We Tested a Voice AI Companion With All Three Kids and Each Had a Different Experience
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My brother-in-law from Colombia video called us today saying they were woken by a small earthquake tremor this morning. Mateo (8) overheard the conversation and started asking questions. What makes the ground shake? Is my tio safe? Could it happen here in Ireland?
I thought this would be a good opportunity to test run a new app I've just downloaded called Askie. Fifteen minutes later he was explaining tectonic plates to his younger sister. That's when I decided to test this app properly with all three kids.
Here's what happened when each child, ages 3, 6, and 8, spent time with Askie's voice AI. The results were different for every age group, and not always in the ways I expected.
This guide covers the full setup process, what worked at each age, where the app fell short, and how to get the best experience for your family.
Quick overview
- Time: 10-20 minutes per child per session
- Cost: Free tier available / $9.99/month Premium / $29.99/month Max
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Age range: 3-15 years (best for 5-10 in our testing)
- Key learning: Quiz mode is the engagement breakthrough for ages 5-8
- What you'll create: Voice-led learning conversations, quizzes, and AI-generated images on any topic your child chooses
What you'll need
Tools
- iPhone or iPad with Askie on the App Store or Android device with Askie on Google Play (free download)
- Askie account (parent email required for setup)
- Quiet room for voice recognition to work properly
Your child's input
- A topic they're curious about (animals, dinosaurs, space, current events)
- Willingness to talk to a screen (younger kids may need warming up)
Parent skills
- None required beyond downloading the app and creating an account
- For ages 3-5: be ready to repeat or rephrase what your child says if speech recognition misses it
Optional
- Printer for colouring pages generated during sessions
- Use code NIALLAITOOLSFORKIDS for 2 weeks free Premium access 🤩
Step-by-step process
Each of our three kids had a session with Askie. I'll walk through what happened at each age so you know what to expect.
Step 1: Download and set up (3 minutes)
Download Askie from the App Store or Google Play and create an account with your parent email. The app asks for your child's age during setup, which adjusts the conversation difficulty and topic categories.
💡 Pro Tip: If you have the promo code NIALLAITOOLSFORKIDS, enter it before starting. Open the app, tap on the paywall, scroll past the FAQ area, tap "More Options," then "Redeem Promo Code." This unlocks Premium features for 2 weeks free.
Step 2: Pick an avatar and topic
Each child picks an avatar character. Conor (3) chose a panda. Maria (6) chose a cat. Mateo (8) skipped straight to topics.
The topic categories adapt based on the age you entered during setup. Maria saw different options than Mateo. Both had plenty to choose from.
Step 3: Mateo's session, earthquake research (age 8)
Mateo tapped "Let's Talk" and started asking about earthquakes. He wanted to know why the ground shakes and whether his abuelo in Colombia was safe.
"Why did the ground shake near my abuelo's house? Is he going to be OK?"
The AI explained tectonic plates in language an 8-year-old could follow. It covered fault lines, how earthquakes are measured, and why some regions have more seismic activity. Without any prompting from us, it generated an image of tectonic plates pushing against each other.
The moment that surprised me most: when Mateo mentioned being worried about his uncle and abuelo, the AI's tone changed. It acknowledged his concern, said something reassuring about most tremors being minor, and gently moved back to the science. It felt like the AI understood this was personal, not academic.
Result: 15+ minutes of focused conversation. He came away understanding plate tectonics and feeling reassured about his family.
Step 4: Maria's session, safari animal quiz (age 6)
Maria started with open conversation about animals. She lost interest after about two minutes. The responses were fine, but there was no structure to keep her engaged.
Then the AI switched to quiz mode. "Do you know which animal is the fastest on land?" That was the turning point. Maria perked up and started answering questions, getting competitive with herself about how many she could get right.
She went through safari animals, then asked to switch to Irish animals. The AI adapted without missing a beat, asking about red foxes and Irish hares.
We also tried generating a colouring page. First attempt produced a full-colour Pixar-style image of a lion. Not what we wanted. After asking specifically for "black and white outline only, simple lines for a child to colour," we got something printable. Took three attempts total. If you want a smoother colouring page workflow, check out our custom coloring pages project using dedicated image tools.
Result: 10-15 minutes of engagement. Quiz mode was the clear winner for this age group.
Step 5: Conor's session, dinosaur chat (age 3)
Conor picked the panda avatar and we chose dinosaurs. He was hesitant at first. Talking to a phone screen isn't natural for a 3-year-old who's used to talking to actual people.
