Outfit your kids with smart technology to help them succeed this year!
Depending on your perspective, this is either the worst or more wonderful time of the year. While parents celebrate the return to school and kids lament the loss of summer vacation, you can make everyone’s transition a bit easier, thanks to smart technology.From empowering backpacks and intercom alarm clocks to the optimal headphones and GPS-tracking wristwatches, we’ve identified the gadgets you should grab before sending the young ones back to the classroom.
Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)
Any parent can tell you that the toughest transition for back-to-school can be the first of the day—rousing your child early after a summer of sleeping-in. Amazon Echo Dot is here to make it easier. Not only is the device a top-of-the-line smart speaker that your child will enjoy, but it operates as an ideal alarm clock. The spherical Dot features the time emblazoned on front and can be easily set to sound an alarm (or song, chosen by your child) at the time they need to be up (chosen by you, the parent). Better still, thanks to Echo’s Drop In feature, you can turn the Dot into an intercom, allowing you to communicate with your kid from your phone, from the kitchen, instead of trudging upstairs a dozen times to cajole them out of bed.The Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) is available for $49.
PuroQuiets Headphones
Of course, you won’t be the only one supplying your child with technology—nearly all classrooms now incorporate some computer or tablet work throughout the day, and for everyone’s sanity, that means headphones are needed. Check out the PuroQuiets from Puro Sound Labs. These sturdy headphones feature Bluetooth technology, allowing your student to easily connect to whatever device they need to use, and should they forget to charge their Quiets—a common occurrence with kids and technology—the headphones also come with a 3.5mm audio cable for an easy, manual connection. As a bonus, the PuroQuiets include noise canceling technology (hence the “Quiets” name), allowing your student to focus on the task in front of them and not the latest gossip from their seatmate.
PuroQuiets Headphones are available in three colors for $129.
Nordace Siena Smart Backpack
Stylish and smart. Give your young one a leg up with the Siena Smart Backpack from Nordace. This fine-looking portable locker, which is available in nine colors, comes equipped with a built-in USB charging port, so your student will never have an excuse for, say, having their school headphones uncharged. In addition to an energy source, the Siena features a dedicated, padded and secure sleeve to house a 15.6-inch laptop, tablet or similar, ensuring that their essential school technology is safe throughout the rigors of day.
Nordace Siena Smart Backpack is available for $109.
Xplora x5 Play Smart Watch
Keeping track—and in touch with—your little ones can be a tough proposition, especially when they are too young for a cell phone. Fortunately there is the X5 Play Smart Watch from Xplora. This intelligent wearable not only provides parents with a GPS location of their child (allowing you to see exactly how close the school bus is to home), but also allows pre-approved numbers to send texts or calls to the device, giving parents a chance to offer encouraging words or important messages (like, clean your room when you get home) throughout the day.
The Xplora x5 Play Smart Watch is available for $149.
This article was originally published on Mansion Global.