Amazon has just fired another shot in its battle to convince families to buy its Kindle Fire tablet (starting at $159). The company just announced Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, which it describes as an “all-you-can-eat content service built from the ground up just for kids.” The service requires a Kindle Fire device (it doesn’t work on iPads and Android tablets) and prices start at $2.99 a month per child for families that already subscribe to Amazon’s $79 a year Amazon Prime service (that also includes free 2-day shipping and access to free videos). A family membership is $6.99 a month for Prime members. Non-prime subscribers pay $4.99 per child or $9.99 for a family membership. Owners of the newest Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD get one month of FreeTime Unlimited for free
The new service is aimed at children from 3 to 8.
Kids will be able to watch videos, play games, use apps and read books from content partners including Andrews McMeel Publishing, Chronicle Books, DC Comics, Disney, HIT Entertainment, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Marvel, Nickelodeon, PBS, Rainbow and Sesame Workshop.
Amazon said that children wil be able to explore content on their own and “pick for themselves what to read, watch or play next.” Characters will include Elmo, Dora, Thomas & Friends, Cinderella, Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen and Curious George.
Amazon has disabled any in-app purchases so parents don’t have to worry about their kids running up a bill.
Amazon said that it’s working with Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization that provides independent ratings of books, movies, television, apps, games, websites, and music.