Kid-friendly smartwatches: what you need to know before buying your child a phone for their wrist

These classroom additions can help kids keep out of trouble. What you need to know about child-friendly smartwatches.

There’s a technology gap for kids growing up in the 2020s.

It hits during primary school and between the ages of wanting-a-smartphone and being-ready-to-use-a-smartphone.

And it’s a gap that is increasingly being filled by smartwatches specifically designed for young wrists.

From Spacetalk and Moochies to certain types of Apple Watch, more children are heading to class with the ability to call their parents if they’re running late or even bust out a calculator when required.

But, as Christmas approaches, what do you need to know about this technology and what features does a kid-friendly smartwatch need (and need to leave out)?

Cyber safety educator Leonie Smith said she had seen many more smartwatches on students’ wrists in recent years, with the devices most popular in later primary school grades.

“Smartwatches have become quite a popular alternative to buying kids their first phone,” she said. “Any parents who buy their child a smartwatch have the ability to message them when they need to, but they also really need to be aware of how it works and set it up so it’s age-appropriate.”

Making it easier are smartwatches designed just for kids — and for the adults charged with setting them up.

The new Spacetalk Adventurer watch, for example, lets parents nominate who kids can contact, establish safe zones on a map, and set times for School Mode in which features are locked down to prevent in-class distractions.

Spacetalk chief executive Mark Fortunatow said the company’s Australian designed devices were essentially smartphones for wrists but plenty of thought had gone into removing potential dangers and distractions.

“It needs to be a device that’s purpose-built for kids, especially young kids,” he said.

“While it needs to make phone calls and text messages, you really need to lock it down so only authorised contacts like parents can contact the child. If someone were to call the number on a Spacetalk watch or send a message when they were not listed, the parents will see the message but the child won’t.

“On top of that there’s no access to social media, no open internet, no TikTok — you’ve got a safe device with the benefits of technology but in a safe and responsible manner for children.”

Supplied Editorial Fwd: MGM Wireless founder Mark Fortunatow with the Spacetalk watches

Even hardware features can be enabled or disabled, such as the watch’s camera, as Mr Fortunatow said “we never force anything on to parents”.

Other kid-friendly smartwatches, including Moochies Connect and the Apple Watch SE using Family Setup, also come with many parental controls, including in-class restrictions. Apple’s Schooltime addition, for example, comes with a recognisable, bright yellow watch face.

Ms Smith said these additions made it easier for kids to focus but also helped teachers recognise when a watch was classroom-ready.

She said before investing in a smartwatch for Christmas, parents should double-check that the technology was allowed in their child’s school.

“Teachers often don’t know what’s been set up on the watches,” she said. “So you’ll find that some schools allow them and haven’t had an issue, and some will outright ban them. They (parents) need to check.”

TOP FIVE SMARTWATCHES FOR KIDS

Spacetalk Adventurer

$349, spacetalkwatch.com

Carefully created for the youngest users, this smartwatch has features to impress kids and controls to help parents. Kids can use this watch to call or text approved recipients, snap selfies, check the weather or reach daily fitness goals, while guardians can check on their location, call them, and ensure their device doesn’t distract them during class. It has no access to social media or the open internet, and parents can bring their own 4G plan.

Apple Watch SE

$499, apple.com/au

Apple’s Family Setup software for some cellular versions of its Watch are designed for use by kids. This is the Schooltime watch face.

While it’s a pricier option, families using iPhones could find the Apple Watch SE the most useful. Apple introduced Family Setup software to the cellular version of this watch so it could be used as a stand-alone device. Parents can use it to set up a special Schooltime mode with a recognisable yellow watch face that limits features during class time and it can also be used to share the wearer’s location, send messages and make calls, and even use Walkie-Talkie for quick voice messages.

Moochies Connect

$180, bigw.com.au

The Moochies Connect is a smartwatch for kids priced at $180.

Designed in Australia and billed as “your kid’s first mobile phone”, the Moochies Connect watch has a brightly coloured screen, will let kids send text and voice messages to approved contacts, and features a camera and microphone so they can place video or voice calls too. Class Mode can be scheduled to avoid distractions, and users can be pinpointed on a map using its GPS chip. A SIM card is pre-installed and monthly plans start at $15.

Alcatel Movetime Family Watch

$177, amazon.com.au

This Alcatel smartwatch might be basic but it covers the important features. It uses a 4G mobile connection to let kids place phone or video calls to approved numbers, snap and share photos, and will count their steps and distance walked. Parents can also check its location and set up “safe zones” that trigger alerts when the watch moves out of the area.

Fitbit Ace 3

$100, fitbit.com/au

Fitbit’s Ace 3 is a fitness watch designed for children aged six years and above that will track their steps, sleep and exercise.

This watch is smarter than your average timepiece, though it’s not a smartwatch in the purest sense. The Ace 3 is a Fitbit designed for kids aged six years and over, and there’s even a Minion edition available. The device will tell the time, track their daily steps and exercise, and can be used for family fitness challenges. It will deliver messages and call alerts but only if connected to a phone.

Originally published as Kid-friendly smartwatches: what you need to know before buying your child a phone for their wrist