I’m always in wonder when I think about parenting pre-smartphones and tablets.
Back when I was a kid I remember the long holidays and weekends that always seemed to stretch ahead of us like a white void waiting to be filled with trips to museums, activity camps and games of monopoly that went on for days. Can you even imagine what kids these days would make of a 6 week summer holiday without a tablet or computer to play on?
Thankfully technology is such that we are way more prepared for any instances of boredom that arises from – shock horror – the kids having ‘nothing to do’. The internet is a lifesaver for bored school children all over, and mine are no exception: at the ages of 5 and 7 they’re incredibly skilled at finding their own brand of entertainment on our smartphones and tablets.
But with the internet comes safety awareness, something we can never be too lax with where children are involved, as EE’s partnership with Internet Matters demonstrates: protecting children online is an incredibly important job. And after an experience where I once caught my then-three year old unsuspectingly about to watch Peppa get her head chainsawed off in a ‘hacked’ version of his favourite pig cartoon, this is something I’m very aware of.
Luckily there are some brilliant apps out there that will not only keep kids safe on their favourite devices, but when they’re out and about too.
Our very favourite app is YouTube kids. Completely safe for children of all ages, this app is a free kid-friendly version of YouTube that has lots of controls so grown-ups can tailor the experience to their family’s needs. I know my kids are completely safe when they’re watching this app: I love it.
Similarly, the Disney Movies app is one I also feel completely safe in letting my kids watch. Doing exactly what it says on the tin, it allows you to watch your favourite Disney movies from wherever you have an internet connection, whether that’s on your iPhone or iPad. Plus you get exclusive Disney content with some of the movies: little bonuses that my two adore.
On the educational tip, Reading Eggs rock our world. Designed by experts to promote real learning on the go, these interactive apps teach phonics, spelling, vocabulary, maths and more – but most importantly the kids think they’re playing games, rather than learning. It’s a win/win!
In terms of safety, if you’ve got kids who have their own iPhones there’s no better than the Find my Friends app on the iPhone, which allows you to exactly pinpoint their location on a map.
The Internet Matters app is a brilliant way to start a conversation with your children about internet safety. Containing a wealth of information about online issues that’s accessible for both parents and kids, its split-screen functionality prompts kids to think about what they’d do when faced with different online situations, from cyberbullying to sharing content with people they might not know. EE are the first mobile network to pair up with Internet Matters, a non-profit organization whose aim it is to keep children safe online, so you can rest assured that the issue of internet safety is being well and truly tackled.
EE also provide customers with a three-level Content Lock to keep children safe by blocking 18-rated content, with Strict, Moderate and Off settings, enabled on devices easily by logging in to your My EE account.
Which are your favourite kids’ apps? Let me know below, in the 'comments'.
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