Google is introducing a new way for kids to explore and use technology – Kids Space mode. Android tablets will get Google Kids Space mode that will consist of apps, books, and videos for kids to explore and learn from. It will have parental controls and ways for parents to pick “teacher-approved” apps for kids to play. Google Kids Space will be available globally for Lenovo tablets initially, starting with Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD Gen 2, and will be coming soon to more Android tablets.
Mindo Brooks, UX Director of Kids & Families for Google, said in a blog post that Kids Space was designed keeping the child at the centre of the experience, and to enable children to become explorers of the things they love.
Google Kids Space will recommend quality kid-friendly content for the child based on interests. It will come with apps and games from Google Play that have been approved by teachers and children’s education and media specialists led by advisers from Harvard. Children will also be able to customise their own characters on Google Kids Space, and find new and engaging content to read, play, and make.
Google said that they had worked with top publishers in order to make popular children’s books free, and had a collection of over 400 free books in the US, that kids could read via Google Kids Space. Kids can view videos from YouTube Kids in the Watch and Make tabs that could encourage off-screen activities and projects and innovations. The books and videos, however, are subject to availability in the region.
Brooks said that parents had been wrestling with the role of technology in their children’s life, especially during the pandemic. She said that Google had learnt that parents wanted more than just parental controls, and needed help finding content that is enriching and engaging for their kids.
Parents can choose to download additional apps, games, and books from Google Play to customise. In order to use Kids Space, children will be required to have Google Accounts.
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