Amazon FreeTime on Alexa includes a new set of parental controls and
family-focused features such as explicit song filtering, bedtime limits,
educational Q&A, household communications, positive reinforcement for
using the word “please,” disabled voice purchasing, and more—for free
Amazon FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa is an all-new content subscription
service just for Echo devices—includes access to over 300 Audible kids’
books; kid-friendly, ad-free radio stations and playlists; character
alarms; premium Alexa skills from Disney, Nickelodeon, National
Geographic, and more—starting at just $2.99 per month for Prime members,
and no additional cost for existing FreeTime Unlimited members
The easiest way to get started with Amazon FreeTime on Alexa is with
the all-new Echo Dot Kids Edition— just $79.99—which includes one year
of FreeTime Unlimited family plan, a kid-friendly case, and a 2-year
worry-free guarantee—if anything happens, return it and we’ll replace it
for free, no questions asked
Since Alexa is built in the cloud, she’ll get smarter every day with
new kid and parent-friendly features, skills, Audible books, music, Q&A,
and more
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 25, 2018--
(NASDAQ: AMZN)— Amazon today announced all-new Alexa experiences for
kids and parents: Amazon FreeTime on Alexa, Amazon FreeTime Unlimited on
Alexa, and Echo Dot Kids Edition.
These new offerings bring Alexa-specific features and content to
Amazon’s popular FreeTime and FreeTime Unlimited services. Over the last
five years, over 10 million kids and their parents have enjoyed Amazon
FreeTime, and Fire Kids Edition tablets are the #1 best-selling kids
tablet in the US.
Parents can choose any combination of the following options for their
kids:
-
Amazon FreeTime on Alexa brings parental controls and
family-focused features to Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Plus—all at no
cost. Simply add FreeTime to an existing or new Echo device to get
started.
-
Amazon FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa, Amazon’s content
subscription service for parents and kids, brings a wide selection of
Alexa-specific content such as kid-friendly premium skills, Audible
books, and more—all at no additional cost for existing FreeTime
Unlimited members, or starting at $2.99 per month for Prime members.
-
Echo Dot Kids Edition is the easiest way to get started. It
combines an Echo Dot, FreeTime features and parental controls, 1 year
of FreeTime Unlimited, a kid-friendly case, and a 2-year worry-free
guarantee—$79.99 and available for pre-order today.
“Tens of millions of households already use Alexa, and today we’re
excited to introduce an entirely new way for kids to have fun and learn
with Alexa,” said Dave Limp, Senior Vice President, Amazon Devices and
Services. “With Echo Dot Kids Edition and FreeTime on Alexa, parents can
have peace of mind knowing their kids are getting age-appropriate
content, while they listen to music, ask questions, enjoy Audible books,
use Alexa skills, and more. We can’t wait for parents and kids to try
this out.”
Amazon FreeTime on Alexa—Parental Controls and Family-Focused
Features – All for Free
Designed just for parents and kids, FreeTime on Alexa brings all-new
Alexa features and parental controls to Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Plus,
including:
-
Time Limits – Set bedtime time limits to protect against kids
talking with Alexa late into the night, or simply pause Echo devices
for dinner or homework time.
-
Parental Controls – Use the Parent Dashboard and Alexa app to
choose which services and skills kids can use, turn off voice
purchasing, and more.
-
Block Explicit Songs – Both in the Alexa experience and
FreeTime on Alexa experience, parents with Amazon Music now have the
ability to filter playback of songs with explicit lyrics, and we’ll
continue to add compatible music services to this feature over time.
-
Activity Review – Parent Dashboard allows parents to see their
kid’s FreeTime on Alexa activity, plus review their voice recordings
in the Alexa app.
-
Magic Word – The new Magic Word feature offers positive
reinforcement when kids use the word “please” while asking questions
of Alexa.
-
Educational Q&A – Kids can ask Alexa questions about
science, math, spelling, definitions, or any other topic that piques
their curiosity. Since Alexa is built in the cloud and always getting
smarter, she’ll continue to learn new information every day.
-
Alexa Speaks “Kid” – Alexa has age-appropriate suggestions at
the ready, all kids have to say is, “Alexa, I’m bored.” Kids can also
ask for knock-knock jokes, ask Alexa for a song, and more. The more
they use Alexa, the smarter she will get.
-
Household Communications – Gone are the days of shouting up the
stairs for the kids to come down to dinner. FreeTime on Alexa allows
for household announcements, calling, messaging, and Drop In within
the home.
