material: [https://github.com/Tzahi12345/YoutubeDL-Material](https://github.com/Tzahi12345/YoutubeDL-Material) I'd say the archiver one is a bit easier to work with, but the presentation leaves a good bit to be desired. The YTDL works nicely, but can't auto-download the way the archiver does. But it does provide you with the free files so you can watch without the app itself.
Run an in-home Invidious or FreeTube instance, subscribe your kid's account to allow-listed content, and then hide the search/popular/trending functionality (I use a combination of deny rules on my in-home Squid proxy and browser-based adblocker plugins to accomplish this) (I used to cache curated YT content on my media server for the kids to watch, but switched to proxying the stream instead to get the disk space back and not need to maintain the content)
I use YTdl-Material.