It’s natural to ask this question. As a parent, you probably know other parents whose elementary-school aged kids have smartphones. They may have told you they feel better knowing they can get a hold of their child when necessary, or that a tracking app on the phone gives them peace of mind. These are popular reasons why kids often have smartphones. In fact, a 2019 survey showed that more than half of kids have a smartphone by the age of 11. Unfortunately, there are several reasons why this phenomenon isn’t ideal.

First, smartphones are designed to be used by adults. They come with internet access, social media apps, and the ability to accept calls and texts from anyone—like those scammers who call up claiming you owe the IRS money, or random strangers who text inappropriate pictures. Do you want your kids dealing with those people? Or finding their way onto social media when they’re not yet old enough to navigate the possible dangers?

Second, smartphones aren’t the only option for keeping track of or contacting your child—the two main reasons parents give for buying their kids a smartphone. The right kids phone watch allows you to call your child—but only you and other people you place on a list of approved contacts can call them. Internet access and social media apps should be completely blocked, and the built-in GPS tracker should allow real-time monitoring of your child’s location. Most importantly, these devices are designed specifically to allow kids more freedom while protecting them and providing you peace of mind.

For all of these reasons, more and more parents are searching for quality smartphone alternatives. They want the best kids GPS tracker, not just the most recent Apple device. They want devices designed for kids, not repackaged adult technology. When it comes to smartwatches for kids, it's hard not to see the advantages.

Read our kids smartwatch purchasing guide if you are considering getting one for your child.

Most parents worry about their children when they are out of sight. However, with a smartwatch keeping track of where they are and where they’ve been, you can check on them anytime. The best kids smartwatches have a GPS tracker that works anywhere in the world and sends regular geolocation pings to the parent's phone. Additionally, some smartwatches have an SOS calling function that allows kids to send an alert to approved contacts in case of emergency.

Although most smartwatches for kids are designed to give details of a child’s location, not all relay that information in real-time. For parents who prefer minute-by-minute updates of their children’s whereabouts, buying a smartwatch with such capabilities just makes sense.

The watches can be programmed to give relevant information at customized times for the benefit of parents. To get the same information from a smartphone you would need to download a third party app that requires an additional subscription to access all its functions.

Smartphones usually have GPS tracking, but this function is easy to turn off. Additionally, it doesn’t work if the battery dies (and kids don’t always remember to charge their devices).

With a kids smartwatch, location data is built into the app and included with your existing kids smartwatch data plan. Plus compared to a smartphone, a kids smartwatch provides more detailed, accurate location information. The COSMO kids phone watch, for example, has real-time location updates, and the GPS tracking feature can’t be turned off. With its long battery life, it will keep working for days without being charged, so there’s less concern about a dead battery.

Kids like to know that their parents trust them and that knowledge can boost their confidence. Buying them a kids smartwatch is one of the ways to give them a sense of freedom as they move around the home or outside. You can reduce some of the stress that comes with being a parent and allow your kids to have fun being independent and confident.

With more than half of kids getting a smartphone by the age of 11, and nearly one in five having one by the age of 8, bullying has unfortunately moved online. Kids with phones often find their way onto social media, even when their parents say no. This means that bullies, a big enough problem in the schoolyard, can now follow their victims home. A child might receive bullying messages or comments on multiple social media apps, which are associated with mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and self-esteem issues.

Meanwhile, research continues into the effects of smartphones on children’s behavior. One study from Japan found “routine and frequent use of mobile devices appear to be associated with behavioral problems in childhood.” Another study published in Child Development suggested that when people consider smartphone use for kids, “it is of importance that neurological diseases, physiological addiction, cognition, sleep and behavioral problems are considered.”

On the other hand, smart watches like the COSMO Smart Watch for kids can help promote healthy development. For example, the fitness tracker helps motivate kids to exercise, and the superior location tracking features give your kids the freedom to walk around the neighborhood. You’ll feel good knowing you can always locate them. This means kids can get more exercise and spend less time staring at a screen, but you can still use the watch to call them whenever you want.

Parents want to keep an eye on their children but don’t want to intrude in their kids' lives. The COSMO parent app makes it easy to plan and check in on your child’s daily activities. Some of the kids' smartwatch functions even reward kids for completing tasks, such as steps taken and physical activity, that can be easily set up by parents.

While smartphones have GPS tracking and “find my phone” options, these aren’t ideal for parents trying to keep track of their kids. Your life is busy. You may have to go to work, take care of younger children, do tasks around the house, or run errands. That means you probably aren’t looking at your phone locator app round-the-clock, so how would you know if your child made it safely to their friend’s house down the street?

