Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
There is no shortage of online music streaming services for people to use these days, but what do you do when you need to ensure that the content is family-friendly? We had the chance to review the Smart Kidz Radio: Member's On-Demand Radio Program Library with our kids. What did we think? This unique membership service from Smart Kidz Radio is a bit different than other music services we use in our home, and it fits a need that I think many families have.
Smart Kidz Radio review
Once you get registered for your online account, you can see right away that the offerings through this service are diverse. There are "stations" for all ages, from baby to teens. They range from instrumental background playlists to help kids study to interactive songs that teach life skills and get kids moving!
It took us a few minutes to really get an idea of what was available, and then, we immediately understood how we would use it. In our homeschool, for example, we used the Study Background programs for my 10-year-old who insists on listening to music while he does math. We also enjoyed the historical playlists, such as those from the Our Music Heritage category.
We specifically listened to jazz music as a family, (like the Ella Fitzgerald playlist!) We incorporated the music into our music appreciation courses, and also used them to add interesting aspects to our history lessons for the same time period.
What we liked
There is so much to explore in this membership, and they are adding new content all the time. From the home page, you can easily see new songs and playlists that have been added. Right now, there are some "spooky" kids' songs that are perfect for Halloween!
Everything is family-friendly, so no objectionable lyrics. Many of the playlist groupings focused on manners, addition, foreign language learning, and other useful homeschool and life skills. You could use any of these playlists as a way to enrich your existing learning curriculum, or just use them as a break from the everyday. With so many instrumental playlists, there are endless opportunities to give kids a focus tool, should they need it.
Smart Kidz Radio also has a giving component to it that we love through their Smart Kidz Foundation. They want to empower young people to take an active part in shaping a better, more peaceful world. They do this by donating a portion of the membership fees to the foundation, which will then support programs that benefit kids. The foundation's mission is to help them "experience the significance of diversity and the joy of helping others—and at the same time, build self-confidence, compassion, and respect for the environment."
What could be improved
Aside from wanting more content (which they are doing little by little), there was only one additional ask that we would have, and that is having more playlist grouping or continuous play functionality. When we sit and do long sessions, we would like to have the ability to have two or more playlists queued up so that we don't have to continuously choose new playlists to listen to. There were a few songs on the playlists that my kids didn't like, and I would like to be able to remove those or skip them automatically.
Summary review
I see so much potential with this membership program that we are already using and enjoying in the home. I think how much value you get from it depends on the ages of your kids, as much of the content is geared toward younger kids. There are some nice study background playlists, however, and the music appreciation (historical) groupings are very valuable. If you're frustrated by the other options on the market that require you to really watch out for objectionable content, this is an easy-peasy way to get good music into the home with very little effort. It truly is an educational and inspirational radio station for kids.
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