Technology is a massive part of modern life, so it only makes sense to try and introduce young children to anything that they might find helpful when they’re older.
Even though high-tech devices like tablets and smartphones garner much attention, older equipment still holds value. For children and their parents, a GPS watch is a prime example. It functions as a regular watch while also serving as a GPS tracker, ensuring the child’s safety.
What does GPS Watch do?
Kids’ GPS watches occupy a strange niche that not many other products can relate to since they’re designed to appeal to both parents and children in different ways. They need to be simple enough so that the child can use them effectively, but also have to be secure enough to make sure that strangers can’t take advantage of them, and need enough features to let the parents or guardians set them up and customize how they work.
The exact list of features depends on the watches being used, so you’ll want to check on dedicated sites like SpottheWatch.com for specifics on each model. However, all of them share one feature in common: the GPS system. This system uses tracking controls to let the parent tell where their child is from their mobile device or a related tool, often making use of Wi-Fi wherever possible to improve accuracy.
Of course, these watches act like regular smartwatches, too. This can include anything from the standard clock face options (which any watch can do) to more specialised features like calling a pre-prepared number at the press of a button or being able to receive emergency calls.
This is all supposed to help you keep track of your child without giving them a tool they can’t use for themselves.
What features can the child use?
A kid’s tracker in a kids’ GPS watch isn’t supposed to be adjusted by the child wearing it, but they can still use the GPS watch as normal. Apart from telling the time, they might be able to take pictures or play very basic built-in games, and can sometimes even use it as a way to play music that the parent has pre-loaded. This might seem limited, but it’s far more than a standard watch, and adds an extra level of security to their regular activities.
Many watches also have a ‘classroom mode’ that’s supposed to act as a mute function, turning off the sounds from regular calls or texts while still letting them send and receive emergency messages as needed. This isn’t even mentioning features like waterproofing, voice activation or even the ability to connect to any friends that happen to have similar watches so that they can call or message each other.
Is GPS Watch trustworthy?
One of the biggest risks you can take with any kind of GPS tracking system is making your child more vulnerable to specific threats. Thankfully, many companies that produce these kids’ GPS watch models are very careful about how they work, since they know that children need to be kept as safe as possible at all times.
The GPS system itself will generally be designed in a way that lets you restrict who can track it, meaning that only the parents should be able to use it to locate the child. There will usually plenty of alternate settings to change how the watch functions, especially if it’s more complicated and has extra features to offer, but it’s still important to know what you’re buying ahead of time.
Conclusion
It’s perfectly understandable to be sceptical of any kids’ GPS watch, since you’re quite literally putting a GPS tracker (and call/text receiver) onto their arm, but you can always count on the larger companies to make sure that they’re as risk-free as possible. When you’re looking around for a model to buy, be sure to check the specifics of each model, as well as the list of safety features they offer.
Whether you’re getting them for your own child or as a gift for somebody else’s family, a GPS watch can be a very useful and practical item that’s still appealing to the children wearing it. Just be sure to do your research before you make a purchase, like you would with all kids’ products.