The COSMO Mission Control app solves this problem by allowing parents to set up “safe zones” for their kids. This can be their school, your home, their childcare center, their best friend’s house, etc. If your child leaves one of these zones, you get an alert on your phone. If you know they’re not supposed to be leaving, you can call and find out what’s going on. At the same time, you can keep track of where they are in real-time, so you can meet them if necessary. A typical smartphone location tracker doesn’t have these extra safety features for parents.

Unfortunately, the world is not always a safe place for children, and there are many kinds of predators who might hurt your child. Some might want to steal an expensive device, like a smartphone, from them. Sadly, that’s the best case scenario. Other predators might want to kidnap your child. Still others might use your child to get personal information, like where they live, how to get into your house, etc. Or they may want photos of your child, which could be used in all kinds of illegal activities, from charity scams to attracting the interest of child traffickers. In addition to all those possibilities, child identity theft is also on the rise, with more than a million children having their identities stolen in 2017 alone. How do you keep your kids safe from all these different kinds of predators?

A kids smartwatch can help, acting as a cyber seatbelt. A child wearing a kids GPS tracker may be less likely to be targeted by assailants because of their ability to call for help. (And if someone does try to take your child, the SOS button allows them to quickly call for help.)

Many other kinds of predators use smartphones to communicate with kids. They may pose as another child, convincing your kid they’re a “friend.” Then your child may unknowingly give them info they can use, such as breaking into your home, or even stealing your child’s identity. They might also convince your child to meet their new “friend” somewhere without telling you.

Fortunately, the COSMO smartwatch blocks both calls and texts from unapproved contacts, as well as completely blocking internet use and social media. That way you know your child isn’t conversing with criminals.

The same cannot be said of smartphones, which themselves can attract assailants that want to steal the expensive device from your child. The COSMO smart watch’s kids GPS tracker also gives parents some additional peace of mind, as you can track your child’s movements at all times.

For parents looking for an all-in-one device to communicate and keep their child safe, kids smartwatches are the best bet. The kids' watch phone allows parents to make calls and send text messages, making communication fast and convenient.

Since most kids smartwatches are easy to use, both kids and parents will enjoy voice calling and text messages.. Kids smartwatches also frequently come standard with restricted calling and contact management, so strangers are blocked from contacting the device.

This is important, because you want to know who your child is talking to. They don’t need to deal with telemarketers, scammers, or potential predators. Using the COSMO Mission Control app, you can set a list of numbers that can call or text your child—yourself, other family members, their friends from school, etc. No one else will be able to call them.

Plus, the COSMO kids phone watch has several safety features—in an emergency, kids can contact you and emergency services. You can also set the watch to automatically answer calls from you, so your child can’t ignore them. In an emergency situation, this may allow you to hear what’s going on if your child is unable to answer for any reason.

Are your kids begging for a new smartphone? This is very common. Kids love smart, techy gifts and often want a phone like their parents have. Unfortunately, smartphones pose many risks to children under 12 years of age, from providing opportunities for child predators to making it easier for schoolyard bullies to target a classmate. Anyone can contact your child on a smartphone, and kids often find ways around software designed to block social media apps. Worse, there are even health concerns associated with the use of these phones by young children. For all these reasons, it’s recommended that parents “Wait Until Eighth” (grade) to buy their child a smartphone.

Fortunately, kids' smart watches provide an alternative that can make kids and parents happy. These devices help kids learn about tech through simple, easy to use displays. Kids can learn to send and read texts from you and others on their approved contact list. They can always call if they need you, and can talk with friends. Best of all, you can limit usage to certain hours or time restrictions, so your kids won’t be texting their friends instead of doing homework.

If you are a parent looking for an alternative to smartphones, the kids smartwatch is the perfect gift for your child.

Smartphones are popular with kids who want to remain cool and be relevant among friends. However, kids' smartwatches are more affordable and have advanced features that appeal to most children and parents. Their safety features and lack of internet connectivity make them a better choice for kids ages 5-11, who should not use the internet without parental supervision. They’re also far less expensive than a new smartphone.

The COSMO phone watch for kids is also designed to be durable. It can be easy for kids—and, let’s face it, sometimes adults—to drop or otherwise damage a phone. The enhanced durability of the Cosmo kids watch helps protect your investment—but if it does get damaged, the lower price makes it much easier to replace than a smartphone. 

The COSMO kids smart watch also has a 30-day return policy, so you can try it out and see how it works for your family. We also have support that you can contact. We frequently have sales and specials on the data plan that lets you talk, text, and keep track of your child via their phone watch. The data plan is also refundable if you need to return your smart watch for any reason.

Overall, a kids smart watch is an investment that works well for both parents and kids – parents can monitor and prevent risky behavior, and kids can enjoy one of the latest tech gadgets.

If you are uncomfortable with introducing your child to smartphones at an early age, then a kids smartwatch is a great alternative for you. Fortunately, kids smartwatches are easy to find and are sold at reasonable prices, making them the best choice for your children, no matter their age.