Kids communicate completely different today than what I am used to growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. If I wanted to talk to my friends I would either use the house landline that everyone had access to and have a little notebook storing all of my friend’s phone numbers. If you, like myself and many others, have banned cell phones, some challanges may be presented as your kids get older.

I have compiled a list of ways your kids can communicate without using a phone.

Smart Watches

There are so many different smartwatch options currently on the market. When looking for the smartwatch that is best for your child you will need to consider things like battery life and durability. Make sure there are parental controls available that fit your family’s needs. When looking at plans, do your research to determine if a contract is required.

The following are the watches that I would recommend for your kids. All of these watches require some sort of plan to allow your kids to communicate outside of the house. The watches also have many features so you will need to consider which are most important to you. None of these options have access to social media or the internet (except for the Apple watch). They also all have parental controls that you can customize to fit your needs.

Gaab Watch 3

The cost is about $150. These are best geared toward younger children in the early elementary age range. Safety features include

• GPS tracking
• Customizable safe zone
• No unsafe apps
• SOS emergency contact
• Up to 100 parent-managed contacts
• The speech-to-text ability allows younger children to send messages

There are focus and silent mode abilities you can set up. The Gabb watch is durable, it has an IP68 waterproof rating meaning it can be in water for an extended amount of time, and has an extra strong gorilla glass case.

Monthly plans range from $17.99 with no contract to $12.99 with a 2-year contract.

Spacetalk adventurer 2

At about $300, this is one of the most expensive and advanced options offered for younger kids. It’s recommended for kids ages 5-12 years old. Safety features include:

• GPS tracking
• Customizable safe zones with notifications
• No unsafe apps
• SOS emergency contact
• Unlimited number of parent-managed contacts
• Video calling
• Heart rate sensor
• Wear detection
• Ability to add pre-set messages

There is an IP67 waterproof rating meaning it can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes, however, it is not recommended to be worn when swimming or bathing. It is made from gorilla glass and has a 750mA battery There is a 5mp Camera and advanced GPS monitoring. You also have the option to set up a school mode.

One feature I thought was a good idea is its feeling feature. The user of the parent app can request a feeling or a feeling can be sent by the wearer.

Plans range from $17.99 a month to $164.99 ($13.75/month) if paid for a year in advance.

TickTalk 4

These cost around $190. The suggested age range is 5-12 years. Safety features include:

• GPS tracking, past, and present locations
• Location notifications
• No unsafe apps
• Emergency SOS
• 50+ parent managed contacts
• Individual and group chatting
• Video calling
• Talk to text messaging
• The only watch that is a Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Safe Harbor Certified Product

Like the other models, the watch is durable with an IP67 waterproof rating, and drop and shockproof. Includes a long battery life with 100 mAh battery. The watch includes 2 HD 5MP photo and video cameras. There is an activity and step-tracking feature to help kids be more aware. You can also set up a school mode to avoid the distraction.

One of the reasons I am considering upgrading my son to this watch is because of the free music streaming with the iHeart radio family that is included in the monthly cost. Parent-managed activity and step tracker. School mode. IP67 waterproof rating. Long battery life with 1000 mah battery.

If you have an old smartwatch in working condition that you would like to upgrade, ticktalk has a program that will send you a $30 credit to upgrade.

Includes a free SIM activation kit from Red Pocket for use on AT&T or T-Mobile. Monty plans start as low as $9.99. You can read about the plans here.

Gizmo watch

At $149 this is on the cheaper end. I would recommend it for the earlier elementary age range. This is the watch my son uses, we have the old model and to be honest it is very basic. However, after researching it seems the newer model, the Gizmo watch 3 is much nicer with more to offer. The safety features include:

• GPS location and location alerts
• Custom boundaries and notifications
• No unsafe apps
• 20 parent selected contacts
• Video calling
• Individual and group messages

Gizmo watches have a unique feature that if you are in the same room with someone else that has a gizmo watch they can find each other via Bluetooth and send a friend request to the parents app. There are a few games, a task list, and a weather forecast available.

With a 510 mAh battery the watch has about 3.5 days standby battery life and 4.45 hours of call time. The watch has an IP68 waterproof rating and can withstand brief submersion and splash.

The watch requires a Verizon account, you can click here to sign up for Verizon and get $15 off your monthly bill for a year. You can create an account just for the gizmo. It is $10/month plus taxes and fees.

Apple Watch

The watches vary in price depending on the model and generation. The Apple Watch is a good option for kids and runs around $240. An Apple Watch can be used for kids. However, since there are a lot of other features and it’s not made primarily for kids you will need to make sure you add parental controls and make sure the features you want and do not want are enabled/disabled. This option would be best for older kids who are not yet ready for a phone. Safety features include:

• imessages
• Phone calls
• SOS emergency button
• Heart rate monitor with alerts
• Location sharing
• Unlimited trusted contacts
• Can detect car crashes and connect you to emergency services
• Mental health insights

Caregivers will need to create an Apple account and access Apple family sharing to set up parental controls. These can be set for app and iTunes purchases, screen time limits, and setting up trusted contacts. You are also able to set up location sharing, Apple Cash family, and iMessage. You also can turn turn on a school time mode to limit access during school hours.

Battery life is up to 18 hours and the watch is swimproof. Someone will need an iPhone to use with the Apple Watch. The plan cost will depend on your cell phone carrier which you will need to use the watch.

In home calling

If you just want your child to have the ability to make and receive calls inside the home and/or send and receive messages then these other two options will work for you. These are two services that my kids currently use and we have had success and no issues or security concerns.

I also feel more comfortable with having an option available for my kids to connect with someone in case of an emergency.

Facebook messenger Kids

If you have a Facebook account they have a really good app for kids to use to communicate with close friends and family members. Audio or video calls can be made as well as sending and receiving messages. It is available for download in the App Store for iPads, touch, and iPhones, Amazon AppStore for Fire tablets, and the Google Play Store for all other Android devices. My kids use it on their Amazon Fire Kids tablets to safely communicate with friends and family.

Parents will need to log into their Facebook account and then create a child account. You will then go to the parent dashboard in your own Facebook app to see your child’s activity including; recent friends, blocked friends, and videos in chat. You can add and delete friends (only accessible through the parent dashboard) You also can set up a sleep mode for when your child does not have access to the app.

Kids have access to crazy face filters to make calls more fun, the ability to do quizzes, games, doodles, and slime-throwing with their friends, as well as cool stickers and emojis in chats.

Amazon devices

All Amazon devices can be used to make and receive calls, this includes the Amazon Kids Fire tablets, Echo Dots/pops, and Echo Show. Make sure the devices are set to Amazon kids+ devices so the parental controls are active. See this post to learn more about parental controls and Amazon Kids+.

Using the Alexa app you will need to set up the Alexa communication features. One thing to note is that you will need to enter a valid mobile number to use the features, however, the phone does not need to be in the home to use calling. Any calls made from Amazon devices will show this mobile number on caller IDs. Be prepared to get a call back if your child is making phone calls, I have learned from experience!

To set up calling you will open your Alexa app, and select Communicate. Once there you will select your name and then your child’s name. You will have the ability to add contacts here. There is a good video that shows this here. Your kids can call other devices in the house, outside the house, or other outside contacts as long as you have them set up.

Leave a message below if you use these or any other non-phone ways to communicate with your kids!