Selected Amazon Prime Video kids' shows now available to stream for free

(Image credit: Amazon)

Doing its part to keep the thousands who have self-isolated entertained, Amazon has opened up a selection of its family-friendly programming for free streaming. The Prime subscription paywall that is a usual requirement to watch Prime Video has been lifted for this selection and is available to stream right away.

The only caveat is that you need to have an Amazon account, which in itself is free and very easy to set up.

The selection varies from region to region: while Amazon Originals are freely available worldwide, third-party or licensed programs will be different for each country.

For example, in the US, there are plenty of Amazon Originals as well as some third-party family-friendly programs, including PBS Kids shows like Arthur and Caillou. In Australia, though, there's only a handful of Amazon Originals available to view for free for kids up to the age of 11, with no licensed content currently available.

Amazon has said it will be working to improve the selection in the coming days, as the current crop of free streaming content seems aimed at younger kids of pre-school to primary school age. It could be a way for parents struggling to work from home to cope while having their children around as there aren't any movies in the selection that adults might enjoy watching as well.

Every little bit helps, though, with families around the world now stuck indoors to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.