Amazon Aims for Parent-Approved Tablets with FreeTime Unlimited Service

In an attempt to make their line of Kindle tablets more kid-friendly, Amazon is launching Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, a subscription entertainment service that will keep children amused, long enough for their parents to squeeze in some "free time" of their own.

Offering books, games, educational apps, movies, and TV shows, FreeTime Unlimited is going to live up to its endless title, as users will be able to consume as much child-focused digital content on their Kindle Fire tablets as they like. Amazon promises to provide customized videos, books and games for children based on their age and gender, while parents can also add their own picks manually.

Like a parental control of sorts, adult users can set limits on how much time their kids spend reading books, watching videos or using apps, in addition to being able to block browsing. Parents won't have to worry about their children racking up a hefty fee in purchases either, as in-app purchasing is disabled on the program, as well as adverts and social media integrations.

The service will use a separate interface from the main platform, meaning kids will need a password to get into mom or dad's personal account. The system will also support multiple user profiles for each child, allowing them to keep track of their progress in books, movies and TV shows.

Price and Availability

Of course, like hiring a babysitter for date night, this service won't be free. Monthly subscriptions are priced at $4.99 per child or $9.99 per family, while Amazon Prime members will get a slight discount, only having to pay $2.99 per child or $6.99 for the whole gang.

Kindle FreeTime Unlimited will be available in the coming weeks via a software update and will be supported on the Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Kind HD 8.9.

For those not fully convinced, Amazon is currently offering a one-month free trial of the service.