Amazon FreeTime on Alexa will roll out to existing Echo, Echo Dot, and
Echo Plus owners via a free, over-the-air software update starting May
9. Learn more about FreeTime: www.amazon.com/freetime.
Amazon FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa
FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa takes the best of Amazon’s existing
all-in-one FreeTime Unlimited subscription and adds Alexa-specific
content such as Audible books, kid-friendly premium skills, and more.
With FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa, parents get all of the FreeTime
parental controls and features mentioned above, plus unlimited access to
kid-friendly content including:
-
Over 300 Audible Books – Kids will enjoy hours of entertaining
and educational Audible books performed by some of their favorite
characters and authors such as Peter Pan, Rip Van Winkle and
more.
-
Ad-Free, Kid-Friendly Stations & Playlists from iHeartRadio Family –
From Kids Hits to Radio Disney, kids will love the thousands of songs
from playlists and custom stations available.
-
Premium Alexa Kid Skills from Top Brands – With all-new Alexa
skills like Disney’s Disney Stories, Nickelodeon’s No Way
That’s True, and National Geographic’s This or That, kids
can explore Alexa skills developed by the best in kids’ entertainment
and education.
-
Wake Up to Favorite Characters – Kids can start the day with
alarms featuring their favorite characters from Disney, Nickelodeon,
and more.
-
One Subscription, Unlimited Possibilities – With a FreeTime
Unlimited on Alexa subscription kids can also access thousands of
games, apps, videos, books, and more on Fire tablets, including Fire
Kids Edition tablets, Android tablets, and Android phones.
FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa will roll out to existing Echo, Echo Dot,
and Echo Plus owners via a free, over-the-air software update starting
May 9. Customers who already subscribe to FreeTime Unlimited for their
kids can get the subscription content, features, and parental controls
at no additional cost. Those who are new to FreeTime Unlimited can sign
up for as low as $2.99 per month. Learn more and subscribe: www.amazon.com/freetimeunlimited.
Echo Dot Kids Edition—Combines All of Amazon’s Best Kids
Experiences—Just $79.99
Echo Dot Kids Edition is the simplest way to get started with the Alexa
kids experience. It comes with all the FreeTime parental controls
features, one year of FreeTime Unlimited family plan, a kid-friendly
case, and a 2-year worry-free guarantee.
Echo Dot Kids Edition will begin shipping on May 9. Pre-order Echo Dot
Kids Edition starting today at www.amazon.com/echo-dot-kids-edition.
Here’s what partners and industry experts are saying:
Stephen Balkam, Founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute,
said, “We are excited to see Amazon bring FreeTime to Alexa. The curated
content and user experience has all been designed with kids, parents,
fun and safety in mind. In our latest research report, FOSI found that
the majority of parents were comfortable with their child using a smart
speaker, and by making this service available, Amazon is creating
another safe, kid-friendly experience for families.”
“As more homes are getting smart, we have a unique opportunity to
deliver Disney stories on new platforms, such as Amazon’s Alexa
service,” said John Love, VP, Digital Experiences, Disney. “With more
than 30 Disney Stories at launch and more Alexa skills coming soon, we
are in a great position to bring Disney content to where our audiences
are.”
“National Geographic is at the center of a community of bold people with
insatiable curiosity,” said Rosa Zeegers, Executive Vice President,
Consumer Products and Experiences at National Geographic Partners. “Our
scientists, photographers, explorers, and filmmakers chase the big
questions and push the boundaries of our knowledge about our world. We
have found a great partner in Amazon and we are excited to be part of
the launch of the new FreeTime on Alexa experience.”
“Voice experiences are an important new way to connect with kids and
families, and our continued collaboration with Amazon underscores
Nickelodeon’s commitment to transforming entertainment,” said
Matthew Evans, Executive Vice President, New Business and Digital,
Nickelodeon Group. “By combining voice, sound effects and interactivity,
these Alexa skills offer an exciting new arena for our audience to
engage with our brand and our most popular characters.”
“Having been one of the music launch partners for the original Amazon
Echo and considering the success of the iHeartRadio Family app for
Amazon’s Free Time Unlimited program, launching on Amazon’s new Echo Dot
Kids Edition and FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa is a natural extension to
an already strong partnership,” said Jessica Jerrick, EVP of Business
Development and Partnerships for iHeartMedia. “We’re excited to team up
with Amazon to bring an engaging mix of iHeartRadio’s family-friendly
radio stations, music playlists and other entertaining audio content
perfectly suited for little ears to Amazon’s new Echo Dot Kids Edition.”
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than
competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational
excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping,
personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle
Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa
are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more
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