Amazon has good news for the millions of parents now stuck at home providing childcare and trying to work full time during the coronavirus pandemic. The Amazon Prime Video streaming service has just made dozens of TV shows and movies aimed at young kids available for FREE.
Usually, Prime Video’s content is only “free” for subscribers. But this is capital-F free, no subscription required, and it includes some all-time great kids shows, like “Daniel Tiger” and “Reading Rainbow.”
Coronavirus’ longterm outlook seems to grow by the day, with some, like New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo, predicting up to nine months of closings and business restrictions and other impacts that will keep parents scrambling to find things to do for young kids.
» New on Amazon Prime Video in March 2020: TV shows, originals, movies, premieres, more
Here’s the full list of FREE Amazon Original content, including adaptations of some beloved children’s stories, available in worldwide:
Bug Diaries
Click, Clack, Moo: Christmas at the Farm
Costume Quest
Creative Galaxy
Danger and Eggs
Dangerous Book for Boys
Gortimer Gibbons Life on Normal Street
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
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Jessy and Nessy
Just Add Magic
Just Add Magic: Mystery City
Little Big Awesome
Lost in Oz
Niko and the Sword of Light
Pete the Cat
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Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
The Snowy Day
The Stinky and Dirty Snow
The Kicks
Tumble Leaf
Wishenpoof
And the licensed content available for FREE in the United States only:
Arthur
Bali
Caillou
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
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Design Squad
Dinosaur Train
FETCH! With Ruff Ruffman
Knight Squad
Kratt’s Creatures
Martha Speaks
Nature Cat
Odd Quad
Peep and the Big Wide World
Peg + Cat
Postcards from Buster
Reading Rainbow
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Ready Jet Go!
Rugrats All Grown Up
Wild Kratts
WordGirl
WordWorld
Zoboomafoo
All parents need to do to access this content is create a free Amazon.com account.
The shows listed above are available to view on a web browser or via Prime Video apps for Android, Apple, Fire TV and tablets, Chromecast, Roku and other devices.
A number of companies and organizations are pulling out the stops to provide parents with extra activities to entertain and educate kids (and adults) who are home from school and daycare (and work). Here are a few others to check out:
» Scholastic releases free daily courses, activities for PK-6 kids home from school
» Online guitar lessons from Fender while you shelter in place
» National Aquarium will livestream exhibits during shutdown
What is Amazon Prime Video?
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription, on-demand TV, movie and video streaming service that hosts a variety of licensed and original movies, original TV series and licensed TV series for free to subscribers. It also offers access to rent and purchase select new films that are not included in the basic subscription. Some of Amazon Prime Video’s most popular original content includes TV series like “Marvelous Ms. Maisel,” “The Boys” and “The Man in the High Castle.”
**Prime Video also offers free live streaming of select sports events, such as the PGA Tour and Thursday Night Football, and other TV content via its “channels.” Not all channels can be accessed for free, however. See below for more details.
How much does Amazon Prime Video cost?
Good news, if you’re already an Amazon Prime member, the answer is nothing at all. If, not, the basic, video-only service costs $8.99 a month, and gives you full access to Prime Video’s library of free movies and more for members.
Prime Video is also included in the full Amazon Prime service, which costs $12.99/month or $119/year (abount $9.92/month) and offers free 2-day Amazon shipping, ad-free music streaming on Prime Music, unlimited storage on Amazon’s Cloud Drive and access to Twitch Prime member benefits (with a Twitch.TV account).
What’s not included?
Through the Prime Video service, Amazon offers “add-ons” and premium channels like HBO, Showtime and CBS All Access, and sports networks like NBA League Pass and MLB.TV which will expand your viewing offerings. However, these are not included free for members and require additional monthly charges. Beyond that, Amazon offers a huge list of movies to purchase or rent through the Amazon Prime Video service beyond the basic offerings for members.
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