Amazon has revealed its newest baby, giving Australian kids a new way to learn, play and grow while being entertained at home. Say hello to Amazon Kids!

Amazon Kids on Alexa, which is available on Echo smart speakers and Echo Show devices, allows kids aged 12 and under to discover fun, child-directed content with Alexa, including sing-alongs with Amazon Music, playing games and telling jokes. And the beauty is that parents are able to fully manage and control the experience.

What is Amazon Kids on Alexa?

Designed just for parents and kids, Amazon Kids on Alexa brings child-friendly Alexa features, content, settings and parental controls to Amazon Echo smart speakers or Echo Show devices, including:

• Block Songs with Explicit Lyrics: Automatically filter songs with explicit lyrics from Amazon Music, Apple Music or Spotify — so children can discover new songs or listen to their favourite
  tunes.
• Time Limits: Set bedtime and time limits to prevent kids interacting with Alexa late into the night, or simply pause Echo devices for dinner or homework time.
• Add or Remove Services and Content: Use the Parent Dashboard and Alexa app to choose which services and skills kids can use. Voice purchasing is blocked by design.
• Household Communication: Amazon Kids on Alexa also allows for household announcements, calling, messaging, and Drop In within the home – no more shouting through the house that dinner is ready.
• Activity Review: The Parent Dashboard also allows parents to see their kid’s Alexa activity, plus review their voice recordings in the Alexa app.

“While Alexa’s been keeping Aussie homes organised, entertained and connected, the youngest members of the household have increasingly become curious and interested in engaging with Alexa in their own way,” Head of Product, Amazon Alexa ANZ Kate Gooden explained.

“We’re excited to launch Amazon Kids on Alexa in Australia, joining the 20 million kids and parents around the world who are already using the service. We can now provide Mums and Dads peace of mind in knowing that their kids are getting child-directed content, and new kid skills in an environment that parents can easily manage via our Parent Dashboard tools.”

Try these fun activities on Amazon Kids on Alexa

Kids can also ask Alexa questions about their favourite school subjects like science, maths, or geography or request guidance on spelling or word definitions while they’re working through homework. Since Alexa is built in the cloud and always getting smarter, it continues to learn every day. With Amazon Kids on Alexa, kids can also enjoy fun experiences from ABC Kids, Kinderling Kids, Nickelodeon, and more.

Try:

• “Alexa, play Kinderling Kids Radio”: a 24/7 radio station for kids, with fun and educational music, facts, jokes and imagination. You can also try “Alexa, play Kinderling Kids Sleep” for soothing, ambient tunes for bedtime, and “Alexa, play Kinderling Kids Party” to turn up the fun.
• “Alexa, play ABC Kids listen”: a 24/7 radio station for kids and their grown-ups, designed to mirror the ebb and flow of a child’s day for playful days and peaceful nights.
• “Alexa, open Bedtime Explorers”: imaginative, meditative journeys for children, teaching them easy-to-learn meditation techniques that they can use to fall asleep, or just relax.
• “Alexa, open Blue’s Clues”: kids will use their imagination and practice listening and critical thinking as they help Josh figure out Blue’s clues across ten different storylines.
• “Alexa, open Stolen Stars of Matariki”: a bilingual (English and Māori) illustrated story with engaging voice recordings, sound effects, music and illustrations.
• “Alexa, open Chompers”: a twice-daily tooth brushing show with jokes, riddles, stories and silly songs to keep kids brushing — and giggling — for the two minutes that dentists recommend.

Amazon Kids on Alexa safety

Amazon Kids on Alexa has been designed with privacy and security in mind. The Parent Dashboard allows parents to choose which services and skills kids can use, and review their child’s activity.

Parents and their children will always know when Alexa is listening to a request because a blue light indicator will appear on the Echo device. Parents can mute the microphones on the device with one press of a button, and most Echo Show devices also come with a built-in shutter to cover the camera.

Parents can go into the Alexa app at any time to check their privacy settings and make adjustments as needed. Parents have access to all voice recordings and can choose not to have voice recordings saved or delete them at any time.

There are also added layers of protection for kids, for example parents can opt not to have their children’s voice commands recorded. Or if parents do want to be able to access voice recordings, to see how their kids are using Alexa, they’re able to specify how long those recordings are held before being deleted. And the recordings are held in the cloud, not on the device – however they are encrypted so they can’t be listened to by anyone other than parents.

To find out more, head to Amazon Kids on Alexa.

Are you concerned about your children’s privacy and safety online? Let us know in the comments below.