Amazon Says Over 350 'Kid Skills' Now Available for Alexa in India

The Alexa Skills Store in India now has a new category with over 350 'kid skills' developed for children 13 years of age or younger. These skills, which are part of more than 15,000 skills Alexa offers in India, bring experiences from popular Indian and global brands such as Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle, ChuChu TV, Pac-Man, Hungama, Appu Series, Videogyan, HooplaKids, Moshi Twilight, and Bob the Train that can be accessed on all Amazon Echo devices as well as the Alexa app available for mobile devices, Amazon announced on Monday. With this collection, the US company has brought Alexa closer to children in the country and is providing them with brain teasers and quizzes, nursery rhymes and stories, and knowledge about various topics from wildlife to English. The new development comes days after Amazon expanded Alexa compatibility to smart home cameras, voice remotes, and Sony Bravia smart TVs.

Parents and families can discover kids skills via the Alexa app on their smartphones or by visiting the dedicated Kid Skills section on the Amazon India site. Alternatively, Amazon has also provided an option to users simply ask the voice assistant "Alexa, what kid skills do you have?" It is worth noting here that the ability to use kid skills is controlled by the main account holder. Users need to enable the skills via the Alexa app to begin the action.

For nursery rhymes, songs, and rhyme-game skills, children can use skills including ChuChu TV, Appu's Adventure, Hungama Rhymes, HooplaKids, and Bob the Train. There are brain teasers, quizzes, trivia, and jokes through skills such as Amar Chitra Katha's India Quiz, Suppandi's Crazy Brain Teasers, Would You Rather Family, and Shambu's Jungle Quiz. Kids can also start a simple True and False quiz by using the Beano skill. Further, for immersive and adventure game skills, Alexa has added Forest Fortune skill that brings a pick-a-part story game, while Panda Rescue is available to teach children important life lessons.

If rhymes, quizzes, and games aren't your motive with Alexa, you can use the Playablo skill and help your child learn English. Kids can also access Pac-Mac Stories, Amazon Storytime, and Moshi Twilight to get started with fun and interactive stories.

Developers and brands interested in making Alexa skills for children can use the available resources from the Alexa Developer Portal. There is also specific documentation provided by the company to help skill creators build new offerings specifically for young users.

"In line with our vision to keep expanding Alexa as a service that provides a delightful and fun experience for the entire family, we have curated a special catalogue of skills to engage, entertain and educate children. Our developer guidelines ensure that the skill experiences encourage exploration and creativity among kids," said Dilip RS, Country Manager, Alexa Skills, Amazon, in a press release.