By CHELSEY SELLARS

Mom, Dad, not to worry; Little Johnny won’t be accessing those Happy Tree Friends any more. YouTube has now created a mobile app called YouTube Kids that will provide age-appropriate content on a simplified platform so even the youngest of children can use it.

YouTube Kids is available for Apple and Android devices for free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUmMAAPX6E8

The app allows kids to surf through various channels and playlists in the categories of Shows, Music, Learning, and Exploring. There is also a search bar to browse upon other videos, including a voice search component for those still learning their ABCs.

“We realize every family is different, so we’ve built options into the app that help you control the experience for your kids,” writes YouTube on their official blog site.

These options give parents the ability to broaden or constrict a child’s access and use of YouTube Kids:

• Timer – Parents can set the timer to shut down the app at a certain time; keeps little Sarah and John from watching Sesame Street at 1 am on a school night.
• Sound settings – Parents can silence the background music and sound effects on the app, keeping all that onomatopoeia to a minimum.
• Search settings – in case they do not want the kids to wander off the safe viewing on the main screen, parents can turn off the search bar