There are many reasons to get your child a cell phone. Perhaps he walks to school alone and you want to make sure he has some way to get help in an emergency situation. Maybe she participates in after-school activities and needs to be able to reach you for a ride home. Or maybe you just want to be able to connect with your child at any time. Whatever the reason, deciding which cell phone is right for your child is a big decision. There are a few brands of cell phones available for kids--each with its own distinct advantages.
Firefly Mobile
The Firefly phone was the first phone designed with kids in mind. Produced with a hard plastic shell, the Firefly features flashing lights and on-screen animations. The numeric keypad was omitted on this phone and was replaced with two buttons--one with a picture of a woman and the other with a picture of a man. These buttons can be programmed so that when a kid presses one it will call anyone the parent designates, though they are usually reserved for mom and dad. Also included is a phone book button with a capacity of 20 numbers. You can program whoever you would like your child to be able to call or who can call your child.
Disney Mobile
If you're looking for a phone for an older child, then Disney Mobile may be for you. It's as close to an adult's phone as it can be while still offering the protection of a child's phone. This phone features family alerts and GPS tracking. You're able to set limits on how much airtime your child uses and set time restrictions to prevent her from talking during school hours or after bedtime. You will be able to decide which numbers the phone can place calls to or receive calls from.
Your child will have a blast playing with his downloaded games and ring tones, taking pictures with the camera or recording his day with the camcorder.
Tic Talk
Tic Talk is a cell phone shaped like a stopwatch that is intended for younger children. It doesn't have a regular keypad and uses a rolling knob on the side instead. Kids can turn the knob to go through the numbers in the phone book and then press talk to call someone. The phone comes programmed with five educational games to play.
There are many parent-friendly aspects to the phone as well. You can go online to access the parental controls and restrict which numbers get through to the phone and also prevent the phone from being used outside of your preset times.
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