Tag Archives: families

Family fun with your Google Assistant on Google Home and phones

“Ok Google, what can you do for families?”

Lots! The Google Assistant now has more than 50 new games, activities and stories designed for families with kids. Now you can learn, play and imagine together—available today in the U.S. with the Assistant on Google Home, other smart speakers and eligible phones.

Monday musical chairs? Tuesday night trivia? Friday family freeze dance (it’s even Halloween-themed!)? Your Assistant has activities to keep everyone entertained. Talking to your Assistant (instead of staring at a screen) is an easy way to be there, in the room, spending time with loved ones. So whether you're at home on a rainy day or on a road trip, your Assistant can help you learn and have fun as a family.

Assistant for Families + Kids

Below are some things you can ask—just start with “Ok Google.”

Learn ?

  • “Let’s learn”
  • "Play space trivia”
  • “Talk to Everyday Heroes”
  • “Help me with my homework”

Play ?

  • “Let’s play a game”
  • “Play Mickey Mouse Adventure”
  • “Talk to What’s My Justice League Super Hero?”
  • “Play Sports Illustrated Kids Trivia”

Imagine ?

  • “Tell me a story”
  • “Tell me the story of The-Not-So-Scaredy cat”
  • “Play Strangest Day Ever”
  • "Play Jungle Adventure"

The new activities are rolling out today so you can go on a family adventure together. With their parent's permission, children under 13 can also have their own personalized Google Assistant experience when they log in with their own account, powered by Family Link. Family Link helps parents manage their child’s Google Account while they explore. And with Voice Match, your family can train the Assistant to recognize who’s speaking, up to six voices.

So round up your family and say the magic words— “Ok Google, I want to do something fun” or “Ok Google, Abracadabra”—to unlock a world of fun!

Help keep kids safe online with Site Blocking from Google Wifi

Being a parent in today’s connected world can be tough. You want to give your kids the ability to learn and explore across the digital universe, but worry they might stumble upon inappropriate content along the way.


With Site Blocking—the latest addition to Google Wifi's family controls—we're removing some of the worry. Site Blocking allows you to block access to more than 8 million non-kid-friendly websites websites on any device in your home—all with a few taps in the Google Wifi app.

wifi site blocking

Site Blocking uses the best of Google’s SafeSearch technology to protect your family. SafeSearch was created in 2009 to help filter explicit content from your Google Search results, and now we’ve worked with the SafeSearch team to apply some of their technology to Google Wifi. Because SafeSearch is constantly crawling the web for new sites, the list of explicit sites blocked by Wifi’s family controls will automatically be updated in real time.


Site Blocking joins an existing set of Family Wi-Fi controls and will be available over the next day to all Google Wifi users around the world—just open the Google Wifi app to get started. Peace of mind is only a few taps away.


Making Android better for kids and families

We spend a lot of time thinking about how to make Android work for everyone. Whether it’s giving people their choice of device, or helping app developers make their apps more accessible, we think Android is at its best when more people have access to the power of mobile technology. And that includes kids. Kids are the most curious among us, and technology can be an avenue for them to express their creativity and to help them learn—whether they’re doing research for a school report, learning to string together a few chords on a guitar, or just playing their favorite games. At the same time, we want parents and kids to navigate technology together in a way that makes sense for their family.


Today, we’re happy to announce that Family Link, our solution for bringing kids and their parents into the Android ecosystem, is now available to parents in the United States without an invitation. Parents can also create a Google Account for their kid right from Android setup, and then manage their kid’s account and device with Family Link.


This is the next step in our journey, but we’re far from done. We’ve been humbled by the response from those who have already been using Family Link, and want to say thank you. We appreciate the positive pieces of feedback, as well as the many feature requests, and will continue to listen to your feedback as the product evolves.

Unicorn2

Getting started with Family Link


When you're setting up your kid's Android device (see available devices), Google asks you to create an account. Enter your kid’s birthday, and if they’re under 13, you’ll be asked to provide consent to create the account. Once that's done, Family Link will automatically be downloaded to your kid's device, and you can choose the apps and settings that you want for your child. Once your kid’s device is setup, download Family Link on your own device, and you can use it to do things like:


  • Manage the apps your kid can use: Approve or block the apps your kid wants to download from the Google Play Store.

  • Keep an eye on screen time: See how much time your kid spends on their favorite apps with weekly or monthly activity reports, and set daily screen time limits for their device.

  • Set device bedtime: Remotely lock your kid’s device when it’s time to play, study, or sleep.


