Amazon’s Kids+ software is at the core of the Colorsoft Kids experience. It activates during the setup process, and when the included one-year subscription expires, Prime members can continue the service for $5.99 per month, while non-members must pay $7.99 per month. Technically, you don’t need a Kid-specific version of a Kindle to use Kids+. You can purchase a subscription and use it on any Kindle ereader or Fire tablet by accessing the Amazon Kids settings in the menu. Clicking this button will initiate the setup process, allowing you to access your subscription and its corresponding software on your device.
Kids+ isn’t made exclusively for reading. Instead, it encompasses a wide range of apps, games, videos, audiobooks, and books, and was seemingly made with Fire tablets in mind. Unfortunately, Kindle devices can only access books and audiobooks. You need a separate Fire tablet to access the rest of the content, even though it’s technically included in your subscription.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
Amazon attempted to bulk up its book offerings when it released the Colorsoft Kids. Along with the device itself, it announced the addition of more Percy Jackson books and Big Nate titles, as well as every book in the Artemis Fowl, Storm Runner, and Aru Shah series. I’ve never felt that there was a wide enough selection of books in Kids+, and I was glad to see that the company has expanded its offerings.
The problem is that it’s just not enough. The Colorsoft Kids is geared toward children ages 7 to 12, which encompasses a wide range of reading levels. Not only is there not enough content for each grade level, but there’s also no way to effectively search what little content there is.
For example, the home screen consists of rows of books. Your recent reads are at the top, followed by rows of suggestions. These include: Popular Book Series, Books You Might Like, Award Winning Books and Authors, Store, Characters & Themes, Discover, and Popular Books. There is no way to find a breakdown by age, reading level, or subject matter. The Kindle search bar at the top of the home screen can only search for individual titles. If you’re not looking for a picture book, your best bet is to go into the Characters and Themes section and scroll until you find collections from Mickey and Minnie, Peppa Pig, and Alphabet/ABC.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
Things get even more difficult if you’re an accomplished reader trying to find books that speak to your age and interests. For example, I’d be frustrated if I were a middle-schooler who went to the Spooky Theme section hoping to find Goosebumps books or something similar. Instead, I’d find a Sesame Street Elmo book and other titles that cover a wide range of ages. It’s not until the third page of flipping through titles that I’d get to an interesting middle-school level, choose-your-own-adventure book.
Kids+ needs more books overall and a better way to organize them. I’m sure there’s something in the collection that your kids will find interesting, but I doubt that there’s enough to keep them hooked for the long term.
