Today Amazon made big news with the release of the new Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition. The device is available for pre-order immediately and will begin shipping on May 9. It’s priced at $79.99, $30 more than the regular Echo Dot. The big news isn’t a new Echo device, however. Instead, it’s the release of a new kid-friendly version of Amazon’s Alexa under the banner of the existing FreeTime and FreeTime Unlimited programs.
View a summary of the differences between the Echo Dot and Echo Dot Kids Edition
What is the Echo Dot Kids Edition?
Really the new Kids Edition Dot is just a standard Echo Dot with a brightly colored, kid-friendly, protective case. There’s nothing to indicate the actual hardware is any different. What is incredibly different is the services that come with it. These include parental controls, a free 1-year subscription to FreeTime Unlimited, and a 2-year worry-free guarantee.
The parental control suite for Alexa is branded as FreeTime for Alexa. It includes the usual ability to monitor activity, limit access to certain features, set time limits, and filter explicit content. In addition, FreeTime for Alexa will enable age-appropriate responses to questions, a “Magic Word” feature that encourages kids to say “please,” and suggestions for things to do when kids get bored. Communication features such as intercom and drop-in, which have both been available on Echo devices for some time, are enhanced for kids’ use.
FreeTime Unlimited is not new to Amazon Kindle devices, but the extension to Alexa devices is. The service is usually $2.99 a month for prime members, so the one-year subscription is essentially prepaid with the purchase of the higher-priced version of the Echo Dot. FreeTime Unlimited for Alexa adds kid-friendly audio books, radio stations, premium skills, and character alarms. The additional Alexa features will be available to current subscribers of FreeTime Unlimited for no additional charge starting on May 9.
In order to convince parents to buy an expensive electronic device for their rambunctious children, Amazon provides a 2-year worry-free guarantee on the Kids Edition Dot as opposed to the 90-day limited warranty on the standard edition. If anything happens to the smart speaker in two years, Amazon will replace it, no questions asked. So if your tike drops it or spills a cup of juice all over those sensitive electronics, Amazon will get another one back into the fray as soon as possible.
FreeTime for Alexa Parental Controls
Starting on May 9, there will be two versions of FreeTime available for Alexa: FreeTime and FreeTime Unlimited. FreeTime is the suite of parental controls and kid-friendly responses without access to premium skills and content. It is included with the Kids Edition Dot and can be enabled at no additional cost on existing Echo device. However, neither FreeTime nor FreeTime Unlimited is available for Echo devices with screens such as the Echo Show.
With Amazon FreeTime for Alexa, parents will be able to choose which skills and services kids can use. They will also be able to review activities and voice recordings through the Alexa app. Purchasing will be turned off by default on the Kids Edition, and parents can limit how purchasing is used. Time limits can be set to prevent kids from interacting with Alexa late at night, during family time, or when they should be doing homework.
In the initial release of FreeTime for Alexa, it will be possible to filter the playback of songs with explicit lyrics on Amazon Music. Amazon has promised this feature will extend to third-party music services in the future. As expected, Alexa will answer questions that kids might have about homework or other topics which excite their curiosity. When kids inevitably say “Alexa, I’m bored,” the smart speaker will be ready with jokes, songs, and age-appropriate activity suggestions.
FreeTime Unlimited Premium Features for Kids
The Echo Dot Kids Edition will also include 1 year of FreeTime Unlimited at no additional cost. It will be available for other Echo devices starting in May with pricing starting at $2.99 per month. The premium service includes audiobooks from Audible, music, and a number of special skills.
Audible for FreeTime Unlimited includes over 300 entertaining and educational kids’ audiobooks performed by dynamic characters. Kids will be able to listen to ad-free music playlists and custom radio stations provided by iHeartRadio family. Character alarms allow kids to wake up to the voice of some of their favorite characters. The FreeTime Unlimited service will also enable new Alexa skills like Disney’s Disney Stories, Nickelodeon’s No Way That’s True, and National Geographic’s This or That.
Current subscribers to FreeTime Unlimited for Kindle will be able to enable the Alexa features at no additional charge once they roll out on May 9. Any new subscribers to FreeTime Unlimited will also gain access to all the free games, apps, videos, and books included in the existing FreeTime for Kindle service on Fire tablets, Android tablets, and Android phones.
You can try out FreeTime Unlimited with a one-month free trial by clicking here
Find out more about the new Echo Dot Kids Edition on the Amazon product page.