Family Link can help you set certain digital ground rules that work for your family, whether you’re occasionally checking in on your kid’s device activity, or locking their device every day before dinner time.


If you have questions about setting up an account for your kid or using Family Link, check out our Help Center.

Source: Android


Making Android better for kids and families

We spend a lot of time thinking about how to make Android work for everyone. Whether it’s giving people their choice of device, or helping app developers make their apps more accessible, we think Android is at its best when more people have access to the power of mobile technology. And that includes kids. Kids are the most curious among us, and technology can be an avenue for them to express their creativity and to help them learn—whether they’re doing research for a school report, learning to string together a few chords on a guitar, or just playing their favorite games. At the same time, we want parents and kids to navigate technology together in a way that makes sense for their family.


Today, we’re happy to announce that Family Link, our solution for bringing kids and their parents into the Android ecosystem, is now available to parents in the United States without an invitation. Parents can also create a Google Account for their kid right from Android setup, and then manage their kid’s account and device with Family Link.


This is the next step in our journey, but we’re far from done. We’ve been humbled by the response from those who have already been using Family Link, and want to say thank you. We appreciate the positive pieces of feedback, as well as the many feature requests, and will continue to listen to your feedback as the product evolves.

Unicorn2

Getting started with Family Link


When you're setting up your kid's Android device (see available devices), Google asks you to create an account. Enter your kid’s birthday, and if they’re under 13, you’ll be asked to provide consent to create the account. Once that's done, Family Link will automatically be downloaded to your kid's device, and you can choose the apps and settings that you want for your child. Once your kid’s device is setup, download Family Link on your own device, and you can use it to do things like:


  • Manage the apps your kid can use: Approve or block the apps your kid wants to download from the Google Play Store.

  • Keep an eye on screen time: See how much time your kid spends on their favorite apps with weekly or monthly activity reports, and set daily screen time limits for their device.

  • Set device bedtime: Remotely lock your kid’s device when it’s time to play, study, or sleep.


Family Link can help you set certain digital ground rules that work for your family, whether you’re occasionally checking in on your kid’s device activity, or locking their device every day before dinner time.


If you have questions about setting up an account for your kid or using Family Link, check out our Help Center.

Direct your own movies in Toontastic 3D with our new Cars 3 and Fruit Ninja themes!

As parents, we watch our kids craft stories every day—remixing and reimagining the world around us in fantastic adventures that rival many Hollywood screenplays. The stories we tell them inspire their imaginations—while toys, crayons and sofa cushions become props for their performances.

In January, we released a playful storytelling app called Toontastic 3D for kids (and kids at heart) to draw, animate, narrate and record their own cartoons. Since then kids have created 2.5 million cartoons with 24,000 hours of content. That’s nearly three years worth of swashbuckling adventures, intergalactic explorations, inquisitive science reports and inventive design pitches.

Toontastic works a lot like a digital puppet theater—you simply choose a setting, cast your characters, and play! As you move your character on screen, the app records your animations and your voice as a cartoon video. The built-in characters and settings make creating your cartoon really easy, but like dolls and action figures, they also empower kids to tell great stories.

Today, we’re adding new characters and settings to Toontastic that are sure to spark the creativity of kids around the world. Inspired by Disney•Pixar’s new movie “Cars 3” releasing this week, kids can now create their very own cartoons with Lightning McQueen and Mater as well as new characters Jackson Storm, Cruz Ramirez and Miss Fritter. Two playsets from the film are included—the Florida 500 raceway and the Thunder Hollow demolition derby. Kids can also get an inside look into how animated movies are made with a “behind the scenes” tour of Pixar Animation Studios in the app. “Cars 3” characters and playsets can be added to cartoons until September 30.

Toontastic-cars

With the Fruit Ninja theme, kids can slice their way through new adventures based on the YouTube Red Originals Series Fruit Ninja Frenzy Force from Halfbrick Studios. Taking inspiration from the Frenzy Force series inside Toontastic’s Idea Lab, kids can go on to create their own episodes with the heroes Peng, Seb, Niya and Ralph to battle the Clean Bee.

Toontastic-fruitninja

To create your own Cars 3 inspired cartoons and Fruit Ninja adventures, download the updated release of Toontastic 3D today for Android, iOS, and select Chromebooks. Now start your engines.. er... stories in 3-2-1!

Direct your own movies in Toontastic 3D with our new Cars 3 and Fruit Ninja themes!

As parents, we watch our kids craft stories every day—remixing and reimagining the world around us in fantastic adventures that rival many Hollywood screenplays. The stories we tell them inspire their imaginations—while toys, crayons and sofa cushions become props for their performances.

