When the kids are small and completely dependent, keeping them by your side is relatively simple (the word “relatively” is doing a lot of work there). But as they start to grow up and want to explore their independence, it can be an unsettling change. Thankfully, the digital age has a non-intrusive solution for parents.

The “Spacetalk Adventurer” Kids Smartwatch is designed for stylish little wrists aged 5 to 12, linking wirelessly with an app (available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play) on your phone for setup and monitoring. There’s a high-res 5MP front facing camera for selfies, a built-in mic and the ability to type out messages on the 1.4-inch display. 

It’s also scratch-resistant and IP67 water resistant too, and offers kids an innovative and safe way to stay in touch.

• Click here for your chance to win one now
   
• Available from Virgin Mobile – find out more here

But it’s the safety features you’ll really love. The smartwatch gives them access to approved contacts, for calls and messages within safety parameters set by parents. You can disable activity on the watch if it’s school or bedtime. It also allows you to see where they are via the watch’s GPS – for peace of mind they’ve made the bus or got to school safely in real-time. You can also enable an SOS contact for emergencies. All ideal as the kids head back to school this September.

You can do all that through the free Spacetalk app, and for Virgin Mobile customers, the app subscription is at no extra cost – saving up £95.76 over 24 months, or £143.64 over 36 months.

At £12 per month with 1GB of data on a 36-month contract and with 4G network capability, the new Spacetalk Adventurer Kids Smartwatch, available in Midnight, is an affordable way to locate your kids with GPS when your little one’s not by your side.

• Click here for your chance to win one now
   

• Available from Virgin Mobile – find out more here

Location sharing is really handy if you’re meeting in a big, busy place. Or if you want to keep tabs on friends and family members on their way home. Want to know how to do it on devices for big people? here’s how:

Apple iPhone, iPad and iWatch location services

On all mobile Apple devices, you’ll find an app called “Find My” (formerly “Find My Friends”). This handy app lets you do exactly what it says on the tin, and your friends can find you, too. The only caveat is that your friends have to have an Apple device, too. To get set up with location sharing, follow these easy steps.
 

1. Give the “Find My” app a tap.
2. Go to the “People” tab, which you’ll find on the bottom left.
3. Tap “Share My Location”.
4. Find the friend you’d like to share your location with – remembering this is only for Apple folk. If your contact has an Apple device, they’ll be in blue. If it’s greyed-out, it’s probably Android.
5. Once you picked all your pals, hit “Send” in the top right.
6. Here you can choose how long you’ll share your location, pick between an hour, until the end of the day, or forever.
7. You’ll now see the friends you’ve chosen to share location in the “People” tab or “Info” on a friend’s contact information.

Android location services

Just like Apple, Google has a way of location sharing, which most people don’t know about. That said, it’s on an app you may have heard of – Google Maps. To share your location with a friend directly, open up the Google Maps app on your Android phone, and follow the steps below.
 

1. Tap your picture in the top corner.
2. On the menu you’ll see “Location sharing” – hit that.
3. You’ll see a disclaimer from Google which contain some extra info.
4. Have a read, and if you’re happy, tap the “Share location” button.
5. Choose how you’d like to share your location – it can be via email, SMS, WhatsApp, or directly via Google Maps, if your contact has previously set it up.
6. If you can’t see the person you’d like to share with, tap “More” by scrolling to the right.
7. When you find them, choose how long you’d like to be visible from the drop-down menu – you can choose how many hours, or until you turn it off.
8. Tap “Share”.
9. If you’d like to where they are, tap the “Request” button and they’ll receive a link.

WhatsApp location services

Apple and Android users might be divided, but there’s one thing they share – WhatsApp. With 30.1 million monthly users in the UK, it’s a common ground and a good workaround for friends who want to share their locations with those who don’t have the same phone as them. This is how you do it:
 

1. Open the conversation in WhatsApp, with whom you’d like to share your location.
2. Tap the paperclip in the textbox.
3. Choose “Location”.
4. If you’re happy with the disclaimer, tap “Continue”.
5. Once your map shows the correct location, tap “Share live location”*.
6. Read the next disclaimer, and tap “Continue” if you’re happy.
7. Choose how long you’d like to share your live location – 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours.
8. You’ll see a mini-map in the conversation stream with your face on it.
9. If you’d like to stop sharing location, just tap “Stop sharing”.
    

*If you’d like to share a one-off pinpoint on your map, select “Send your current location” in place of step 5.
 

Win a Spacetalk Adventurer Kids Smartwatch 

We’re giving one lucky winner the chance to take home a Spacetalk Adventurer Kids Smartwatch. With a 5MP front facing camera and instant messaging, your little one will love it. All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer this question:

All three of these names are famous adventurers, but only one of them is a real person. Who is it?
 

A) Indiana Jones

B) Captain Nemo

C) Amelia Earhart
 

Email your answer – A, B or C – to VirginTVEdit@virginmedia.co.uk with Spacetalk Competition in the subject line by 11.59pm on Wednesday 8 September, and don’t forget to include the following details:

• Your answer
• Your first and last name
• Your phone number
• Your home address

Good luck!