Read on to learn how we’re utilizing the Alexa Skill Blueprints as a family.
This post was sponsored by Amazon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
As a family of early adopters of the Amazon Echo, it’s been quite an experience. I remember the first time I saw the Amazon Echo and it was love at first sight. While I’m not a technology fanatic, after all, I don’t need the latest tech as soon as it is released. The Amazon Echo was, however, one of such things that I just had to have.
My husband likes to joke that one of the first name my 6yr old said clearly was Alexa, and even now you can find Madison running around the house saying things like “Alexa, tell me a joke”, or “Alexa, play some kids songs”. The Amazon Echo has made life so much simpler for us, but now it just got even better, because the Alexa Skill Blueprints is Alexamazing! (I made that word up 😂)
As I mentioned, we are early adopters of the Amazon Echo and currently, there’s an Amazon Echo in almost every room in our home. When Amazon introduced the Alexa Skills, I was overjoyed. While my Amazon Echo was mostly being used for reminding me of my grocery lists, check the weather and traffic etc., however, now I could now enable skills to listen to my favorite radio stations, to control home devices and so much more.
But wait!! Amazon has now introduced the Alexa Skill Blueprints, or as I call it, the Blueprints Skill. Think of it as being an architect and designing your own home precisely the way you want it. You lay out your blueprint, designing each room specifically as you see fit. That’s exactly what this does. You create skills exclusively the way you want, personalized for you and your family.
Creating your own Alexa Skill Blueprints couldn’t be easier and unlike your other skills which you can do via your Alexa app, this one has its own portal which you can navigate via your desktop or mobile device using your Amazon login information.
What’s great about creating your Skill Blueprints is that there is no coding required at all, and it can be done in minutes, and there is no limit to the skills you create.
We are a family that loves family game night, but it entails bringing out the board games, setting up and then putting it all away when the game or games are over. So far I’ve made a few of my own Blueprints including a ‘Trivia’ and ‘Quiz’ for the family, and ‘My Fairy Tale’ and ‘Adventure Story’ skills that I created exclusively for Madison.
Both the Trivia and Quiz are PERFECT for game night. With Trivia, my family gets to answer multiple choice questions and the first to 5 wins. Quiz is very similar but we can also challenge each other. It’s hilarious to hear some of the answers, and you also get a working knowledge of what your kids actually know.
Adventure Story is one I created out of necessity. Madison loves storytime, but I don’t always have the time to read one to her. Creating the Adventure Story Skill Blueprint enables her to be in the story. It’s truly interactive and comes complete with sound effects and she has a blast with it.
See the video below of how we make family game time fun utilizing the Trivia and Quiz that I created myself. We got so carried away playing our games that I had to edit it heavily so I could have less than 3 minutes of video. ☺️
Now there are lots more that you can do including:
Birthday Trivia: I’ve already created this twice, once for my son Mikael and another for Madison which I plan on using on their birthdays. It’s a great way to bring a little life to their parties by asking their friends questions about them, such as “Who is Madison’s favorite princess?”, or “What does Mikael want to be when he grows up?”. It’ll not only give their friends a bit more insight into their lives but also show who knows him more as well.
Chore Chart: Do you have kids who can never remember what they need to do, or whose turn it is to take out the trash? With the Chore Chart Blueprint, you can now make your chore chart more efficient and actually fun.
It doesn’t stop there however, you can create a skill for your babysitter, your pet sitter or even household guest. With over 20 templates in six categories, there is no limit to what you can do, and there are always new skills popping up all the time.
We’ve been using it together as a family and it’s truly brought us closer together. To hear a sample Blueprint, just ask, “Alexa, let’s try a Blueprint”. Visit blueprints.amazon.com to get started.
And be sure to return right here on Tuesday, where we’ll be giving one lucky reader the chance to win their very own Amazon Echo, so you can get started on your own Blueprints!