In January, we released a playful storytelling app called Toontastic 3D for kids (and kids at heart) to draw, animate, narrate and record their own cartoons. Since then kids have created 2.5 million cartoons with 24,000 hours of content. That’s nearly three years worth of swashbuckling adventures, intergalactic explorations, inquisitive science reports and inventive design pitches.

Toontastic works a lot like a digital puppet theater—you simply choose a setting, cast your characters, and play! As you move your character on screen, the app records your animations and your voice as a cartoon video. The built-in characters and settings make creating your cartoon really easy, but like dolls and action figures, they also empower kids to tell great stories.

Today, we’re adding new characters and settings to Toontastic that are sure to spark the creativity of kids around the world. Inspired by Disney•Pixar’s new movie “Cars 3” releasing this week, kids can now create their very own cartoons with Lightning McQueen and Mater as well as new characters Jackson Storm, Cruz Ramirez and Miss Fritter. Two playsets from the film are included—the Florida 500 raceway and the Thunder Hollow demolition derby. Kids can also get an inside look into how animated movies are made with a “behind the scenes” tour of Pixar Animation Studios in the app. “Cars 3” characters and playsets can be added to cartoons until September 30.

Toontastic-cars

With the Fruit Ninja theme, kids can slice their way through new adventures based on the YouTube Red Originals Series Fruit Ninja Frenzy Force from Halfbrick Studios. Taking inspiration from the Frenzy Force series inside Toontastic’s Idea Lab, kids can go on to create their own episodes with the heroes Peng, Seb, Niya and Ralph to battle the Clean Bee.

Toontastic-fruitninja

To create your own Cars 3 inspired cartoons and Fruit Ninja adventures, download the updated release of Toontastic 3D today for Android, iOS, and select Chromebooks. Now start your engines.. er... stories in 3-2-1!

Direct your own movies in Toontastic 3D with our new Cars 3 and Fruit Ninja themes!

As parents, we watch our kids craft stories every day—remixing and reimagining the world around us in fantastic adventures that rival many Hollywood screenplays. The stories we tell them inspire their imaginations—while toys, crayons and sofa cushions become props for their performances.

In January, we released a playful storytelling app called Toontastic 3D for kids (and kids at heart) to draw, animate, narrate and record their own cartoons. Since then kids have created 2.5 million cartoons with 24,000 hours of content. That’s nearly three years worth of swashbuckling adventures, intergalactic explorations, inquisitive science reports and inventive design pitches.

Toontastic works a lot like a digital puppet theater—you simply choose a setting, cast your characters, and play! As you move your character on screen, the app records your animations and your voice as a cartoon video. The built-in characters and settings make creating your cartoon really easy, but like dolls and action figures, they also empower kids to tell great stories.

Today, we’re adding new characters and settings to Toontastic that are sure to spark the creativity of kids around the world. Inspired by Disney•Pixar’s new movie “Cars 3” releasing this week, kids can now create their very own cartoons with Lightning McQueen and Mater as well as new characters Jackson Storm, Cruz Ramirez and Miss Fritter. Two playsets from the film are included—the Florida 500 raceway and the Thunder Hollow demolition derby. Kids can also get an inside look into how animated movies are made with a “behind the scenes” tour of Pixar Animation Studios in the app. “Cars 3” characters and playsets can be added to cartoons until September 30.

Toontastic-cars

With the Fruit Ninja theme, kids can slice their way through new adventures based on the YouTube Red Originals Series Fruit Ninja Frenzy Force from Halfbrick Studios. Taking inspiration from the Frenzy Force series inside Toontastic’s Idea Lab, kids can go on to create their own episodes with the heroes Peng, Seb, Niya and Ralph to battle the Clean Bee.

Toontastic-fruitninja

To create your own Cars 3 inspired cartoons and Fruit Ninja adventures, download the updated release of Toontastic 3D today for Android, iOS, and select Chromebooks. Now start your engines.. er... stories in 3-2-1!

“Be Internet Awesome”: Helping kids make smart decisions online

As a parent, I’m constantly talking with my two daughters about how they use the Internet. The way they use it to explore, create and learn inspires me to do my best work at Google, where I lead a team making products that help families and kids have positive experiences online. But for kids to really make the most of the web, we need more than just helpful products: We need to provide guidance as they learn to make their own smart decisions online.

This is one of the most significant issues that we all face as a new generation grows up with the Internet at their fingertips. It’s critical that the most influential people in our kids’ lives—parents and teachers, especially—help kids learn how to be smart, positive and kind online, just like we teach them to be offline. It's something we all need to reinforce together.

