Google has today launched Kids Space, a dedicated mode meant for kids under 9 on Android tablets. The mode consists of apps, books, games, and videos curated for kids. While there are tablets that are made just for kids, Kids Space is for families who prefer sharing tablets.
“Kids Space is designed with your kid at the center of the experience and made for them to become explorers of the things they love. By selecting their interests, your kids will see new and engaging content to read, play, and make. Kids can even customize their experience by creating their own character,” explains Google.
Kids Space builds on the company’s efforts on Family Link, a tool to let parents monitor smartphone usage of their children and set screen time limits. It features five sections namely Home, Play, Read, Watch, and Make. Notably, the videos in Watch and Make tabs are sourced from YouTube Kids.
Google says it has worked with academic experts and children’s education specialists to evaluate and select “teacher-approved” apps in Google Play. Users also get access to free books through the Read tab. According to Google, the section curates over 400 books free of charge, at least in the U.S.
In its blog post, Google points out that Kids Space requires a separate Google account for your child. Also, you will not get access to Google Assistant in Kids Space. Kids Space will be available first in select Lenovo tablets such as the Lenovo Tab M10 HD Gen 2. Google has plans to expand Kids Space to more Android tablets in the future.
