The Must Have Gift of Christmas 2014

What’s the must have gift of Christmas 2014? Drum roll please…..

My kids love technology. Surprise, surprise. Using phones, computers and tablet devices is second nature to them. It’s like we’ve taught them another language from birth. It’s kinda crazy. When I upgraded my phone, I was bumbling around and trying to figure out how it worked.
My six year old came up to me and asked, “What are you trying to do?”

“Uh, find the flashlight,” I responded. With a quick swipe of his finger, he had the dark room lit like a Christmas tree. Made me feel kinda dim-witted and really proud. Crazy how parenthood messes with you like that.

When we gave the boys their new Amazon Fire HD7 Kids Edition tablet, they were so darn excited. It was made for them. No explanation needed. Hello playtime. What they didn’t know was that it comes with a subscription for kids that offers unlimited access to thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games.

I got giddy when I realized they might actually learn something! And, that I don’t have to worry about them stumbling onto inappropriate content. Yeah, Amazon FreeTime is awesome. We ALL agree!  Especially since it’s free for a year with the new Fire HD Kids Edition.

Here are some cool features that we are lovin’ about the Amazon Fire Kids Edition:

• It comes with a case – I know it seems simple. But if you’re a parent you know the #1 rule: If it’s nice, protect it. So, it’s super handy that this is shipped with a protective case in the box!
• It’s a real tablet – not a toy. When I tell you we’ve tried them all, trust me. We have. We’ve done the kiddie tablets with game cartridges. We’ve given the kids our tablet devices that we’ve ‘outgrown’, and trust me when I say – the Fire HD Kids Edition takes the cake. It’s built for them with content for them, and with parents in mind. Smiles all around.
• No ads, no app purchases – This is the biggest gripe I have with the other tablets we’ve had. Both the, “Mom! I gotta have this!” after seeing an advertisement on their device, and the “Can I buy this app? It’s only 2 bucks,” that we got daily. With Amazon FreeTime, kids have unlimited access to age-appropriate content. No additional purchase necessary. Woo. Hoo.
• Parental controls – Perhaps my favorite feature. I can easily set screen time limits (we have ours set at an hour max, with it shutting off at 7pm), require that they play educational games before “fun games”, and limit access to certain titles dependent on the profile. Easy peasy.
• The price – MUCH cheaper than other devices in the same class. Fire HD Kids Edition is $149 for a 6″ tablet and $189 for a 7″!

Lovin’ it soooo much, this is the first product we’re giving the “Mom Favorites: Featured Favorites” label. Oh yeah. I just did that.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #FireHDKidsEdition #CG