Too young for a phone, but want a way to keep in touch with kids as they begin to venture away from home? Walkie talkies are the perfect solution. Kids can visit a friend’s house or playground down the street and enjoy some freedom while still remaining in touch with their parents. They’re also fun to play with friends while exploring or planning secret missions around the neighborhood.
If you’re looking for more exciting play exploration options for your kids take a look at our below recommendations:
Selieve Toys Walkie Talkies for Kids
Let your kids safely roam! The Selieve Toys Walkie Talkie for kids, sold in sets of two, can handle large transmitting ranges – up to 1 mile in built-up residential areas, or up to 3 miles in open fields.
Choosing a Walkie Talkie for Your Kids
Factors to consider when choosing a walkie talkie for your kids include how many people are going to be using it, and where you’re planning on using it. Do you want to buy walkie talkies for your child to communicate with their friends while they’re playing, to communicate with you, or both? Some walkie talkies are sold in sets of two, others in threes or even fours. If you buy a set of two and later want to add more units so you can communicate with multiple children, it’s easy to add more. Just make sure all units are tuned to the same channel, and using the same CTCSS code if you choose to use one.
It’s important to consider the range, too. Will your kids be using walkie talkies around the house to play, or would you like to be able to communicate with them as they begin to venture to the park or a friend’s house down the block? Will you be using them on hikes in the woods or at the beach? Range and signal quality can vary, so make sure you choose something that suits your needs.
Buyer’s Guide
There are a few features to look for that will enhance your experience with walkie talkies.
How Many Walkie Talkies Do You Need?
When buying walkie talkies, you’ll need at least two of them – after all, you’ll need someone to talk to! Whether or not you need more is going to depend on what you play to use your walkie talkies for. If you have multiple children or want your child to be able to play with more than one friend at a time, you want to consider buying walkie talkies that come in a set of three or purchasing more than one pair of walkie talkies. It’s easy to combine multiple sets, even if they are made by different manufacturers. Just make sure everyone is tuned in to the same channel.
Ease of Use
Naturally, when it comes to walkie talkies for your kids, it is important to make sure that they are age appropriate and that your kids will be able to use them easily without any confusion or issue. Often kids will become frustrated and bored when something is too complicated, especially a toy. Therefore ensure that when you choose a walkie talkie, your kids will be able to easily operate and enjoy it.
Quality of the Product
As with any toy, you don’t want to buy something of low quality just so that it can break or need replacement a week later. Especially toys that will be used outdoors. Walkie talkies are no exception to this rule, and therefore make sure that the toys are of durable and high-quality construction.
Talking Range
Most walkie talkies on our list give two different numbers in a talking range, residential and open field. Open field talking range is just what it sounds like – when you’re using your walkie talkies in a wide open area with no obstacles in the way, such as a large park, beach, or sports field. In a residential neighborhood, there are houses, trees, cars, and other objects that could interfere with the transmission of radio waves, so the talking range will be smaller.
It’s important to remember that this is the maximum range, and the real useable range will vary depending on a number of factors. The terrain, the altitude at which you’re using the walkie talkies, interference from other radio transmissions, and even the weather can have an impact on the useable range.
You might find that on a clear sunny day you can travel further and stay within range than on a cloudy or foggy day. This applies to all walkie talkies, from kids walkie talkies on our list to more expensive units. The most common range for walkie talkies on our list is 3 miles of open field and half a mile for residential, which is wide enough to give kids some space to roam.
Parental Control for Your Walkie Talkies
There are a few safety features that parents can engage when it comes to walkie talkies. For young kids, the Voice Activated Transmission (VOX) can be helpful, because when this mode is turned on you don’t need to press a button to have your voice transmitted. Keypad locks can be helpful for little kids as well, so enthusiastic button pushers will not be able to navigate away from the settings chosen by parents.
An additional safety control parents should look for is CTCSS codes. This stands for Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System, and these codes allow you to make the channel you’re using secure by adding a low-frequency audio tone. This way, if there is more than one group of users on the same channel, users who are using a different code or no code at all are muted.
Additional Features
If you’re making a purchase for a young child, Voice Activated Transmission (VOX) mode might make your life a lot easier. When VOX mode is activated on your walkie talkie, all you need to do is talk and the sound of your voice will be transmitted without having to press any buttons at all. It’s great for the little ones who want to play with a walkie talkie but might not be able to remember, or may not be coordinated enough, to press a button and talk at the same time.
Another feature to look for is CTCSS codes, which stand for Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System. When multiple users are on the same channel and have entered the same CTCSS code, a low-frequency audio tone is added so that other users on the same channel who are using a different code, or no code at all, are muted. This prevents you from accidentally joining another conversation or someone else from joining yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Far Can Kids Walkie Talkies Go in Range?
Walkie talkies will often have two different numbers shown for talking range in different areas. In built-up residential neighborhoods, walkie talkies might have a maximum range of half a mile, while in open field situations (such as a park, a beach, or a sports field) it can be up to three miles. Keep in mind that this is the maximum range and the real-life usage might be slightly shorter, depending on the terrain, obstacles, radio traffic, and even the weather.
Are Children’s Walkie Talkies Safe to Use?
Walkie talkies are a safe choice for communication, but there are still some steps you can take to ensure kids are kept safe. Many walkie talkies come with CTCSS codes – standing for Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System – which allows you to make the channel you’re using secure. A CTCSS code adds a low-frequency audio tone so that if there is more than one group of users on the same channel, users who are using a different code or no code at all are muted.
What is a Good Age for Walkie Talkies?
Walkies talkies are a perfect communication device for kids who are too young to have their own phone, but who are beginning to want a bit of freedom. Most walkie talkies for kids state that the age range is 3-12. Children on the younger end of this age range might need help with some of the functions, but when the voice-activated transmission feature (VOX) is engaged, there’s no need to press any buttons. Older kids will enjoy using the full variety of functions to talk to parents and friends.
Selieve Toys Walkie Talkies for Kids
Let your kids safely roam! The Selieve Toys Walkie Talkie for kids, sold in sets of two, can handle large transmitting ranges – up to 1 mile in built-up residential areas, or up to 3 miles in open fields.