(Last Updated on March 29, 2025)
The moment I’ve been waiting for is finally here!!
I’ve been wanting to write this review for months, but I felt like I needed more experience as a World Watch customer to feel comfortable endorsing it.
Well, the wait is over! It’s been more than a year now and I can say with confidence that this is one subscription we’ll be keeping for the long haul! My three kids and I all love World Watch and highly recommend this news program!
DISCLAIMER: There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Sensible Homeschool is also part of the World Watch referral program. If you decide World Watch is a good fit for your family, please consider signing up through the links on this page to get one month FREE and help support this blog! I only endorse products we’ve used ourselves and would personally recommend to friends and family!
Our Experience with World Watch News
When we started homeschooling, one of my biggest fears was that I’d ruin my kids’ education when it comes to history and world events. History was never one of my favorite subjects – in fact, I’d say it was dead last. Sadly, I didn’t retain much of what I learned in my social studies classes.
Thankfully, I found that re-learning history alongside my kids actually worked really well for us. (Side Note: Part of what made it work so well was learning history together as a family with the Story of the World curriculum! You can read more about how we use SotW in our homeschool here).
But, I was still concerned about a general lack of awareness in our home about world events and news. It’s always been so overwhelming watching the news and trying to understand all the geo-political, governmental, and economic jargon. I had no idea how to even attempt explaining any of it to my kids! Trying to navigate the biased reporting, scary and kid-inappropriate content, and general intensity of many of the news stories was just too intimidating for me.
During and after 2020, with all the COVID craziness and election news, it got even worse. I actually had to completely stop watching the news since I found myself so anxious about everything that was going on. But I knew that sticking my head in the sand wasn’t really helping my family in the long run. What’s a mom to do?!
World Watch to the rescue!
A friend recommended World Watch to me as a kid-safe news source, so we checked out their free trial and signed up for a monthly subscription soon after that. It’s been such a great addition to our morning routine!
World Watch News Review
World Watch Basics
World Watch is part of the larger World News Group which provides news-related articles, magazines, and podcasts for adults and kids from a Biblical perspective.
Straight from the horse’s mouth (i.e. their own website), World Watch is “news for students produced by Christian journalists.”
They’re a team of Bible-believing producers, journalists, and reporters who produce a ten-minute, kid-appropriate, professionally-made news program every weekday (except for a few major holidays).
We typically stream the episode on our iPad from their website, but their World Watch app is available on a number of platforms. There’s also a version specifically for schools; perfect for classroom teachers or co-op settings.
Each ten-minute episode is presented from a Biblical worldview and is specifically geared for students and families. Currently, they include about seven stories each day and cover a wide range of topics including science, technology, history, economics, international cultures, government, art, music, food, health, and more.
If you’re wondering if World Watch News would be a good fit for your family, here are the pros and cons we’ve experienced as subscribers to help you decide.
World Watch News Pros
Trustworthy
For over a year now, I’ve watched almost every episode alongside my kids. In this time, World Watch has earned my trust. They’ve been true to their claims to present the news from a Biblical worldview and in an age-appropriate manner for students.
Respectful & Balanced
All the news stories I’ve seen on World Watch have been presented in a way that respects the cultures and countries discussed. Multiple viewpoints on a story are shared for a balanced presentation. When viewing World Watch, I’ve never had the feeling there’s a “hidden agenda”.
Side Note: Some might say that the “Biblical perspective” is biased. And since every person on Earth has a worldview, that may be true in a sense. The difference is that World Watch states their intentions and perspective upfront, and then they work hard to truly present the news fairly and factually (which is a LOT more than I can say for the mainstream adult news channels). I talk more about worldview in the context of teaching and homeschooling in my book, Think About Homeschooling: What It Is, What It Isn’t, & Why It Works, so check that out for more on this topic!)
High Quality
The World Watch team is incredibly talented! They come up with very creative ways to present information to their young audience. The production quality is top notch, graphics are clear and engaging, reporters are relatable yet professional, and the stories themselves are well-chosen and well-presented.
Wide Range of Topics for All Ages
There’s something to interest everyone in each episode of World Watch. When we first subscribed to World Watch, my kids were 7, 12, and 14. All of them were immediately hooked, and I was, too! Anything that can keep all three of them happy and educate me, too, earns points in my book! The content covers just the right mix of news and special interest topics to keep everyone engaged.
Appropriate (& Minimal) Advertising
I’m so thankful that the sponsored ads in World Watch episodes are kid-appropriate, too! I don’t have to worry that if I leave the room I’ll come back to find a beer commercial has weaseled its way into our morning routine. There’s typically one short ad break after the 3rd or 4th story, and then usually another at the end. And the ads are often for things I actually want to know about, like Christian colleges, homeschool online art or music programs, and other helpful family resources.
Helpful Content Warnings
World Watch news stories sometimes cover topics that might be too intense for younger or more sensitive viewers. Generally these have included topics like gang violence, war coverage, abortion protests, tragic accidents, etc. The producers put a caution warning label at the beginning of these episodes, for example “Caution: Story 1 is not intended for younger viewers.” Just like with any media, parents will need to discern what’s okay for each of their kids. I really appreciate having the advanced warning (but see the cons section below for more on this). I also love that they typically end on a positive, more light-hearted story since the news can often feel heavy.
