Netflix has been our saving grace since we allowed Carmen to watch television.  It allows us to control what she watches and when she watches.

I love that it is commercial-free.  I cannot tell you how much I am annoyed by the “I want that!” chants every time a toy commercial comes on the screen.

Today I discovered that Netflix has added a “Just for Kids” section to its iPad app.  This feature has been available on the web version of Netflix, but it is nice to see it on the iPad.  Handing her the iPad enables us to watch our own shows sometimes.  It also might help us keep her close while we do chores around the house like laundry or cooking dinner.

This enhancement allows us to complete those chores with less stress now that it has been extended to the iPad.  One of the issues with Netflix, whether it be on the Roku or on a tablet, is that I worry she might end the show and mistakenly pick something not appropriate for her like anime or something that may have a cartoonish cover on it.

Netflix has made this section of its app very kid-friendly.  It has pictures of cartoon characters up top and allows the child to scroll through to find their favorite one.  Tapping on one of the characters brings forth a pop-up box featuring all the episodes of that show.  It also has rows of themes like cartoons featuring pets, superheroes or sing-alongs.  And, of course, there is the ever present “Because you watched” areas.  This gives the child recommendations based on their viewing habits.

The Just for Kids section is now available for the iPad 2 and the new iPad. Netflix said it will roll it out for the iPad 1 and Android tablets some time in the near future.

Here is the video of Netflix introducing the “Just for Kids” area: