BBC is expanding its digital kids footprint today with the release of new CBeebies app Get Creative (pictured), the addition of several popular kids series to its iPlayer streaming service, and a Bedtime Stories launch on Amazon’s Alexa.
Targeting three- to five-year-olds in the App store, Get Creative lets users paint, create music, design toys and direct CBeebies episodes with characters from Hey Duggee, Go Jetters and Bitz and Bob. More activities are expected to be added later on.
The pubcaster is also rolling out four of its popular CBBC shows on iPlayer. All five seasons of Tracey Beaker will be available on the streaming service, along with reality drama The Next Step: The Stacey Carpenter Scholarship, the full series of The Dumping Ground: The Joseph & Taz Files, and The Dumping Ground: Sasha’s Contact Meetings.
On the heels of debuting three new BBC Kids skill games on Amazon Echo earlier this month, CBeebies Bedtime Stories is also launching on the voice assistant. Users simply have to say “Open CBeebies” and then choose a story to hear read aloud by big names such as American singer Dolly Parton, Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and actors Mark Bonnar and Pearl Mackie. More stories with celeb narrators will be added in the future.
The Bedtime Stories collection joins Amazon’s own Storytime skill feature that narrates short stories for kids ages five to 12, including tales from SpongeBob and Elmo.