Modern kids are tech-savvy and busy, but SIM cards meant for adults aren’t the best SIM cards for kids. Since they are designed for grown-ups, they may have features that could be dangerous for children. Additionally, parents might feel a little premature to hand them cellphones at an early age but this is actually beneficial. As a parent, you might feel overwhelmed and like you’re invading their privacy if the entirety of your kid’s communication goes through your device. However, if your child gets theirs, you can regain possession of your phone without such worries.
Child-friendly SIM cards are designed for kids, as they can include advanced child-protection features. Handing your child a cell phone makes them learn to use technology responsibly early in life. Apart from that, there are multiple reasons why your kid needs to have their phone. Staying in contact with parents and siblings anytime and anywhere, for instance. Taking online classes during the pandemic or playing video games, too. Below is the rundown of the top SIM cards list parents can get for their kids.
1. ParentShield
ParentShield is the perfect network for children if you are based in the United Kingdom. It has built-in controls, making it exceptionally safe for children between the ages of 6 and 13. Moreover, its feature blocks all the anonymous calls to and from your kid’s phone. The SIM card works with any unlocked phone, giving your child a ‘grown-up’ user experience. As a parent, you can log in to its online portal to make changes you want for your child’s phone. For example, you can set restrictions on its features, record and listen to voice calls, set word alerts, view text messages anytime, and more. ParentShield SIM cards use several UK networks instead of one. Therefore, your child will always have the strongest possible signal strength.
2. Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is an American network operator. It offers a “3-Month Wireless” plan that grants you unlimited call minutes and texts for three months and 4 GB of high-speed data. That way, your kid can stay connected without taking a toll on your wallet. The company also offers a “Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP)” plan, which includes a 3-in-1 SIM card, i.e. nano, micro, and standard SIM card in one package. Therefore, you can fit it into a device of your choice. Moreover, Mint Mobile has superb network strength as it uses T-Mobile network towers. These are widely known as one of the fastest and most stable in the United States.
3. Verizon
Verizon is yet another United States wireless carrier. It stands out for its “Just Kids unlimited plan on a 5G nationwide network. The plan has all the possible kids-friendly features you could ever want for your child. Some exemplary ones include setting content filters, capping data usage, and blocking apps and websites you want to prohibit your child from visiting. What’s more, if you notice your kids getting addicted to the internet, you can pause their connectivity outside certain times and activities. For instance, school hours, meal times, and homework time. The price of the plan is $50, but you can bring it down to $25 with a family plan consisting of 5 or more lines.
4. Asda
Asda mobile is a UK-based wireless carrier. It offers a £4 talk-and-text SIM plan, which comes with unlimited texts and voice minutes but no data. Henceforth, you will always be in contact with your child without worrying about their online safety, as he will stay off the internet. Asda covers 99% of the UK’s population, so issues of weak network strength within the country don’t exist. The company also has several bundles offering data allowances, with some plans having unlimited data as well. If you are interested in a small data bundle, you might prefer to have a 1 GB data plan for £5 monthly or 3 GB data for £7 per month. Additionally, should your child need more data before the bundle expires, you can always grab more add-ons through Asda My Account.
5. Vodafone
Vodafone’s SIM-only plans in the United Kingdom are somewhat different from the others. To clarify, they come with subscriptions to Spotify Premium, YouTube Premium, Amazon Prime, etc. That’s ideal when your kid needs a smartphone for entertainment purposes. However, if you don’t want your child to stay glued to the screen for hours, you can opt for plans without them, usually at a lower price. Vodafone offers many 30-day plans with unlimited data. Moreover, there are options for spending caps, blocking age-restricted content, and much more, all at a reasonable price.
6. Tesco Mobile
Parents whose primary concern is the safety of their children will find a Tesco SIM card the best available alternative. It uses O2’s network, guaranteeing a fast and stable network strength in the UK. It is designed so that your child can only access the content for the age groups below 18. The only way to disable this feature is through an online age verification procedure that uses a parent’s credit card. A feature of a spending cap is also available, which lets a parent limit their children’s usage of a mobile network. Even better, parents can activate it both when purchasing a plan and at any point thereafter, thus avoiding unexpectedly high bills.
7. Tello Mobile
For American parents and children that prefer customization, Tello Mobile is among the best options in terms of the best kids SIM cards. It enables you to make your plan for as low as $4.50 per month. What’s more, you can purchase it as a SIM card kit for only $2. You can then activate it using any phone you have lying around, and start adjusting the plan so it fits your child’s needs perfectly. Suppose you want unlimited texts but only enough voice minutes for emergencies. Well, Tello can provide that at dirt-cheap rates. Furthermore, Tello SIM cards fit any phone, even a decade or two old. Thus, you won’t need a new device — an old feature phone can do the job well.