"Alexa, what should I do today?"

COVID-19,Devices,Alexa,Amazon Echo

Day One Staff

May 25, 09:00 AMMay 25, 09:00 AM

Get creative while cooking at homeTired of banana bread but not sure of your next bake? Just ask Alexa for a recipe and she will guide you through step-by-step. You can easily pause the recipe, convert measurements, and ask for cooking advice while preparing ingredients

Simply say "Alexa, give me a recipe for blueberry scones" or "Alexa, tell me some recipe ideas for steak" to get started.

Pro tip: Turn on your favorite playlist for some background music while you prep.

Bonus: New and existing Fire TV and Fire tablet owners in the U.S. can now redeem a complimentary one-year subscription to the Food Network Kitchen app. Take a live or on-demand cooking class, browse over 80,000 recipes, or stream ad-free Food Network series.

Level up your routineConsistency is key to learning new habits. Use Alexa to set up routines and reminders to build in good habits while seamlessly going about your day.

• Create a routine for Alexa to help you stay on schedule throughout the day. Learn how to set up a routine here or select premade routines like "Focus Time," "Stay at Home," or "Work from Home" by enabling within your Alexa app.

• Set a reminder by saying, "Alexa, remind me to …" so she can help you remember to take a midday dance break, get outside, tune in to your live fitness class or start a minute of deep breathing.

Pro Tip: Set weekly reminder to check in on family and friends, like"Alexa, remind me to call Mom on Saturday." Then call them via your Echo device by simply saying “Alexa, call Mom” to start the call.

Build movement and meditation into you dayThese days we can all benefit from setting aside time to quiet our minds through meditation and movement. Luckily, there are plenty of options to work up a sweat and bring more mindfulness to your day from the comfort of your own home.

• Try out the 7-minute workout to get moving by saying "Alexa, start 7-minute workout." With a range of full-body workouts available and difficulty levels ranging from beginner to intermediate, anybody can get moving.

• A healthy mind and a healthy body go hand-in-hand, so Alexa's many mindfulness and meditation skills can help to guide you through the lockdown. Take part in a guided meditation using skills such as Headspace and Meditation Timer.

Home school hacksWe know that learning at home can be tricky so we’ve outlined some of our favorite ways to take a quick break from home school when they get the wiggles:

• Similar to your own routine, set one up for your kids to signal the start of the school day, break for snacks and lunch, and use to signal quiet or study time. Check out some of the homeschool routines customers have created here.

• Start a dance party with Alexa by saying “Alexa, open Freeze Dancers” and let your kids dance in wacky ways and freeze when the music stops.

• When your kids need a mental break turn to the newly launched Sesame Street and Headspace meditation series. Cookie Monster and Elmo will walk them through guided meditations on the YouTube app on Fire TV.

• Disney Stories connects kids to beloved Disney and Pixar stories, bringing them to life with magical read-aloud narration, music, and sound effects. Just say, “Alexa, open Disney Stories.”

• With Pandora, transform your kids’ room into the maddest tea party since Wonderland with Pandora’s Radio for Kids and let them discover new worlds in the comfort of your home.

Pro Tip: Use the Drop In feature to check on your kids throughout the day. Simply say, "Alexa, drop in on the living room (or their study location)."

Weekend fun for the whole familyPlanning a whole day of activities to keep everyone engaged over the weekend can sometimes be a challenge! Turn to Alexa to plan out a fun weekend with your family or quarantine buddies. Prevent boredom by playing games, learning new things, finding content, and much more with Alexa.

• “Alexa, will it be sunny this weekend?”

• “Alexa, what can I do with the kids at home?”

• “Alexa, entertain me”

• “Alexa, give me some gardening tips”

• “Alexa, what are the hours for Whole Foods?”

• “Alexa, give me a craft idea”

• “Alexa, announce that dinner’s ready”

Here are some of our favorite content, games, and entertainment available right now:

• Tune in to new episodes of Some Good News with John Krasinski where he shares uplifting stories from around the world. To stream the weekly video on Echo Show or audio of the episode on Echo Devices, just say, “Alexa, play Some Good News.”

• Jeopardy—Just ask Alexa to "open Jeopardy" to compete against your family or friends with questions from six different categories. Some other great games are "Song Quiz’ and "Common Knowledge."

• Stream live concerts from Bandsintown, a website that compiles live music shows, and support musicians through the Twitch app on Fire TV and Echo Show devices. You can open the Twitch app by saying, "Alexa, open Twitch."

• Just ask, “Alexa, what’s on TV tonight?” using the TV Guide skill to discover new shows on TV and on-demand platforms—you can even set reminders to watch your favorites.

• Stream free audio stories in six languages from Audible, more than 20 kid-friendly shows from Prime Video, and access free digital books across all genres. If you feel like delving into the wizarding world, then just ask Alexa to “read a Harry Potter book”—this free audiobook is available through Audible until 31st May.

• Fire TV and Fire Tablet owners in the US can use the new ‘#AtHome’ destination to discover popular and new content including educational experiences, free movies, shows for the whole family, news and information, games that can be played without a console or controller, and much more.

Alexa knows a lot of jokes and is always on hand to lighten the mood, when you’re looking for a laugh or need a pick me up, here are some things to try:

• Fun for everyone—ask Alexa to “change the subject,” make silly noises by asking “Alexa, fart,” or hear funny responses to “Alexa, I love you” and “Alexa, give me some words of wisdom.”

• Songs and sounds—hear Alexa’s musical talents by asking “Alexa, sing a song about dogs,” or have Alexa drop a beat by saying “Alexa, rap” or “Alexa, beatbox.” For those who are fans of the new trend for listening to soothing sounds of ASMR, you can now Alexa’s version by saying “Alexa, do ASMR.”

Learn more about ways Alexa can help.