Amazon Alexa for Children: skills, commands and parental controls explained

Alexa can be useful for American adults, but Amazon has also made the voice assistant extremely friendly with children in recent years.

We are now a few generations in the Amazon Amazon editions of the DOT Echo regular, with the latest fifth generation model available in a dragon or owl design.

In addition, there is also a version for children of the third -generation echo show 5 also, along with an echo pop centered on children, which is actually the cheapest way to obtain a Alexa’s action in the lives of their children.

And the differences are not limited to that outer layer: Amazon has created a complete version of Alexa that is designed to be sure for children to interact, and this mode can also be enabled for most existing Echo speakers.

Once ignited, you get controls of complete parents, even when the speaker can and cannot be used, who your children can communicate and what intelligent home control can obtain (if any).

And Amazon has updated Amazon Kids+ to include specific content of Alexa, so that his children can discover new games and skills designed for their ages.

There is enough to pass, but then we will show how to configure a speaker for their children and how to control what they can and cannot do.

The best Alexa speakers for children

While the first Echo Dot Kids model came out in 2018, the newest versions of 4th and 5th generation are the best.

Based on the current Echo point, the new version of the speaker is available as a nice panda or tiger.

This edition costs a little more than the regular version, since it also includes the subscription of one year to Amazon Kids+, a service that brings applications, games, audiobooks and skills to all its Amazon devices, not only the Echo.

And you get a guarantee without two -year concerns: if the speaker is broken in some way, Amazon will change it for a new one, without asking questions. These two accessories make the extra worth it.

If you have older children, then the intelligent regular echo speakers can also become children, using a configuration in the Alexa application, more about that below in the guide.

As mentioned, it is also worth considering the Echo Show 5 Kids edition, which is an elegant friendly version for the children of the regular show 5.

They are $ 10 / £ 10 more than the regular show 5, but you get a year of action from Amazon Kids+ for that, which we will talk more about in a moment.

And finally, there are versions of Marvel and Disney of the Echo Pop that cost less than $ 40 and include 6 months of Amazon Kids+.

How to light the Kids mode in echo smart speaker

Parent controls are divided between the Alexa application, where you set the Kids mode and Amazon’s parents’ board (available through the Alexa application and through the dedicated website).

First, you must light the mode for children in your child’s smart speaker. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open the application Alexa and touch ‘devices’, then select ‘Echo & Alexa’.

2. Show down to the speaker that you want to control and touch it.

3. From here, touch the configuration icon in the upper corner and then move down until you see ‘Amazon Kids’.

4. Change to establish this in ‘enabled’. Now you have an intelligent speaker to echo children.

This mode allows the speaker to be controlled by parental controls, but also disables some features by default, including the purchase of voice. For a finer control, you must immerse yourself in the parents’ control configuration.

Parents’ controls on an echo device

From the configuration screen that only was, you can touch the option ‘Amazon Kids Settings’, which will show you all the available profiles you have to administer.

If you have not configured it before, you will get a link that takes you to a website that will allow you to configure profiles for your home. Alternatively, you can go to parents.

If this is your first time here, you can follow the guide to create profiles for all children in your home. This includes establishing the name and age of a child. Once you have profiles, you can administer them individually.

Device administration

First, you must select who the device belongs to. Speakers can only belong to a child, and restrictions and age grades are limited to that profile.

The devices appear under his son’s profile, listed in ‘his son’s devices’.

Touch a device, and you can change who belongs and can also manage some configurations.

Music management

Touch ‘Manage music’, and can activate the ‘explicit filter’ to prevent songs from being reproduced with words of oath. Note that this works for all music services, including Amazon Music, Apple Music and Spotify on their Echo speaker.

However, there is a selection box with Amazon Music: if this is activated, Amazon Music becomes the predetermined music service, regardless of what has established elsewhere.

Turn off this and music will reproduce from your predetermined music service.

Time limits and use permits

Back to the main profile, and can alter other configurations. You can choose ‘daily time limits’ to select when Alexa is available, both Monday through Friday and weekends, so that they can prevent their children from using their smart speakers when they must be asleep.

If you want to temporarily disable Alexa, you can select ‘Device Pause’ from the child’s profile page, which will prevent them from using each and every one of their devices until the curriculum touches.

At the bottom, select ‘Intelligent Start Devices’, and then you can choose whether your children can control your home or not. It is just an ignition or off switch at this time, and it is a shame that you cannot select which devices you would like to control.

How to control what contacts your child can talk about

If you have activated messages, you can control who your child can call.