Useful Educational Tools
Obviously the news itself is highly educational. Being made aware of other places, cultures, and the international happenings of the day is incredibly valuable. But the “Resources” page on the World Watch website is also full of helpful supplements such as worksheets, discussion questions, and writing prompts. This makes it super easy for parents and educators to make the most of each episode.
Understandable
Like I said earlier, social studies was never my strong suit. One of the (many) reasons I’ve disliked watching mainstream adult news is that I feel lost amidst unfamiliar acronyms, names, and places. World Watch, however, is geared toward students. The pace is more reasonable. Acronyms are written out and explained. People are introduced with their roles/titles. And places are often shown on a map or animated graphic. Obviously this is great for students, but it’s also perfect for any other family members like me who are intimidated by mainstream news. The following images show example screenshots of their helpful maps and diagrams.
Fun Elements
Because World Watch is meant for students, it also means it’s more fun than other news programs. From time to time World Watch includes fun on-screen guessing games, historic vignettes or readings, and reporters in unusual scenes. They encourage interactive activities for their viewers, like creating March Madness brackets, submitting votes for funny animal photo contests, checking out a live cam of an eagle’s nest with baby birds, and participating in community projects like the Fish Alert website, to name a few. And the end-of-week news team bloopers are one of my kids’ favorite World Watch features.
Referral Program
Anyone who subscribes to World Watch can access a unique referral code to share with others. I’ve recommended it to a lot of family and friends already, and I first heard about it by word of mouth, too. It’s a win-win and I love supporting family-friendly, Christian companies!
World Watch News Cons
In an effort to provide a balanced review, I’m trying to come up with some “cons”. But honestly I don’t have much to say here. I truly think my family will continue to subscribe until all my kids graduate. (And, after that, I might end up keeping it for myself since it’s still the only news source I can watch without getting super stressed out!)
With all that said, here are a few points to consider before deciding if World Watch is right for your family:
News is Fast-Paced
In general, news programs can be hard to keep up with. There’s a certain level of intensity that happens simply due to the pace. World Watch is presented at a more reasonable speed than your average adult news show, but it still covers an average of seven stories in ten minutes which can be a lot to take in. For example, sometimes my youngest daughter is still processing one story and the next is already starting. When this happens, we just pause the video to discuss and answer her questions before continuing.
News is Sometimes Troubling
Even though World Watch is student-friendly, it is still a news program. While they do keep the overall vibe positive (i.e. more inspiring and educational stories than negative or sad ones), the fact is that the things happening in our world are often upsetting. Younger or more sensitive kids might not be ready to hear about plane crashes, wars, tornado damage, unemployment, and other troubling topics. And they especially might not be ready to see those things in a video format (see the example screenshots in the image below). If the episodes seem overwhelming or anxiety-producing in your kids, maybe try an old-school, child-friendly, print news magazine (we enjoyed WorldKids) until they’re ready for video-based news. For the very youngest kids, plain ol’ books and field trips are a great way to start introducing other cultures and places without the heaviness that comes with news programs and magazines.
Content Warnings Require Attentiveness
I listed Content Warnings as a “Pro” above, but they do require vigilance on the part of the parents. The warning at the beginning of the episode clearly tells you what to watch out for, but the handful of times I tried to censor the “caution” stories, I found I had lost track of which story we were on and I didn’t pause it in time. So my recommendation here is that if you have younger or very sensitive kids and you intend to heed the content warnings, be ready with your finger on the pause button since the stories transition quickly.
Is World Watch Right for You?
If you’re wondering if you should try World Watch, here’s what I recommend for next steps:
First, use the “full episodes” and “feature stories” tabs on their website to skim the types of stories they cover. You won’t be able to watch the clips without a subscription, but you can see a thumbnail and title which at least gives you a great overview of the topics included.
Next, if you’re like me and don’t love the idea of giving your credit card info just for a trial, they have an option to get one free full episode emailed to you, no payment info required! That way you can test out the format and get a good feel for how it could work for you without any risk or hassle.
Finally, if you’re pretty sure you’re interested, then the free trial is absolutely the way to go! You can try fitting World Watch into your routine for a few weeks and confirm that it’s a good fit before actually paying for anything.
World Watch Review Summary
Overall, World Watch has been an excellent addition to our homeschool day and I plan to keep the subscription until all my kids graduate. I highly recommend it to any family looking for a student-friendly news program.
In my opinion, they’ve hit the nail on the head when it comes to balancing all the elements of a kids’ news program. They have just the right mix of…
- light-hearted and serious stories
- educational, current event, and special interest stories
- stories for elementary, middle school, and high school aged kids
- professionalism and funny elements
- understandability and depth
And one of my favorite parts of every episode is their traditional daily sign-off. It’s such an excellent reminder that no matter what is happening in the world, our Lord is sovereign over it all:
“Whatever the news, the purpose of the Lord will stand!”
If you want to give World Watch a try, please consider using this referral link to get one month FREE and help support the Sensible Homeschool blog!
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