From a watch that rarely charges to racing at 170 mph, children's entertainer Blippi is opening up about the adventures and inspirations that fuel his educational content. In a recent interview, the beloved YouTube star revealed what truly excites him about connecting with his youngest fans.
"They love to ask if my watch really works," Blippi shared about the timepiece featured in his videos. "And it does—it just frequently doesn't have a charge in it." He explained that children often ask, "'Is that your wonder watch? Does it work? Can we go somewhere right now?'" But since it requires special batteries, he usually has to respond, "'Well, it's not charged right now.'"
While the watch might be unreliable, Blippi's enthusiasm for engaging with preschoolers is always at full power. "One of my favorite things to do is being with people on the streets, getting to know them and just chatting," he said. "The coolest thing for a kid is to see their favorite character that they grow up watching on TV in person."
This connection is why he's performing at events like the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. "Kids get to see that there's another whole universe out there that's between two covers of a book," Blippi noted. "Inspiring kids to find new ways to learn and explore the things they're interested in is maybe one of the coolest parts of my job."
When it comes to thrilling experiences, Blippi pointed to his 2024 visit to the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. "I got to be on the track," he detailed. "I got to sit in a car and meet tons of drivers. It was so cool. I went, like, 170 miles an hour, which is really, really fast."
He also enjoys simpler scientific demonstrations, like creating volcanic eruptions with baking soda and vinegar. "It makes it bubble up just like a volcano," he said. "It is super cool." Another natural phenomenon that fascinates him? Tornadoes. "When you have hot air and cold air, they kind of chase each other around in a circle, and then they form a big funnel," he explained, noting they most frequently occur in the Midwest where flat terrain allows winds to spin freely.
Looking ahead, Blippi expressed interest in hosting a cooking show. "You can learn about science, too, because baking and cooking is chemistry," he observed. "It's mixing things of certain weights and volumes and then making a loaf of bread or a cake." Plus, he added with a laugh, "I also like food."
Among his inspirations, Blippi highlighted Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. "He was such a lovely, wholesome, just good person to emulate and to learn from," he raved. "He inspires kids to explore their imagination and their curiosity—and that's what I want to do."
He also praised fellow educational YouTuber Ms. Rachel, calling her a "great friend" and "awesome resource." "She teaches so many great things to little kids that I also teach to," he said of his sometime collaborator.
When asked about his closest companion, Blippi immediately named his co-star Meekah. "She is a wonderful person to help regulate and to teach me how to problem solve," he shared. "Sometimes if I get too excited, it's good to take a step back and be like, 'I can be excited, but maybe let's be a little patient.'" He also credited her with improving his artistic skills, noting, "She's a really great artist, so I've become a pretty decent artist because of her."
For budding readers, Blippi recommends starting with Dr. Seuss. "It's a great way to learn rhyming schemes and to learn syllables and pronunciation," he said of the author's work. His advice to parents? "Lean into your child's interests. That'll be a really easy way for you to get them interested in reading."