Stampy (aka Mr. Stampy Cat, aka stampylonghead). A British cartoon cat (voiced by Joseph Garrett from Portsmouth, England) hosts the lively videos on this lighthearted channel. Stampy offers Let's Plays and tutorials on a range of Minecraft topics (and other games, all family-friendly), and his game worlds are distinctly colorful.

Best for: Younger fans. Stampy feels like a cross between Pee-wee Herman and Mr. Rogers.

Check out: His How To Minecraft series is excellent for noobs.

iBallisticSquid. Stampy's best friend is a squid -- remember, anything is possible in Minecraft! -- voiced by Garrett's real-life pal David Spencer. Squiddy (or Squid Nugget) exchanges mild, kid-friendly, English-accented banter with Stampy and uploads Let's Plays, mods, and challenges (which are usually set for him by Stampy).

Best for: Younger fans. Squiddy's squeaky-clean.

Check out: His Pixelmon Learning the Basics is a great introduction to a cool mod.

Paul Soares Jr. This self-described husband, father, entrepreneur, and gamer offers family-friendly Let's Plays and tutorials in a kindly, straightforward style.

Best for: Younger kids, new players, and families. Soares mixes in a lot of how-to information while he's playing.

Check out: Soares' How to Survive and Thrive tutorials are newbie nirvana. Also, note the ratings on his videos; he's the rare YouTuber who has bothered to have his content rated for families so you know it doesn't contain mature content.

Little Lizard Gaming. Irish brothers Ryan and Scott Fitzimons run the super-popular Minecraft channel Little Lizard Gaming which features play-throughs, how-to's, and mods.

Best for: Younger kids. The channel boasts that it's "100% kid-friendly."

Check out: Minecraft Pixelman Mod, a funny mash-up of Pokemon and Minecraft.

PrestonPlayz. This young Minecraft YouTuber has earned a large following based on his solid playing, awesome parkour maps, and positive attitude.

Best for: Intermediate players who know the basics and want to expand their Minecraft skills.

Check out: Preston's "Draw My Life" video explains his unique background and the source of his motivation.

TheAtlanticCraft. Hard-core gamers Cody (theCodyMaverick) and Joe (JoeBuzz) manage to make their Let's Plays, mods, mini-games, and more both kid-friendly and technically advanced. The two have a fun rapport as they battle and explore very sophisticated worlds. Language on this channel can get heated.

Best for: Older kids. The guys also host servers and offer downloads on their website.

Check out: "Let It Glow," a Minecraft parody of Disney's "Let It Go" from Frozen.

Popular MMOs. Although it's known for epic battles and massive explosions, Popular MMOs' host is a friendly, folksy guy named Pat, whose knowledge of and enthusiasm for the game plus killer mods draw big audiences. He also frequently plays against his fiancée, Jen (who hosts her ownMinecraft channel, GamingwithJen).

Best for: Older kids with a taste for excitement.

Check out: The Minecraft Kitty Cat Challenge, where Pat and Jen honor the passing of their cat by duking it out on Minecraft, shows the human side of the game.

Minecraft Universe. Charming TrueMU (real name: Jason Probst) hosts this popular channel that's jam-packed with adventure maps, parkour maps, mini-games, and even original electronic songs available for download. He often plays spirited games against other advanced Minecraft players in a group called Team Crafted.

Best for: All ages. There's a wide range of content.

Check out: The "Hottest Girls Ever" Let's Play, wherein Jason and an opponent play as female avatars, can spark a conversation about gender roles in games.

The Bajan Canadian. Twenty-year-old Canadian video game commenter Mitchell Hughes offers a wide range of technically adept Minecraft videos, mostly played with a gentle, nerdy patter against his mild-mannered gamer pals.

Best for: Older players who really want to geek out on Minecraft.

Check out: His parkour videos and downloadable "wacky parkour maps" are some of the best.

Maricraft. Hosted by female gamer Mari Takahashi on the ultra-popular gaming channel Smosh Games, Maricraft features mostly Let's Plays of spirited battles with her pals in wacky Minecraftworlds.

Best for: Older fans. Players swear, but the words are bleeped out and there's some juvenile humor.

Check out: In Splegg in Your Face!, Mari and friends pummel each other with spleggs (Minecrafteggs).

TheDiamondMinecart. Hosted by twentysomething Dan Middleton of Northamptonshire, England, TheDiamondMinecart is popular for its wide variety of entertaining, creative videos. The videos' quality across all genres (Let's Play, mod reviews, characters, and so on) has made it one of the most highly subscribed-to and most highly viewed channels on YouTube.

Best for: More experienced players; the offerings are pretty advanced, but they're mostly clean.

Check out: The Hunger Games video wherein DiamondMinecart takes on Stampy has a fun twist at the end.

CaptainSparklez. With one of the biggest audiences on YouTube, CaptainSparklez dazzles with his technically advanced worlds and warm, entertaining commentary. Recently purchased by Disney-owned Maker Studios, CaptainSparklez is beloved as much for his intricate, atmospheric, and complex worlds as for his parody videos.

Best for: Experienced players who can grasp the technical jargon. He can get a little edgy, too.

Check out: His Super Modded Survival Series takes fans on an epic adventure full of dungeons, new dimensions, and mighty foes.

The list above is taken from The 12 Best Kid-Friendly Minecraft Channels on YouTube.