With school out and summer break giving kids more time to spend on the Internet, it’s a great time to introduce Be Internet Awesome: a new way to encourage digital safety and citizenship.

Developed in collaboration with online safety experts like the Family Online Safety Institute, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and ConnectSafely, Be Internet Awesome focuses on five key lessons to help kids navigate the online world with confidence:

  • Be Internet Smart: Share with care
  • Be Internet Alert: Don’t fall for fake
  • Be Internet Strong: Secure your secrets
  • Be Internet Kind: It's cool to be kind
  • Be Internet Brave: When in doubt, talk it out

The program includes a range of specific resources for kids, educators and parents, so everyone has the tools they need to learn and participate in the conversation.

For kids

To help kids learn these lessons in a way that’s fun and immersive, we created an interactive, online game called Interland. It’s free and web-based so it’s easily accessible by everyone, and most importantly, it’s in a format kids already love. In this imaginary world of four lands, kids combat hackers, phishers, oversharers and bullies, practicing the skills they need to be good digital citizens.

For educators

We partnered with the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and educators across the country to create a classroom curriculum that brings the five principles of being Internet Awesome to life, at school. To practice being Internet Alert, for example, students can work together to identify whether websites and emails contain signs of a phishing attempt. The lesson plans, activities and worksheets align with the International Society for Technology in Education’s Standards for Students, which educators look toward to define skills for safe and positive action online.

“Building these skills in our students will require ongoing attention as new technologies pose challenges and opportunities for students both at home and at school,”  says Carolyn Sykora, Senior Director of Standards at ISTE. “Be Internet Awesome provides materials educators and parents can use to help students learn about online safety in a fun and engaging way.”

After reviewing the game and curriculum, ISTE has awarded Be Internet Awesome its Seal of Alignment for Readiness. Educators can find the curriculum on the Be Internet Awesome resource hub, or as part of a new online course in the Google for Education Training Center.

For parents and guardians

Without some guidance, having a meaningful conversation about digital safety and respect at home can be really hard. These are sensitive topics and parents may not know where to start. To help make starting the conversation easier, we teamed up with a group of YouTube creators, including John Green, the What’s Inside? Family and MinutePhysics, to launch the #BeInternetAwesome Challenge, a video series that makes talking about online safety fun and accessible. Families can reinforce important lessons at home by signing the Be Internet Awesome Pledge to stay smart, alert, strong, kind and brave online.

My team and I will continue Google’s work to make the Internet a safer, more positive place for kids, and this is an exciting new chapter in our ongoing efforts. Ready, set, Be Internet Awesome! g.co/BeInternetAwesome

Source: Education


“Be Internet Awesome”: Helping kids make smart decisions online

As a parent, I’m constantly talking with my two daughters about how they use the Internet. The way they use it to explore, create and learn inspires me to do my best work at Google, where I lead a team making products that help families and kids have positive experiences online. But for kids to really make the most of the web, we need more than just helpful products: We need to provide guidance as they learn to make their own smart decisions online.

This is one of the most significant issues that we all face as a new generation grows up with the Internet at their fingertips. It’s critical that the most influential people in our kids’ lives—parents and teachers, especially—help kids learn how to be smart, positive and kind online, just like we teach them to be offline. It's something we all need to reinforce together.

With school out and summer break giving kids more time to spend on the Internet, it’s a great time to introduce Be Internet Awesome: a new way to encourage digital safety and citizenship.

Developed in collaboration with online safety experts like the Family Online Safety Institute, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and ConnectSafely, Be Internet Awesome focuses on five key lessons to help kids navigate the online world with confidence:

  • Be Internet Smart: Share with care
  • Be Internet Alert: Don’t fall for fake
  • Be Internet Strong: Secure your secrets
  • Be Internet Kind: It's cool to be kind
  • Be Internet Brave: When in doubt, talk it out

The program includes a range of specific resources for kids, educators and parents, so everyone has the tools they need to learn and participate in the conversation.

For kids

To help kids learn these lessons in a way that’s fun and immersive, we created an interactive, online game called Interland. It’s free and web-based so it’s easily accessible by everyone, and most importantly, it’s in a format kids already love. In this imaginary world of four lands, kids combat hackers, phishers, oversharers and bullies, practicing the skills they need to be good digital citizens.

For educators

We partnered with the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and educators across the country to create a classroom curriculum that brings the five principles of being Internet Awesome to life, at school. To practice being Internet Alert, for example, students can work together to identify whether websites and emails contain signs of a phishing attempt. The lesson plans, activities and worksheets align with the International Society for Technology in Education’s Standards for Students, which educators look toward to define skills for safe and positive action online.

