(BPT) – A significant majority of parents want to be home every night to tuck their children into bed (based on a OnePoll and Amazon Glow survey of 2,000 American parents*). That’s not always possible if you work long hours or are among the more than six million Americans who have a job that keeps them away from home, like flight attendants, firefighters, long-haul drivers, traveling nurses, consultants, and many others, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Technology makes it easier to stay connected — but kids often get bored with video chats and want a more meaningful way to connect when parents are gone. The new Amazon Glow helps parents erase the miles when they’re away for work and connect with their children in a more engaging way that’s the next best thing to being together in-person.

Glow is a new video-calling device that magically creates a virtual shared space for kids to learn, play games, read books, create art and more simultaneously with remote loved ones through the included 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. Unlike a video call on a mobile phone or tablet, Glow combines activity-based video calls with a hands-on projected experience that makes it feel like you’re side-by-side. Kids have fun interacting with Glow’s large 19” projected touchscreen, while their loved ones engage with the same content on devices they already own, compatible smartphones and tablets, using the free Glow app. For the millions of parents whose jobs keep them away from home, Glow can help build strong bonds through the device’s blended physical and virtual experience.

Here are five ways Glow erases the miles and keeps parents connected while they’re on the road:

1. Read bedtime stories. Never miss another bedtime and feel like you’re reading side-by-side by turning pages together and highlighting words as young readers enjoy a library of thousands of Amazon Kids+ books, including Animated Storybooks — created by Disney for Glow — that make story time more magical than ever. These stories from films like Disney’s Frozen and Disney Pixar’s Toy Story come to life with joyful animations and sounds only available on Glow.

2. Create new works of art. Design original masterpieces together in real-time using a palette of digital pencils and paint brushes in Glow’s visual arts activities available through Amazon Kids+. Need extra inspiration? Try themed art packs with prompts to spark creativity featuring the characters from Disney, Mattel, Nickelodeon and Sesame Street.

3. Participate in virtual family game night. Discover the magic of shared play through Glow’s catalog of games accessible through Amazon Kids+. Pass on family traditions and a love for the classics by playing pastime favorites like Chess, Checkers and Crazy Eights. Plus, kids and loved ones can find hidden talents while acting out different characters in ABC Charades, or discover new game favorites like Paddle Battle, Whac-A-Mole and Rocket Racers.

4. Fuel imagination by blending physical and digital worlds. Kids can use innovative features like scanning to combine real-world objects with the virtual world. Children are amazed as their favorite toy is transformed into a digital sticker or a custom jigsaw puzzle! Parents can also encourage hands-on learning with physical kits like Tangram Bits (sold separately) where kids and grown-ups have fun solving challenges together.

5. Build bonds through experiences, safely. Parental controls ensure kids can only call contacts pre-approved by parents, and Glow’s cameras and microphones can be instantly disabled by simply closing the device’s visible privacy shutter.

To add Glow to your family visit amazon.com/glow, and for more information and content updates, follow @AmazonGlow on Instagram and Facebook.

*Survey method: This random double-opt-in survey of 1,500 American parents of children aged 3–9 and 500 American parents who are away from home at least one week per month was commissioned by Amazon Glow on February 22, 2022. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR). For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].