Amazon has outed new Alexa experiences aimed at kids with Amazon FreeTime on Alexa and the Echo Dot Kids Edition, as well as Amazon FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa. Amazon FreeTime itself is not new as it has been available via Amazon’s Fire Kids Edition tablets but now parents will have the same level of parental controls with Alexa through the Echo line of devices like the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus. FreeTime on Alexa is free, and simply needs to be added to the Echo device that parents may already have in the home. Of course there’s also the Echo Dot Kids Edition, which comes with one year of FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa. FreeTime Unlimited is normally associated with a monthly cost, (which starts at $2.99 for Prime members) so getting it for free for a year with the Echo Dot Kids Edition is kind of a steal.
In addition to the year of FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa the Echo Dot Kids Edition also comes with the familiar kid-friendly and colorful case surrounding the unit just like the Fire Kids Edition tablets, as well as a two-year warranty just in case anything goes wrong with the device that could be considered a malfunction.
The Echo Dot Kids Edition is available for pre-order but won’t be launching officially until May 9, and it will be a little bit more expensive than the standard Echo Dot. Amazon has set it at a price of $80 compared to the standard Echo Dot which can be picked up for $50, so parents are looking at a $30 premium to get a hold of the case and all the FreeTime on Alexa features and parental controls. That said, $30 is likely a small price to pay for parents to ensure that they have more control over how their kids are interacting with the smart digital assistant-enabled speaker. With FreeTime on Alexa parents can configure all kinds of limits, such as the times that kids can interact with the Echo Dot. These limits can be used to pause interaction for a specific time, say for studying, or they can be essentially be locked down for bedtime.
Buy The Echo Dot Kids Edition