My 6-Year-Old Is Endlessly Entertained by Our Google Home — Here's What She Plays

With a simple, "Hey Google, Madlibs," your child can be playing the game you remember from your youth with your Google Assistant. She'll cheekily quip, "Let me pretend to get a pen," before setting off on a word adventure your little one is sure to love. If your kids are younger, have no fear — they can ask her what a noun or adverb is and she'll give them further instructions.

Or, if your kid is anything like my kid, they may just love giving "poop" and "fart" as pretty much every answer, regardless of what Google asks for. And in the end, it all works out, because she laughs hysterically as Google repeats her "potty words" throughout the story. (Bonus points: She always asks for another.)

For those moments when your kiddo is feeling a little more low-key, they can curl up on the couch and ask, "Hey Google, tell me a story." My daughter does this at least once a day, and she always delights in the five-minute (ish) tales Google then weaves, often featuring some of her favorite cartoon characters.

I've also noticed this is a great cool-down activity whenever I see my daughter starting to reach a point of frustration with other aspects of life. Telling her to go to the couch and listen to a story usually works out better than timeout to reset her attitude and get us both back on track.

If mornings aren't your thing, Google's got you covered. Not only can your Google Assistant wake you up with your choice of music or news at any time you prefer, she can also set a character alarm with some of your child's favorites. Try a Ninja Turtle alarm for laughs, or Lego Friends for something sure to make your child smile. Either way, these wake-ups are fun, energetic, and great at getting my kid out of bed.

Remember those handheld Tamagotchi toys from when we were kids? The ones that lived on keychains and eventually got banned from most of our schools, probably because we were all too busy trying to keep our electronic pets alive to pay attention in math class?

Well, Sound Pet is just like that, only audio. If you say, "Okay, Google, Sound Pet," she will walk your child through an imaginary forest in search of a magical pet to care for. Together, they will earn that pet's trust, give it a name, and set out on an adventure filled with feedings, affection, and baths. But be warned: The more time your child spends with Sound Pet, the more Sound Pet learns and grows. Which means that, like the Tamagotchi's of our past, Sound Pet has the potential to get very addictive.

For some good old-fashioned belly laughs, prompt your Google Assistant with a, "Hey, Google, Knock-Knock," then sit back and watch your kiddo soak up the joy. Google's knock-knock jokes are pretty tame, and a little lame, from an adult's perspective. But to your kid? I promise they're better than anything they've ever found printed on a popsicle stick.

If your child needs to get some wiggles out, Freeze Dance is the way to do it. Just like the name sounds, Google will play music and everyone in the room should dance — until the music stops. Then it's time to freeze!

This is a fun way to help your kids expend some energy and to have some fun together. After all, these Google Home games aren't just for kids.