If you’re a parent, you will do whatever it takes to keep your kid or kids safe. As parents, we understand the importance of the safety and security of our kids, grandkids, or littles around us. Once you become a parent, you quickly parent others around you by watching them for safety, etc. You take your kid to the park and watch the kids around you. It is second nature. With all the communication devices available, it’s vital to find the appropriate ones for our youth. GPS watches are a fantastic idea to keep our children and young ones safe while gifting kids with something trendy, so they’ll want to wear them.
LEARN: New Smartwatches
GPS Watches
The market is saturated with the newest tech items and watches for kids of all ages featuring all different apps and widgets. You should factor in age when deciding what tech device is best for your children. You don’t want your three-year-old child playing with a watch that can call or text just anyone. As we’ve discussed in our Toddlers and Tablets, finding the right features per electronic device is necessary for the well-being of your child. Let’s be honest, it’s also important for the parents in cost and ease of use.
DISCOVER: Best Smartwatches
GizmoWatch 2
The GizmoWatch 2 is a kids GPS watch through Verizon that works well for kids as young as 4 or 5. It’s kid-friendly and easy to use with fun, basic features kids can enjoy including a step counter, to-do lists with rewards, a clock, a weather app, and a GPS locator. Parents can store up to ten trusted contacts for kids to call, text, or send notes with. It provides accurate GPS if the device is on the Verizon network. We know Verizon claims they have service everywhere, but nowhere on their website and product description does it say that the GizmoWatch has X for a mile radius location accuracy. For parents, you can download the GizmoHub app for Android and iOS systems. You can set ringtones and sounds and add a PIN for additional security. The average cost depends on your phone plan, but Verizon states it’s $2.77 per month for 36 months or $99.99 to buy with a one-time activation fee of $35 per device. It gets 3.9 stars on Amazon.
Spacetalk Adventurer
The Spacetalk Adventurer is a 4G kids smartwatch, phone, and GPS tracker available with most retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, etc. This watch is marketed as a wearable cell phone for kids than a smartwatch, with a target audience of ages 5-12. This kids’ GPS watch has safety features like SOS alerts, safe zones, and quick call contacts for parents or siblings. Since it’s more suitable for school-age children, it also comes with a School Zone feature for school hours, so kids aren’t distracted. Spacetalk does not have the internet, so parents can have peace of mind there. It does require an activated SIM card which should work with most US and Canadian cell phone service providers except Sprint. Parents can download the Spacetalk Adventurer app to set ringtones, and sounds, and locate their children. For a more costly price, the unit is $199.99 plus whatever costs from the phone provider you may use. It gets 3.6 stars on Amazon.
TickTalk
Ticktalk smartwatch is another option targeted at younger school-aged kids. Parents can get them on the device’s site, Amazon, and Walmart. TickTalk focuses on the smartwatch with calling capabilities, video chats, and no games or internet. They are part of an FTC-approved Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Safe Harbor program. Out of all the kids’ GPS watches, this is the first watch to list this COPPA program on its site. This kids’ watch has emergency SOS, 911 response, and over 20 parental controls including number blocking, limited contacts, and more. It retails for $189.99 and comes with a SIM card at $9.99 a month. It gets 4.2 stars on Amazon with an impressive 1,100 reviews.
There are more kids’ smartwatches with GPS on the market. These are the most common ones we found on our search. Whatever watch you pick, we always encourage you to read the reviews and the cost associated. GPS watches work with current cell phone service and coverage, so if you live in a rural area, these may not be your best investment. Of course, many parents have tried Bluetooth tracking devices like Apple AirTags and Samsung’s SmartTag, but those don’t appeal to children like a nifty watch. Those can have some dangerous issues. Like we’ve said before, you’ll need to do the research for yourself and your family and make the best decision.
