Skylight Buddy Gets Kids to Finish Chores for $139.99 Despite Limited Free Features
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jun 5
Skylight Buddy Gets Kids to Finish Chores for $139.99 Despite Limited Free Features
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Jun 5
Summary
$139.99 Skylight Buddy worked as a routine tracker in one household, getting a preschooler to clean up toys, brush teeth and follow morning and evening tasks without paid rewards.
Big emoji-labeled cards and an end-of-day onscreen celebration were enough motivation for a child under six, even though the reviewer skipped the optional $39-a-year Buddy Plus subscription.
The device is built for one child per tablet and includes basics like a night light and alarm, but reminders, rewards and visual timers sit behind the subscription paywall.
App limits undercut the appeal: tasks cannot easily be moved to different days, routines cannot yet be reordered in the app, and the Buddy itself does not show a calendar view.
Skylight says task reordering is coming this month, but for now the review sees the Buddy as a useful if pricey digital checklist, especially for families already using Skylight calendars.