{"id":4703,"date":"2026-03-18T11:50:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T18:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techory.com\/blog\/?p=4703"},"modified":"2026-03-18T12:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T19:00:11","slug":"how-i-built-a-kids-media-library-in-home-assistant-and-helped-me-get-more-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.techory.com\/blog\/how-i-built-a-kids-media-library-in-home-assistant-and-helped-me-get-more-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Built a Kids Media Library in Home Assistant (and helped me get more sleep)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\"Business<\/a>
Business cards with movie posters (and NFC stickers on the back)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Anyone with young children knows they love to get up early! I personally prefer sleeping in, which led me to build a system for my son (who was five at the time) so he could pull up approved content to occupy himself in the mornings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our TV remote was a bit too advanced for him to navigate, and since we no longer use DVDs, he needed a way to bypass the complicated menus. I decided to build an automated system that would handle the “heavy lifting” of turning on the tech and jumping straight to his favorite shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Foundation: Home Assistant & ESPHome<\/strong> Reader<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I already use Home Assistant<\/a> to automate our lights and doors, so it was the natural choice for the brain of this project. My setup already included a Logitech Harmony Hub<\/a> connected to Google TV for controlling the power and volume of our theater system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The missing piece was a kid-friendly interface. In 2020, Home Assistant introduced a Tag integration<\/a> that was perfect for this. I found a wireless, USB-powered tag reader using an ESPHome board. While you can certainly build your own, I purchased a pre-built version<\/a> that came in a clean, 3D-printed case. Once I powered it up and added it to my Wi-Fi, it showed up instantly in Home Assistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How NFC Works<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once configured, the reader picks up any NFC (Near-Field Communication)<\/strong> tag tapped against it. An NFC chip is a tiny, secure integrated circuit that enables short-range wireless data transfer. When a tag comes into contact with the reader, its unique ID is sent to Home Assistant, allowing me to trigger specific automations. I bought a pack of small NFC stickers<\/a> so I could create a physical “launch card” for every show and movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"NFC<\/a>
Connected NFC Card Reader<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"NFC<\/a>
NFC stickers on the back of the media cards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Integrating the Media<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To make this work, Home Assistant needs access to the media library. Years ago, I connected my Plex Media Server<\/a> to Home Assistant using the official integration<\/a>. Since most of our kids’ shows are stored there (ripped from our old DVD collection), the integration allows me to bridge the gap between the NFC scan and the Harmony Hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The automation logic looks like this:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n