If you allow your child to watch YouTube videos, then you probably read the title in “Amy Jo’s” voice. Don’t know who Amy Jo is? Well you obviously aren’t in the club.
The club I’m talking about is Disney Cars Toy Club, or DCTC for short, and it is just one of many YouTube channels that feature adults — like Amy Jo — playing with kids’ toys. DCTC is my daughter’s favorite, but there is also DisneyCarToys (which your four year does not appreciate it when you assume it is the same as DCTC), AllToyCollector, Disney Toy Collector and about 1,302,234 other channels following the same concept.
When my daughter, Evelyn, first started watching these videos, I was concerned. I mean it is kinda odd that all of the adults are spending their time recording themselves playing with toys. Evelyn loves them though so I took some time to watch them with her to see if this was something I was going to let her continue or I had to pull the mom card. Luckily, after watching several episodes that documented the drama between Barbie and Princess Jasmine, I realized while odd, the episodes are tame and ok for her to watch.
Beyond creating a fictitious world for their Barbie dolls, many channels feature “unboxing” videos. Simply put. . . they open toys. Why in the world my kid, and the other literal million 1.2 million subscribers DCTC has, finds this interesting is beyond me! Then again-why do I love reading about other Blogger’s Stitch Fix reviews? Either way, if I allowed it, my daughter could spend hours watching Amy Jo open and review toys.
For the most part, her YouTube video obsession is harmless. There are benefits though–my daughter’s ability to describe things has increased tenfold. I can always tell when she is drawing inspiration from one of her YouTube idols, but she has the ability to describe anything to the most minute detail. Evelyn and I have even made her own unboxing videos and it is a lot of fun to watch and listen to her describing her toys.
I also was concerned that it was going to prevent her from creating her own ideas for her dolls, but it has actually done the opposite. Prior to the videos, her doll play was more side by side, as if her dolls were her friends. Now she will construct homes, conceptualize long term story lines and use her imagination to play with her dolls in a totally different way.
As with anything, there are downsides to an obsession though. One drawback I’ve discovered is that Evelyn always has a new toy she wants. Then again I know times are just different–when I was a kid, it was watching TV commercials. Another sign that times have changed is when I heard the words, “Evelyn, you are now grounded from YouTube for the rest of the day!” come out of my mouth.
One last downfall of the videos is somehow, even as an adult, my husband and I find ourselves immersed in the toy world. One afternoon as I tried to nap on the couch, my husband woke me up excitedly and asked me, “Hey did you know that DisneyCarToys and AllToyCollector are sisters?!”
Hey there 🙂 Amy Jo here, and we glad you are “in the club!” (heehee) Thank you for the feedback and positive response to what we do. We love hearing that children gain positive experiences from watching our videos – whether it’s fine motor skills from creating with playdoh, or creativity, or language and social development, it’s a thrill for us (once a teacher, always a teacher ;)) Thank you, again! 🙂
The only bad thing about these videos is that, Amy Jo has a very fake and annoying laugh. Please STOP!!!!!!!!
O my my 3 year old daughter LOVES amy jo she has figured out how to voice search on my phone and thats all she watches. I was really wanting to find out how to contact her because i would like to thank her. My child already had a great imagination but just listening to her play by her self after watching is amazing some of the words she uses like playdoe extruder lol i mean she is 3. Any ways thank you. Love ya!!!
My two and a half year old little boy loves Amy Jo. I know her voice by heart and its good clean fun.
Thank you 🙂
Amy Jo where do you live. I am 1of your biggest fans.
OMG my 5 year old is probably all of the 20,000 views on this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG9F5pb71JQ
My 2 year old daughter’s in love with Amy jo and dctc! She tells me to tell her what I think and leave her a comment. The scarf crew have got it going on. Keep up the wonderful work guys!!
my daughter (hadlee) loves your videos and her fave is the makeover you did on Brandon it was so funny, she says in my ear as I’m typing this LOL :-).
After school each day she comes home from the bus and runs right up the stairs to the computer so that she can see if your new videos been posted for the day her favorite is when you show rarity oh and. Pinky pie and applejack! We are going to send you some Fanmail little Hadley wants to send you a pretty picture she’s been doing videos as well!!!! She gets better each day and just hearing her practice her videos just like you do she has a little set up and use a surprise eggs and the shopkins as well as play do and She loves using play do for her videos and . She says you are the best and I see it in her eyes and how excited she is she wants to meet you maybe Skype? But she is definitely making videos every day and she would love to show you one of those videos but personal start with the picture she’s doing it right now as we speak when I told her I found her fan mail address!!! Hi Brandon I really love you Amy Joe’s videos and I love your videos as well and I’m a huge fan of both of you but don’t tell anyone more so Amy Jo!!!!
I myself was concerned about the attention my daughter was paying to adults playing with children’s toys. I watched myself, did some research and find myself eager to watch the next video with her, especially the challenges. I’m curious, maybe I missed it somewhere. Married or siblings?
After listening to my 5 year old daughter pretend to make YouTube videos (exactly in Amy Jo’s voice ?) I had to try to find out more about her. I, too, was a little confused as to why adults record themselves playing with kids’ toys. I feel much better now that I’ve read your post (and all of the comments). I’ve also seen great improvement in her ability to describe things–she’s been practicing so much that she was giving me a play by play while I was giving her a bath last night. ?
My daughter LOVES dctc!!!!!!!
But I find myself obsessed with not knowing if Amy Jo & Brandin are friends, siblings, married or what– it makes me cray not knowing. They say they’re friends but something about their relationship seems different than that…