Winter break means lots of time home with family, and that time can go slowly if you don’t have an arsenal of activities and entertainment plans at your disposal. Well, pile onto the couch in your PJs, because in a high-tech Christmas miracle, Xfinity X1 has added Amazon Prime to its platform—meaning you can just talk into your remote and pull up all their offerings (if you’re a subscriber, which, come on, of course you are). This is in addition to the Xfinity On Demand suite of entertainment, and Netflix integration which was added in 2016.
 

“We are thrilled to give X1 customers access to Amazon Prime Video just in time for the holidays,” said Matt Strauss, Executive Vice President, Xfinity Services, Comcast Cable.  “Prime Video is a fantastic extension of the programming choices available to our customers. By integrating hundreds of thousands of live and on demand choices from the best networks, studios and streaming services, our customers can instantly search, control and watch all of their entertainment in one place with their voice.”
 

So, get the popcorn popping and relax your screen time limits, because it’s time for some family watch parties!

Holiday Favorites

It’s Christmas, and the presents are unwrapped. So, let’s follow up those good feelings with some warm and cozy Christmas classics.
 

First off, you can say “Show me Grinchy movies” into your X1 remote, and pull up the “Anti-Grinch Headquarters,” which pulls together nearly every Christmas movie you’d ever want, from Home Alone to A Christmas Story, and even the previous movie versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. There’s something for every taste—you can watch anything from The Nutcracker to Frozen, to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, all for free on X1.
 

Meanwhile, the gold standard Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life is free on Amazon Prime; and little ones will love the animated adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats’ classic book The Snowy Day. Other holiday specials featuring familiar storybook characters include the Pete the Cat Christmas special on Amazon Prime, and Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas on Netflix (just don’t come crying to us when you can’t get “Christmas Monkey” out of your head).

 

Bonus: Say “Yule Log” into your X1 remote for a whole selection of festive music and happy scenes, from a roaring fire to Yule Dogs— literally just adorable puppies frolicking amongst Christmas presents to holiday music.

Kids’ Series and Movies

One of the best things about Amazon Prime being added to X1 is that so many PBS Kids shows are part of it. Yes, that means all of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (and his perfect mom) are at your disposal. Plus, Wild Kratts, Pinkalicious, and much more. Amazon Prime also has Spongebob, a Kung Fu Panda original series, and Pete the Cat.
 

Meanwhile, on Netflix, find Disney favorites like Lilo and Stitch, Mulan, Pixar’s heartwarming musical Coco, and more. Plus, Trolls, Minions, and lots of other colorful little creatures your kids love. And if an animated movie you love isn’t on Netflix, chances are good you can at least rent it through X1—this feature has gotten us through many a sick day.
 

Our community also loves watching The Great British Bake Off and Nailed It! together as a family—you can find both on Netflix.

After Bedtime

Yes! The kids are asleep! Time to binge your favorite shows, or discover something new. The addition of Amazon Prime means you can watch The Americans, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Homecoming, Jack Ryan, and much more.
 

We asked our Main Line Parent Community group on Facebook what they love to stream, and they also recommended The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime, stand-up comedy specials on Netflix, and offbeat comedies like Schitt’s Creek (also on Netflix).
 

Whatever your tastes, we hope this guide has helped get you through those long, cold days and you have an easy winter break full of laughter and fun!
 

Photograph courtesy of Comcast.