Favorite Smart Devices Kids Need for Back to School
Updated: Sep. 17, 2021Back to school just got a lot more exciting (and futuristic!) with these cool smart devices that help with study time, the morning routine and more!
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Kids Echo Dot
Amazon Alexa is one of the most popular smart home assistants, and the Echo Dot Kids ($45) lets your kids get in on the fun. This voice-controlled gadget with a fun animal design lets kids play music, get help with homework and even call parent-approved friends and family members. Parents can set daily time limits and review activity on the device.
With purchase, you receive one year of Amazon Kids+, which offers music, books and games for children.
Tile Mate Tracker
Kids are great at a lot of things, but keeping track of their stuff usually isn’t one of them. Attach a Tile Mate Tracker ($25) to the most commonly misplaced items, like their backpack, lunch box or even the pocket of their winter jacket.
When something goes missing, open the free Tile app and tap “Find.” If the lost object is within 200 feet, the Tile will make a ringing noise to help you find it. If it’s outside Bluetooth range, the app will show you the Tile’s most recent location.
VTech KidiBuzz G2 Kids’ Smart Device
A kid-friendly cell phone can be a great tool to help you keep track of your kids’ whereabouts as they go to play dates or participate in after-school programs.
The VTech KidiBuzz G2 ($75) looks just like a real smartphone, and even let kids send pictures, texts and voice messages to parent-approved contacts through the free KidiConnect app. The KidiBuzz G2 can take photos with fun filters and offers more than 40 learning games.
Angel Watch Series R
The Angel Watch Series R ($180) is another handy device for communicating with your kids without the potential dangers of social media or internet browsing.
Your kids can call or text a limited phone book of numbers that you control through the Angel Watch app. It also includes location tracking with geo-fencing and out-of-bounds alerts. The service costs $10 a month and does not require a contract.
Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet
The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet ($200) is packed with educational, kid-friendly content, making screen time more productive. This 10-inch high-definition tablet comes with a kid-proof case and built-in stand. If anything happens to it within the first two years, Amazon will replace it for free.
The tablet includes one year of Amazon Kids+, which has more than 20,000 books, movies, TV shows, songs, apps and games, plus thousands of titles in Spanish. The easy-to-use parental controls let you enforce screen time limits, set educational goals and filter content.
Echo Glow Multicolor Smart Lamp for Kids
To help your kids wake up for school on their own, check out the Echo Glow Multicolor Smart Lamp for Kids ($30). It helps your kids start the day with light that gradually brightens until it’s time to wake up.
It can also be set with other colorful lighting cues like a reading timer or a countdown to catching the school bus. The lamp needs to be paired with a compatible Alexa device, which parents can easily control via convenient voice commands.
Artie 3000 The Coding Robot
Don’t be fooled by its adorable appearance — Artie 3000 ($44) is an incredibly high-tech robot that’s a fun and educational toy for kids.
Using a tablet or computer, your child designs the code, then Artie draws their creation on paper! Learning coding is known to help children with communication, creativity, math, writing and confidence. Even beginners can start coding with Artie thanks to the pre-programmed design options.
Colgate Magik Smart Toothbrush for Kids
If you often argue with your child about brushing their teeth before school, you can make this essential daily chore fun with the Colgate Magik Smart Toothbrush ($10).
This app-connected toothbrush encourages kids to brush their teeth by turning it into a fun gaming experience. They can unlock new worlds and earn rewards by taking care of their teeth, and parents get a dashboard to see how well they brushed. Win-win.
Osmo Genius Starter Kit for iPad
The award-winning Osmo Genius Starter Kit ($100) uses a tablet and physical game pieces to teach children problem-solving skills, puzzles, math, freehand drawing and much more. It’s a great toy to keep kids brains working during school breaks or over the weekend instead of watching mindless YouTube videos.
This version, tailored to kids ages six to 10, includes everything they need to play five games. As kids manipulate the physical game pieces, Osmo sees and reacts to their moves in real-time, making it an interactive and educational experience.
Sphero Mini Robot Ball
When homework’s done, here’s another robot toy that will keep your kids learning through play time.
Kids can program their Sphero Mini Robot Ball ($50) to weave in and out of cones, knock down pins or build an obstacle course. They’ll learn block-based coding or JavaScript in the Sphero Edu app, and can control different drive modes, arcade-style games and basic commands for endless fun.