Amazon Kids and Kids+: Everything you need to know about these family friendly plans

Amazon has had some of the best Android tablets for kids for years now, and that’s in large part to the services offered as much as it is the hardware. Amazon launched software that turned a regular Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus into a Kids Edition in 2012, called Amazon FreeTime and FreeTime Unlimited. Then, in the Fall of 2020, it was rebranded as Amazon Kids and Kids+. So, what is Amazon Kids and Kids+, and what makes these services so great?

In short, it’s a service from Amazon that offers carefully curated books, movies, and games for kids paired with excellent parental controls for children ranging ages 3 to 12. As the parent, you determine how much screen time your child gets, and if they need to read before playing games, and what content your child sees based on age range. There are plenty of layers to this fantastic service, so let’s get into it.

Both Amazon Kids and Kids+ offer parents the ability to create a profile for their child and set various levels of access restrictions through the parent dashboard. In the standard version, Amazon Kids, you can share content from your library with them so that your child can access that content when logged into their profile.

Also, while in their Kids profile, your child will be able to browse the web — only if you enable it, of course — that will have filters in place and allow you to block specific websites to provide a safe environment to explore the internet. Your child will also be able to make announcements to supported Echo devices you have in your home and make voice or video calls to parent-approved contacts.

Some apps you shared with your child may contain ads, and while the ability to interact with those ads will reduce — there may be the possibility of your child being able to click onto one. While on the topic of apps, by default, all in-app purchasing is disabled in the Kids profile, but you can enable it from the parent dashboard if you choose to.

If you opt to go for the Kids+ for your child, you’ll both enjoy all of the features of the standard Kids version — with more. As part of Kids+, there is access to an expansive, appropriately curated library of content for your child — including ad-free radio stations. Plus, any apps shared with your child to their in Kids+ profile will have no ads.

Amazon Kids and Kids+: Price

You may be surprised to find out that it won’t cost you a thing to gain access to the excellent parental controls and kid-safe profiles offered in Amazon Kids. However, if you would like the expanded features and content library of the Amazon Kids+ — it will have a cost associated with it.

Well, it will unless you purchase a Kids Edition tablet from Amazon. In that case, you get a free year of Amazon Kids+ included with that purchase — pretty great, right? After that year is up, there are different payment levels based on a few various factors.

Amazon has done an excellent job of making its Kids and Kids+ service work on a wide variety of devices. It is accessible across the entire line of Fire devices, including tablets and TV, Echo devices — especially the fun Echo Dot Kids Edition, and Kindle readers. Once you have signed up for the service, it’s only a matter of enabling your child’s profile on the desired device — BAM — your child has access to the content you have approved.

One of the great features of Amazon Kids and Kids+ is that the service is available on more than Amazon-branded devices. By downloading and installing the Amazon Kids+ app onto some of the best phones for kids, iOS devices, or even an excellent Chromebook for kids to open up those devices to the safe and fun content your child loves. With the service being available across a wide range of devices, Amazon has made it easy for you and your child to access everything you love about Kids and Kids+, all with a single account.

Amazon Kids and Kids+: Content and web browsing

As mentioned in the section discussing the differences between Amazon Kids and Kids+, both profiles will have access to content you choose to share from your own library and a filtered web browsing experience. If you have the Amazon Kids+ version of the service, there’s a lot to offer regarding the content your child can access directly from their profile.

Amazon’s children’s library of carefully curated books, movies, shows, games, and more apps is constantly growing. With well over 10,000 options available currently, there’s a lot of fun stuff available for your child to enjoy. Amazon Kids+ has content from a wide range of providers like Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, PBS Kids, and more to help educate and entertain your child.

With characters kids love, such as Mikey Mouse, Daniel Tiger, and Scooby-Doo, to popular movies and series from Lego and Star Wars, there is so much for your little ones to enjoy. You’ll find those characters in books, games, and movies across all age ranges. There are classic books to new hits, all ready for your child to enjoy.

Amazon Kids and Kids+: Profiles and parental controls

Finding digital content that will entertain children isn’t hard these days. However, it isn’t easy finding some that are age-appropriate and ensuring that it is consumed healthily. The world of books, movies, games for kids is broad and full of pitfalls. Trying to keep up with it all is tough for parents. Amazon Kids and Kids+ help make that task a bit easier.

Setting up your child’s profile in Amazon Kids or Kids+ is the same regardless of the version you are using. You choose your child’s age and the range of content you want them to be able to access. That includes the web browser, in-app purchasing, and the app store. You can also choose the content you want to share from your profile and set daily limits and educational gaols before entertainment content becomes available to your child.

After setup, you can make adjustments to your child’s profile by logging into your own profile or by accessing the parent dashboard via the web. From the dashboard, you can make any changes you want in regards to what your child’s profile can access, in addition to the ability to pause your child’s device.

On the homepage of your dashboard, you can also see the apps, books, and videos your child uses and for how long. By clicking on a title, you can see a description of it as well as a rating. The dashboard will also show you a call and message history for your child’s profile and any store requests made.

Amazon Kids and Kids+ offers both parents and kids the ability to enjoy technology. The services let kids easily find content that they want and parents the peace of mind knowing that it’s being done responsibly — win-win for everyone.