“Building these skills in our students will require ongoing attention as new technologies pose challenges and opportunities for students both at home and at school,”  says Carolyn Sykora, Senior Director of Standards at ISTE. “Be Internet Awesome provides materials educators and parents can use to help students learn about online safety in a fun and engaging way.”

After reviewing the game and curriculum, ISTE has awarded Be Internet Awesome its Seal of Alignment for Readiness. Educators can find the curriculum on the Be Internet Awesome resource hub, or as part of a new online course in the Google for Education Training Center.

For parents and guardians

Without some guidance, having a meaningful conversation about digital safety and respect at home can be really hard. These are sensitive topics and parents may not know where to start. To help make starting the conversation easier, we teamed up with a group of YouTube creators, including John Green, the What’s Inside? Family and MinutePhysics, to launch the #BeInternetAwesome Challenge, a video series that makes talking about online safety fun and accessible. Families can reinforce important lessons at home by signing the Be Internet Awesome Pledge to stay smart, alert, strong, kind and brave online.

My team and I will continue Google’s work to make the Internet a safer, more positive place for kids, and this is an exciting new chapter in our ongoing efforts. Ready, set, Be Internet Awesome! g.co/BeInternetAwesome

“Be Internet Awesome”: Helping kids make smart decisions online

As a parent, I’m constantly talking with my two daughters about how they use the Internet. The way they use it to explore, create and learn inspires me to do my best work at Google, where I lead a team making products that help families and kids have positive experiences online. But for kids to really make the most of the web, we need more than just helpful products: We need to provide guidance as they learn to make their own smart decisions online.

This is one of the most significant issues that we all face as a new generation grows up with the Internet at their fingertips. It’s critical that the most influential people in our kids’ lives—parents and teachers, especially—help kids learn how to be smart, positive and kind online, just like we teach them to be offline. It's something we all need to reinforce together.

With school out and summer break giving kids more time to spend on the Internet, it’s a great time to introduce Be Internet Awesome: a new way to encourage digital safety and citizenship.

Developed in collaboration with online safety experts like the Family Online Safety Institute, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and ConnectSafely, Be Internet Awesome focuses on five key lessons to help kids navigate the online world with confidence:

  • Be Internet Smart: Share with care
  • Be Internet Alert: Don’t fall for fake
  • Be Internet Strong: Secure your secrets
  • Be Internet Kind: It's cool to be kind
  • Be Internet Brave: When in doubt, talk it out

The program includes a range of specific resources for kids, educators and parents, so everyone has the tools they need to learn and participate in the conversation.

For kids

To help kids learn these lessons in a way that’s fun and immersive, we created an interactive, online game called Interland. It’s free and web-based so it’s easily accessible by everyone, and most importantly, it’s in a format kids already love. In this imaginary world of four lands, kids combat hackers, phishers, oversharers and bullies, practicing the skills they need to be good digital citizens.

For educators

We partnered with the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and educators across the country to create a classroom curriculum that brings the five principles of being Internet Awesome to life, at school. To practice being Internet Alert, for example, students can work together to identify whether websites and emails contain signs of a phishing attempt. The lesson plans, activities and worksheets align with the International Society for Technology in Education’s Standards for Students, which educators look toward to define skills for safe and positive action online.

“Building these skills in our students will require ongoing attention as new technologies pose challenges and opportunities for students both at home and at school,”  says Carolyn Sykora, Senior Director of Standards at ISTE. “Be Internet Awesome provides materials educators and parents can use to help students learn about online safety in a fun and engaging way.”

After reviewing the game and curriculum, ISTE has awarded Be Internet Awesome its Seal of Alignment for Readiness. Educators can find the curriculum on the Be Internet Awesome resource hub, or as part of a new online course in the Google for Education Training Center.

For parents and guardians

Without some guidance, having a meaningful conversation about digital safety and respect at home can be really hard. These are sensitive topics and parents may not know where to start. To help make starting the conversation easier, we teamed up with a group of YouTube creators, including John Green, the What’s Inside? Family and MinutePhysics, to launch the #BeInternetAwesome Challenge, a video series that makes talking about online safety fun and accessible. Families can reinforce important lessons at home by signing the Be Internet Awesome Pledge to stay smart, alert, strong, kind and brave online.

My team and I will continue Google’s work to make the Internet a safer, more positive place for kids, and this is an exciting new chapter in our ongoing efforts. Ready, set, Be Internet Awesome! g.co/BeInternetAwesome