After a minute of gentle prompting ("Tell the panda what your favourite dinosaur is"), he started warming up. He said "T-Rex" and the AI responded with facts about how big T-Rex was and what it ate.
Speech recognition was the biggest challenge. Conor's pronunciation is still developing, and the AI missed several words. He had to repeat himself three or four times, which frustrated him briefly. But once it clicked and the AI started responding to him, he was smiling and engaged.
When we tried to end the session, he protested. He wanted to keep talking about dinosaurs. That's a good sign for engagement, even if the speech recognition needs work for this age group.
Result: 10 minutes of engagement after initial hesitation. Parent involvement required throughout for the 3-year-old.
What worked
Age-adaptive conversations
The vocabulary and complexity genuinely changed based on the child's age. Conor got simple dinosaur facts. Mateo got plate tectonics explained with scientific terms he could still follow. This isn't a one-size-fits-all chatbot.
Lesson: Enter the correct age during setup. It makes a real difference to the experience.
Quiz mode for the 5-8 range
Open conversation works for older kids who already know what they want to ask. For ages 5-8, the quiz format provides structure that keeps them focused. Maria went from bored to engaged in seconds when the quiz started.
Lesson: If your child loses interest in free conversation, ask the AI to switch to quiz mode on their topic.
Emotional intelligence
The AI picked up on Mateo's worry about his uncle and abuelo and responded with genuine empathy before returning to the educational content. I didn't expect that from a children's AI tool.
Lesson: Don't shy away from using real-life concerns as conversation starters. The AI handles emotional context well.
What didn't work
Speech recognition for ages 3-4
Conor had to repeat himself multiple times. His pronunciation though is a little behind what is typical for his age, which is why the AI struggled a little to understand him consistently.
Time wasted: About 1-2 minutes of repeated attempts before the conversation flowed
Lesson: For ages 3-4, sit next to your child and be ready to rephrase their questions. Or type them instead of using voice.
Colouring page generation
Getting a printable black-and-white outline took three attempts. The AI defaults to colour illustrations, and you need specific prompting to get simple outlines suitable for colouring.
Time wasted: 2 minutes getting the right image format
Lesson: For colouring pages, use the exact phrase "black and white outline only, simple lines for a child to colour." Or use a dedicated image generation tool instead.
Getting the most out of Askie
Before you start:
- Enter the correct age during account setup. The conversation difficulty adapts based on this.
- Find a quiet room. Background noise interferes with speech recognition.
- Have a topic in mind before opening the app. Real-life curiosity ("Why did the ground shake?") produces better conversations than browsing categories.
During the session:
- For ages 3-5, sit alongside your child and help rephrase questions the AI misses.
- If open conversation isn't working, ask the AI to switch to quiz mode. This was the breakthrough for our 6-year-old.
- Let children lead the topic. Mateo started with earthquakes and ended up learning about seismology because he followed his own questions.
What I'd do differently:
- Start Conor with quiz mode instead of open conversation. Structured questions would have reduced the speech recognition frustration.
- Print the colouring pages immediately. Maria lost interest by the time I got around to printing them.
- Set a timer. All three kids wanted to keep going past the 15-minute mark, which is great for engagement but worth managing.
Common issues and solutions
Problem: AI doesn't understand your child's speech
Solution: Move to a quieter room. Speak clearly and at normal speed. For very young children (3-4), sit beside them and rephrase questions the AI misses. You can also type instead of using voice.
Problem: Child loses interest in open conversation
Solution: Ask the AI to switch to quiz mode on the same topic. This worked instantly for our 6-year-old who was bored with free-form chat about animals.
Problem: Image generation produces colour instead of colouring pages
Solution: Be specific with your request. Say "black and white outline only, simple lines for a child to colour." Expect 2-3 attempts to get a clean result.
Problem: Audio error during session
Solution: Close and reopen the app. We had one audio error during Maria's session. Restarting fixed it. Their support team responded within minutes when I reported it.
Problem: Child is hesitant to talk to the screen
Solution: Start by talking to the AI yourself while your child watches. Then invite them to ask one question. Conor needed about a minute of watching before he joined in.
Problem: Promo code not working
Solution: Open Askie, tap on the paywall, scroll down past the FAQ area, tap "More Options," then "Redeem Promo Code." Enter NIALLAITOOLSFORKIDS exactly as shown. This gives 2 weeks of free Premium access.
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