The Kid Should See This  • December 9, 2025

🤿 WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Devil's Den: Diving into Florida's Ice Age caves ➜

Australia’s world-first social media ban began today. Millions of children and teens lost access to accounts. “Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch, and TikTok are expected to have taken steps from Wednesday to remove accounts held by users under 16 years of age in Australia, and prevent those teens from registering new accounts. Platforms that do not comply risk fines of up to $49.5m.”

“What’s not included: Discord, GitHub, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Messenger, Pinterest, Roblox, Steam and Steam Chat, WhatsApp, and YouTube Kids.”

Thank you to everyone who wrote me with some context back in August. From what I’ve heard, there’s a 2/3 majority in support of getting kids off social media, but less than 1/3 of parents say they’ll enforce it. And not everyone is keen on how it’s being implemented or if it will work. Now that it’s in action, time will tell (and many countries are watching). What do you think of the legislation?

☄️ How mastering metal saved lives: Brains On’s newest episode. And ICYMI, start with How is metal made?, which includes the story of Ötzi the Iceman, told by Dylan Thuras from Atlas Obscura. (Don’t miss their newest book for kids: The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World.)

🖼️ Art Spies and Underwater Toilets: Two fascinating World War II stories from The Past and the Curious.

🎹 Jazz, joy, and one ragged Christmas tree: 60 years of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and the great Vince Guaraldi, via NPR.

🧶 A DIY Drawing Machine: Kazoo Magazine shares step-by-step instructions for building an Etch A Sketch-style drawing machine in their latest issue.

🥺 The End of Tattly. Tina Roth-Eisenberg started Tattly in 2011 (the same year I started TKSST) and proceeded to level up the industry by centering art and artists and not underestimating what kids liked. Tattly designs were featured in the gift guide and at our birthday parties for years. Go buy a Lowly Apple Car Tattoo and some Oliver Jeffers sets while you can!

😂 The Mastermind Box Cover in McSweeney’s: “I want every eight-year-old to look at this and think, ‘Someday, I will destroy my father’s confidence with pure logic.’” Definitely not for kids, but pretty amusing for those of us who grew up with this game.

🎁 New in the TKSST Gift Guide! And thanks, as always, to Jason Kottke for featuring TKSST in his annual gift guide roundup.

Finally: A huge thank you to everyone who's already joined as a TKSST member or bought me a coffee this year. You're making this work possible.

This week’s goal: 75 new supporters.

If just 5% of readers contributed $3-5/month, TKSST would be fully sustainable. If this resource has been valuable to you or your family in 2025, and you can help, now is the time to chip in.

🎁💡👀 NEW IN THE TKSST GIFT GUIDE

❄️ IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

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