Have you embraced the virtual assistant lifestyle? Do you have a few Amazon Echo devices around your home? Then you’ve probably encountered some of the many “skills” you can add to Alexa to customize its abilities.
There’s a staggering number of first- and third- party Alexa skills on offer. Many of them are just perfect for entertaining (and sometimes educating) your kids and teens.
Suitable For Kids
The first five Alexa skills for kids listed here are okay for younger children. As well as anyone you don’t want to expose to themes and information that might be better suited for older teenagers. That being said, you should still supervise your children’s interaction with any third-party skill!
Animal Workout
There are few things as stressful as having a bunch of energetic children cooped up at home. Whether it’s thanks to a snow-day or a government lockdown, it’s good to have a physical outlet for all that pent up energy.
Animal Workout offers exactly that. Alexa will encourage your kids to pretend that they are different animals, while at the same time sneakily getting them to move their bodies. It’s not exercise if you’re having fun, after all.
Sesame Street
Does Sesame Street require any introduction? If your young ones are already hooked on the evergreen children’s show, this official app from the Sesame Workshop is sure to be a delight. The skill for kids is actually focused on the hyper-popular Elmo character. You can ask him about the word of the day and play a game of hide-and-seek.
It’s pretty basic right now, with the developers working on making it a little more interactive, but for preschool-age kids it’s the perfect dose of on-demand Elmo whenever they need it.
Amazon Storytime
This official skill from Amazon contains over 100 stories that have been recorded with full professional casts. Think of it as a sort of mini-Netflix (or, er, Amazon Prime) for audio-only stories.
Amazon has chosen the content to be suitable for kids aged 5-12, and there are multiple categories of stories to choose from. There are also branded tie-ins with LEGO and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. If you’re not quite up to an in-person storytime session on a given night, Alexa will come to the rescue. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy these tales right alongside your sprogs.
No Way That’s True
Nickelodeon’s come out swinging in the world of Alexa kid skills, with their fun trivia game. It’s based around a set of global facts that will make you question whether something could possibly be true.
It’s a game for up to four players and features popular characters players might run into during play, such as Spongebob Squarepants.The game is suitable for kids aged 6 and older.
Meow!
Sometimes, when it comes to really young kids, simpler is better. Meow! is an Alexa skill that does exactly what it says on the tin. If you say “Alexa, meow meow” and you’ll trigger a cat conversation that could go on for hours. Chatting to Alexa in “cat language” is a pretty simple (if cute) trick, but it’s also fun for kids of all ages.
Suitable for Teens
These next five Alexa skills for kids are suited for teenagers and older adolescent teens. While they don’t have explicit content and are generally family friendly, some might make reference to events and themes that could require parental guidance.
Jeopardy!
While Nickelodeon’s trivia game might keep younger kids enthralled, by the time your teens are older there’s a good chance they might be bitten by the Jeopardy! bug. In case you didn’t know, this is a trivia game show with a twist. Contestants have to answer the cryptic clue in the form of a question.
Sadly, you won’t be in line to win any real money or actually meet Alex Trebek. Other than that it’s pretty much just like being on the show. Though it seems the latest format change to the game on Alexa has been a little less than popular among long-time players.
Age Rating: Guidance Suggested
This Day in History
Created by none other than the History channel, this free Alexa skill for kids lets you learn a cool fact about history that happened on the day you asked it. This is a skill that’s both fun and educational. Especially if you’ve got a teen who’s into history.
Age Rating: Guidance Suggested
Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock
Inspired by the made-up game from the TV show The Big Bang Theory, Rock Paper Lizard Spock is a more complex and interesting version of the classic Rock Paper Scissors game.
You’ll compete against Alexa to see who’s best at choosing the correct weapon to trump their opponent. Even better, the skill has recently received an update that’s added a global scoreboard. So you can see just how good you are at this silly game compared to all the other huge nerds in the world.
Age Rating: Guidance Suggested
The Magic Door
Do you remember text-based adventures like Zork? What about those neat Choose Your Own Adventure books? The Magic Door is like that. However, instead of reading you listen to your Alexa device and speak back to it.
There are 11 paths to follow which you’ll need to explore in order to experience all the different adventures that lay beyond the Magic Door. The storytelling and production values of the Magic Door are widely-praised and it’s a genuinely creative use of technology. It offers a unique gameplay experience you’re not going to get on your Xbox or Playstation. In fact, this might be the perfect skill to pull your teenage children away from their consoles!
Song Quiz
What do teenagers like more than music? Wait, don’t answer that! It’s probably something horrible we’re too old to understand.
Still, music is something that can bring people together. The Song Quiz Alexa skill is a fantastic way to bond with your older teenage kids over pop tunes from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s. You’ll hear a snippet of music and have to guess the title and artist.
You can even play against other people across the country. There’s also an optional monthly subscription to enlarge the library of songs. Even better, new music is added every month for subscribers.
Age Rating: Guidance Suggested
Alexa, Keep Them Busy While I Escape
Being a parent is a full-time job, but you can still use modern technology to smooth out the rough spots every now and then. This is just a small taste of the many Alexa skills that are either aimed at children or would appeal to children of all ages. Even ones that can legally drive and pay their taxes.
Are you an Alexa aficionado? Have you found the perfect Alexa skills to keep your kids happy, so you can keep your sanity? Feel free to share suggestions in the comments below and let us know how Alexa is entertaining your family.