Trying to do a YouTube unboxing video with a child is not as easy as it looks, so I thought I’d share a few tips I’ve learned from experience. You might think you just open up a box and show the contents, but there’s more to it than that! Well actually, that’s exactly what you do, but there’s a lot that can go wrong along the way and then you’ve got an open box, a mess and a kid that just ran off with half the stuff you were trying to show and share.

I was sent a complimentary subscription box from Nostalgic Candy Club and thought it would be fun to do a video review with my two-year-old. I went into things very optimistically because I figure all kids love candy, this should be easy! Big surprise- Nothing is ever easy!

5 Tips on Doing a YouTube Unboxing with Your Child

1) Give them a lift

Check your set-up first to make sure everyone and everything is in the frame. You might need to get them a booster seat, or a pillow, or anything that makes them a little taller. After getting all my camera angles perfect (or so I thought) I had my son sit down and just the top of his head was showing.

2) Prepare and research first before unboxing

Read over everything before you start, and practice what you want to say. That way you are familiar with the product and able to remember what you are saying when things start going weird. Nothing ever goes the way you think as soon as a toddler is involved. They may decide not to participate half-way through. They may try and take everything and just run off. You never know what to expect so just be ready to roll with it and know your info ahead of time.

The info card I should have read and studied ahead of time!

3) Check for visible logos

I have forgotten this rule many times – don’t show clothing logos or other brands in the video. Plain shirts are the best choice. You want to the focus to be on the brand and product you are unboxing. Also look behind you and see if there are posters or products that are showing in your video. A plain or simple background works the best.

4) Photograph everything ahead of time and repackage

I keep trying to do the unboxings fresh out of the package, so everything is a surprise to both of us. This means I don’t have a chance to get really good photos for the blog. If it is an unboxing thing only, then extra pictures don’t matter, but if you need them then you are going to have to do them in advance. Once your child gets ahold of things, they never look the same. I was left with a pile of trash and candy at the end and did not get any photos. This is all that’s left:

5) Get rid of the toddler

Ha! Just Kidding. Sort of. Basically, prepare ahead of time and make sure you can do a good review solo, and then engage your unpredictable sidekick with a few questions along the way.

Check Out All Our Unboxing Videos on the SewGeekMama YouTube Channel!

So here’s our attempt at the candy club unboxing video. Things did not really go the way I had planned. I was expecting “candy from the past 50 years” as mentioned on their website, but the stuff in the box was from about 100 years ago and I had no idea what most of it was. Also, 100 years ago they had very questionable taste in candy. If I had checked everything out ahead of time I’d have waited for my grandma to visit and done the unboxing with her!