A big thank you to WatchinU for sending us the NickWatch smartwatch for kids to check out and adore. As always, no form of monetary compensation was received for this rave review.
Growing up, we would disappear for hours. We’d be playing in the neighborhood, our friend’s houses, and off in the woods until dinnertime. Even at a really young age, I had a freedom that even my teens don’t have these days. Maybe this is why so many young kids have cell phones now, starting as young as elementary school. In so many ways this sounds amazing for the sake of convenience, but kids having cellphones is just not for me… at least not until high school. I’m just not ready to police text messages, restrict online game usage, and make sure the kids don’t have open access to the internet – not to mention having to worry about them losing expensive electronics.
WatchinU has the answer to the question of what you do when your child is too young for a smartphone, but you still need to reach them directly. Their new NickWatch is a smartwatch designed specifically for kids, and it’s now available at Walmart. This allows me to give the gift of peace of mind in a way that makes sense for me and my family.
The NickWatch has a 36-hour battery, automatic software and content updates, IP68 Water Resistance rating, and a built-in SIM that connects to available networks worldwide. It has a really nice quality OLED touchscreen that is visible even in bright sun and doesn’t look anything like a “kids watch”. It’s a real connected smartwatch that is designed just for kids.
Safety first
The NickWatch has all the safety features you would want in a connected device for kids, including GPS tracking, Geo-fencing, an SOS feature and more. As a parent, I really love that the NickWatch has a school mode as well as an approved-contacts list, which helps me keep my kids safe and pre-approve every single person they can contact or can contact them.
This is all controlled from the NickWatch app, which parents can download on their phones and then modify on the go as their child’s needs change. I found the app extremely easy to use and it took mere minutes to set up and get the watch ready to download the newest update. A few minutes later and we were off and running.
It’s basically a cellphone for kids who are too young for a cellphone, and does everything you want young kids to be able to do while mobile. They can check in with parents, receive messages from an approved list, and it can make it easy to stay in touch and locate your child in an emergency. This allows your kids to stay safe and stay in touch without giving them access to things they are too young for. Things like the internet, being contacted by people you haven’t specified, downloading their own apps and games, or giving their friends a way to reach them day and night are some of the many reasons why I want to wait to introduce phones. Thank goodness NickWatch solves all of that and more, and allows you to give peace of mind in a kid-friendly design.
Customizable for a wide range of kids’ ages
I’m sure you’ve seen the kids’ smart watches in the past that are huge and bulky, cartoonish designs that appeal only to the younger crowd and that the older group wouldn’t be caught wearing. The NickWatch is anything but that and has a more grown-up look with a sleek and stylish profile. Or, you can customize your kid’s watch with their favorite Nick characters and create the perfect watch for your little one. You can change the solid grey band to a fun Nick-themed band {or an orange band with a small SpongeBob} and you can change the digital face of the watch to a kid-friendly design with fun Nickelodeon-themed graphics.
It’s educational AND fun
The smartwatch doesn’t have access to tons of games or apps but the ones it does have are centered around education and fitness. There are great curated stories featuring Nick characters on the LISTEN app, the CAPTURE app has picture-taking ability, the PLAY app that encourages physical activity, the MOVE app shows steps and activity, and the CREATE app helps you make music. It also helps your child create bedtime and morning routines by giving them clear to-dos that the parent chooses on the app, helping create good time-management skills.
While having the watch doesn’t mean I let my little one run off on her own in malls and neighborhoods, just knowing my daughter has it on gives me peace of mind. We have her wear it whenever we’re going out and I have felt so much better knowing that if the worst did happen and we got separated, she’s still only a phone call away.
The best part about having her have the watch? My kids can coordinate together, no need for them to borrow my phone to check in with each other. This means my oldest can pick up my youngest and I don’t have to sit there stressing until they get home together. And, this means I don’t have to coordinate for once. My daughter loves this because then she feels like she’s being a big help, and I don’t have to juggle purses, coats, snacks, phones and kids while trying to coordinate plans at the same time.
To buy
The NickWatch is available for $119 from Walmart.com and requires the data plan {as low as $7.95/month}, which is available through the NickWatch app. These can still arrive in time for Christmas but be sure to order now!