Hey Google, tell us about the animal of the day

Our new daily highlight: Animal of the Day

The happy theme music comes on like we're on a mini safari, but honestly I would not want to meet most of the animals that have been featured so far like wolverines, hyenas, and vultures. Caroline doesn't seem to mind hearing about how hyenas' jaws are so powerful that they can consume their entire prey except for the horns. She wants to listen to it over and over again. 

The mini-program contains an overview of the animal with animal sounds and then asks you a series of questions to respond to in order to continue the program. 

Google: "Would you like to hear a fun fact about hyenas?" 

Me: "Yes." 

Caroline: "Mommy always says that." 

Google: "Did you know hyenas can weigh up to 200 lbs. and are 2-3 feet tall?" 

Me: "Wow! A hyena weighs as much as Daddy and is as tall as you!" 

Me, to self: That's crazy! They definitely didn't look that big in The Lion King. 

The program ends with a creative challenge themed around the animal of the day like "write a poem about a hyena" or "make a hyena with products in your home and hide it for someone to find." (Yikes!)

Once she can answer Google's questions for herself, watch out! We'll be hearing about hyenas all day. 

The animal of the day debuted at the beginning of August as part of Google's tools for homeschoolers. They also added a family bell, the ability to broadcast to individual speakers, and a command called "Start the School Day." We haven't tried these, but if you're in the mood for school, check out those new features. Read more about them here.