Cool Mom Tech

The more parents are realizing that tablets can be an awesome educational resource for our kids, the more companies are jumping on board to make their device more appealing to parents than others. Starting today, Kindle becomes an even bigger contender with an affordable monthly content service made just for kids and families that's going to get a whole lot of buzz. The new Kindle FreeTime Unlimited for Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD is $2.99 a month, or $6.99 per family giving you up to six individual profiles. But that pricing is if you're already an Amazon Prime Member. (Which you should be.) If you're not, it costs a little more--$4.99/9.99. Essentially your subscription gives you unlimited (thus, theunlimited in the name) books, games, educational apps, and shows geared towards the 3-8 set. While we haven't had a chance to try it out yet, what seems appealing is that you can just hand your Kindle Fire over to the kid and they can explore on their own, since everything is already curated for them with the help of the excellent Common Sense Media. Also, there are no ads, and no social media connection, which is awesome. And if you use the Kindle Free Time app, you also have options like time limits you can set for various activities--say 60 minutes for books, but 15 minutes for games. Don't be skeptical when you see they're promoting a whole lot of Elmo and Dora and Cinderella thanks to the partnerships with Disney, Nickelodeon on Sesame Street. A quick look through the 1500+ titles there right now, and we also see classics like Mr Popper's Penguins, some Boynton and Eric Carle books, the Ivy and Bean series, and Island of the Blue Dolphins (aw, remember that one?). The games are the kinds we love too, like Where's My Water and Cut the Rope. If you're buying the Kindle Fire--or winning one free from our Holiday Tech Gift Guide giveaway (whoo!)--you'll get the trial free for one month so you can see if it's worthwhile. We think it definitely makes the Kindle Fire one to consider for the kids for the holidays. -Kristen Find out more about the new Kindle FreeTime Unlimited service at Amazon.com