Summer Fun Without the Worry: The Best GPS Tracker for Kids

Twenty-two percent of parents have reported losing their child for at least an hour, while 23% report their child leaving the house without them knowing (SafeWise). So how do you keep your kids safe when you’re not with them, particularly during the summer?

Read on for tips for unstructured time and how to keep your kids safe while they adventure outside of school.

The Importance of Unstructured Time

The arrival of summer means more than a shift in a child’s daily routine, it means more unstructured time. Replacing hours of school with your own activities can be a challenge so it might take some pressure off to remember that unstructured time is also important for your child’s development. 

In fact, research has found that unstructured time is crucial to children developing the cognitive processes that support things like planning, decision-making, memory, and self-control over thoughts, feelings, and actions.¹

So it’s actually best if you don’t have every minute of your child’s summer days planned out. It’s important to allow your kids space to be creative, learn on their own, explore, and socialize voluntarily. But, of course, allowing your kids that kind of freedom brings its own set of worries.

Giving parents peace of mind while allowing kids to be kids is literally our mission at Gabb. Our kid-safe devices like Gabb Watch and Gabb Phone were designed with these exact parental worries in mind. 

Best GPS Watch and Phone Trackers for Kids

If you’re reading this then chances are good you’ve already begun the search for a good GPS tracking option for your kid. 

As explained above, it’s beneficial to let kids do some roaming around the neighborhood this summer. But you’ll want to be sure they’re safe and you can get a hold of them when it’s time for dinner. 

Every kid is different so you’ll know best how much tech your child is ready for (and when). 

All our phones and watches come with GPS tracking on the nation’s most reliable network so either one is a great option for keeping track of your child.

Gabb Watch

The Gabb Watch is a perfect first step for a child ready to roam but not ready for a device with an overwhelming list of features. 

Our secure watch bands are durable and sweat resistant so your child has a location tracker they can comfortably wear, unlike relay phones or other standalone GPS devices for kids. And our fun watch band options (like our Star Wars bands) and step counter mean they won’t want to take it off.

The Gabb Watch comes with the following features:

• GPS tracking and customizable geo-fenced “safe zones”
• SOS button to immediately contact a pre-programmed contact
• 10 custom contacts for safe, exclusive calls and templated texts (no spam calls or junk mail).
• Voice-messaging, templated texting, emojis.
• Gabb Go gives them a fun step counter and gamified to-do list
• Long-lasting battery life

Learn more about Gabb Watch and see subscription plan options.

Gabb Phone

Gabb Phone is the perfect next step if Gabb Watch doesn’t have everything you need for your child. 

While this is often thought of as safe tech for older kids, age really isn’t the best indicator. It’s good to consider things like your child’s maturity level, how well they handle responsibility, and what features are really important for them to have in addition to GPS tracking. 

Gabb Phones were designed to give kids a safe device with everything they need, but nothing they don’t (i.e. no internet, social media, and unsafe apps). 

The Gabb Phone comes with the following features:

• GPS tracking and customizable geo-fenced “safe zones”
• Nationwide unlimited talk and text
• Front 5MP and 8MP Cameras
• Bluetooth connection for music
• Secure fingerprint scan
• 14 essential kid-safe apps
• Long-lasting battery life

Learn more about Gabb Phone and check service plan options to compare monthly fees.

There’s nothing we (or anyone else) can do to make parenting easy. But Gabb is leading the way at making it easier for parents to keep their kids safe and teach them how to begin to navigate a digital world. 

Both Gabb Watch and Gabb Phone give your kids a device they’ll be excited about, while also giving yourself a little more peace of mind this summer. 

Sources:

¹ “Less-structured time in children’s daily lives predicts self-directed executive functioning.” Frontiers in Psychology.