Since the moment my family bought a Google Home, our lives have been so much easier. I use it to keep track of our appointments, create shopping lists, check the weather, get recipes, set timers and alarms, and even control the lighting in my home. And my kids use it to tell jokes, sing songs, and play choose-your-adventure games (it's a great high-tech alternative to their staring at a screen all day). With Google Home, my kids never complain that they're bored, because it has so much to offer them, most of which I had no idea about until we actually bought it! Keep reading for a fun list of my children's favorite Google Home features.
If you've got a SpongeBob SquarePants fan in your house, ask Google, "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" Google has different responses, one of them being, "SpongeBob Squarepants. A squirrel lives down there too, which is nuts."
What can we say? We just can't "let it go!" If your kids are still obsessed with Frozen, make sure to ask Google, "Do you want to build a snowman?" Google has different responses, one of them being, "Sure. The cold never bothered me anyway."
Remember in 2014 when everyone went around asking, "What does the fox say?" Yeah, so does Google. Ask it this question, and it will tell you, "Ring-ding-ding-ding-a-ding and Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow, or so I've heard."
You can tell Google to sing you a song, and you probably won't be disappointed with her silly tune. One of our favorites is, "This is my song. It's not very long."
You can ask for specific jokes, like a knock knock joke, pirate joke, or Christmas joke, and it will tell you a new joke every time. One of our favorites is "How do birds learn to fly? They just wing it."
Google will tell you a new one every time when you ask for a riddle. Good luck! (If you get stuck, just tell Google "Cheat Code" and Google will act as if you answered correctly.)
Ask Google to tell you a tongue twister, and then try to repeat it. They're pretty challenging! "Which witch wished which wicked wish" always gets us!
Google can flip a coin and call out "heads" or "tails." This is great if your child needs help making a decision and also for settling sibling disputes.
Google Home can even play classic party games, like Musical Chairs. Google will first ask how many people are playing, so it can keep track during the game. Google will play music and call out dance moves for people to do during the game.
Another classic game Google can play is Freeze Dance. Google will play music and call out different dance moves to do during the game.
Another fun and interactive game Google can play with your child is Mad Libs. Google will ask you to fill in the words, specifying if it's an adjective, plural noun, color, etc. As always, the story ends up hilarious, which Google will recite to you.
Let your kid test their sports knowledge with SI Kids Trivia. Find out if you're a rookie or a pro by answering multiple-choice questions.
Last, but certainly not least, is Sound Pet. Your child can adopt a virtual imaginary animal. It's kind of like a Tamagotchi, because your child will take care of their pet, play with him/her, and help it grow.