An app for children under 13 that makes screen time intentional. Kids watch educational content first — then unlock free-choice time. No ads. No autoplay. No rabbit holes.
YouTube is one of the most powerful educational resources ever created — and also one of the most effective attention-capture machines ever built. The same algorithm that surfaces a great science video will, moments later, serve up something completely unrelated, louder, more stimulating, and harder to stop watching.
As a working mom and a therapist, I kept watching families fight the same battle: not about whether to allow screens, but about the total absence of structure around them. The content wasn't always the issue. The design was.
Compass Kids Crew turns screen time into a structured, rewarding experience — without the battle.
Kids start with curated educational videos sourced from YouTube — science, history, nature, how things work. Content is selected for quality, not clicks.
After completing educational watch time, kids unlock free-choice video time. The ratio is parent-controlled. The incentive is built right into the experience.
Videos don't load automatically. Every new video requires an active choice. This one design decision dramatically changes the relationship between your child and the screen.
Zero ads. No sponsored content. No recommendations engineered to capture attention. Just content — and space to choose what to watch next.
The interface is intentionally understated. Muted colors, no flashing thumbnails, no notification badges. Less stimulation means more intentional viewing.
Parents can see what was watched, how long, and whether educational goals were met. Simple, high-level summaries — not surveillance, just awareness.
Compass Kids Crew isn't about eliminating screens — it's about making them work for your family instead of against you. The constant negotiation, the "just one more video," the glazed-over eyes after an hour of autoplay — these aren't inevitable. They're design flaws.
This app gives kids something most screen time doesn't: structure, agency, and a reason to feel good about what they just watched. And it gives parents something even more valuable — confidence.
I didn't build Compass Kids Crew because I'm a tech person. I built it because I'm a mom, and I kept losing the screen time argument — not to my kids, but to the platforms themselves.
The problem was never that my kids wanted to watch videos. The problem was that the apps were engineered to make stopping feel impossible. Autoplay, endless thumbnails, algorithmically-optimized next videos — these are deliberate design choices. And they don't serve children.
So I built something different. Something that puts the structure back, makes learning feel rewarding, and removes the design features that were working against us. It exists because no one else was building it.
— Julie Peters, LCSW, MBA · Founder
Compass Kids Crew is currently in development. Get your family on the early access list and be among the first to try it.
Join the waitlist →The EdTech and children's content space has a real gap here. If you see it too, let's talk.
Contact Julie →Compass Kids Crew is built with children's privacy as a foundational requirement — fully COPPA compliant.
View Privacy Policy →Compass Kids Crew is in development. Join the waitlist and we'll reach out when early access opens.
Join the WaitlistFor children under 13 · Coming soon to iOS and Android