To do this, open the Alexa application and touch ‘communicate’, then touch the contact icon in the upper right. Find your child’s name on your contact list and touch this.

You will see a list of ‘approved contacts’.

Touch ‘add new contact’ and can add to anyone who is on your list as someone to whom you are sure that your child gets in touch, such as grandparents or friends.

You must repeat this step separately for each children’s profile.

How to disable intelligent domestic control for children

Do you really want your little angels to have total control of your intelligent domestic devices? Do you think it is advisable to give them voice control about things like your lights, heating, security system and the like?

No … I didn’t think.

The good news is that it is as simple as changing a lever in the children’s profile configuration area.

How to disable voice purchase or add a pin

One of Alexa’s greatest comforts also has the most potential danger.

The purchase of voice can make the paper towels in the face of paper is easy, but it will not want to end up finding 50 stars of the death of Lego at the door because their children discovered that their echo could become a holy throughout the year.

To enable or disable the purchase of voice on all its eco devices, or add another safety layer, do the following:

1. Open the Alexa application.
2. Touch ‘more’ and then ‘configuration’.
3. Touch ‘account configuration’.
4. Hits ‘voice purchases’.
5. You can alternate the purchase of voice/disabled. You can also add a PIN code that should be read before Alexa processs any transaction.

What is Amazon Kids+?

Amazon Kids+ is like a magical wand for parents who want to keep their children entertaining and learning in a safe digital space. It is a subscription service full of a lot of great things for children from 3 to 12 years old, from books and movies to television programs.

Everything is easily accessible through the Amazon Kids+ application on its Android or iOS devices, as well as Amazon devices linked to their account, such as Kindles, Fire TVS, Fire Tablets and, of course, echo smart Speaks.

Your children will receive an original exciting content as Blippi tree house and Arpo Robot geniterTogether with the favorites of all Marvel, Disney, Lego and more. In addition, parents can adjust the application configuration to ensure that children do not run into advertisements, purchases in the application or collapses on questionable websites and social networks.

In Echo smart speakers, children can enjoy more than a thousand hours of radio without advertising, reproduction lists and a lot of audible books on compatible echo devices. Parents, of course, get their own control set here, from establishing time limits to monitor what children are doing.

Plans for Amazon Kids+ start at $ 5.99 / £ 4.99 per month.

Alexa’s best skills for children

In addition to the excellent variety of specific content for children with Kids+, there are also some bright Alexa skills that will work on any intelligent speaker in Alexa and are excellent for children.

Sesame Street

Children can chat with Elmo (can we try?) Who loves talking about their letter of the day and can even play hide and seek. Audio tracks can reveal where it is, and children can shout where they think it could be.

Just say: “Alexa, ask Sesame Street to call Elmo. ”

SpongeBob Challenge

SpongeBob and the KRAB KRAB crew are having a occupied day turning hamburgers and have many orders to remember. Children can listen and repeat orders, and try to remember as many as they can.

Just say: “Alexa, begins the spongebob challenge.”

Amazon story time

Short stories that are aimed at children aged 5 to 12, and everything is in conjunction with audible, so the quality is really strong.

Just say: “Alexa, asks Amazon Storytime to read a story.”

Chompers

Fighting to make children brush their teeth? Chompers makes the teeth have fun with jokes, riddles, songs and more, keeping the children brushed during the full two minutes. He also monitor their brushing stripes, giving children a reason to stick to the routine.

Just say: “Alexa, starts gimlet chompers.”

Animal game

Think of an animal and then play yes/not until Alexa guess which he is thinking.

Just say: “Alexa, animal game.”

Wake up clock

This could have a small possibility of working, but we will try anything to keep the first elevators in their beds for an extra hour. You arrive at the time when your son is lifted from the bed. When they wake up, they just need to ask if it’s time to get up.

Just ask: “Alexa, ask my watch if it’s time to wake up.”

LEGO Double Stories

The interactive stories designed to increase the imagination, the stories of Duple de Lego are like an audiobro of choice of their own adventure. His son is the captain of a pirate ship or a flying bird, choosing where they are going and the adventures they set.

Just say: “Alexa, open stories of Dute Lego.”

The magical door

Another game of interactive history, the magic door allows children to make decisions while exploring a fantasy world, collect elements and know speakers on the road.

Just say: “Alexa, opens the magical door.”

Moshi Twilight

Less interactive, monster manufacturers MOSHI provide stories when bedtime sound effects that are designed to help children drift.

Just say: “Alexa, asks Moshi Twilight to play a sleep story.”