I don't have children, and I don't think I'm close to having them, but right now, I hold the idealistic stance that I'll try my best to minimize screen time for the kids that I might eventually have. I know it doesn't always work like that in the real world, though. For instance, if you have kids who go to and from school on their own, phones can be vital.
When your child has a phone, you'll need to make sure that device is connected to a carrier, but you might not want to ball out and get them an unlimited plan like the adults have. Instead, how about going for a plan made for kids? Helium Mobile has just introduced Sprout, its first plan for kids, and it costs only $5 every month.
Helium Mobile's Sprout Plan Brings Just Enough for Your Kid to Stay Connected
The internet is a fantastic place, but it is also extremely dangerous. For a child who doesn't know better, you don't want to provide unfettered access to every nook and cranny they can find online. And if possible, you want to make sure that you have control over some aspects of their experience online. You can do that partly with parental controls on their smartphone, but what if you need a little more?
Helium Mobile, an MVNO that runs on T-Mobile's infrastructure, has just announced its first plan for kids, and it's called Sprout. With Helium Sprout, you only pay $5 every month, which almost every parent will be fine paying. For that price, you'll get:
- 3GB of data
- Unlimited talk and text
- 5G coverage nationwide
- Parental management of calls, texts, and data usage
Sure, this plan might not be the choice for older kids who might burn through 3GB in a week flat, but for younger children getting their first phone or using the device solely to stay in contact or for emergencies, the Sprout plan should be perfectly fine.
Earn Cloud Points and Control How Your Child Spends Them
Helium Mobile's Cloud Points can be earned even for its Kids Plans, and with enough of these points, you can redeem some pretty cool prizes. This includes for dining, travel, and entertainment platforms like Netflix and Spotify. The good thing is that redeeming prizes will always be done by you, so you maintain control over a lot.
Helium Will Let You Upgrade to Kids' Versions of Its Bigger Plans When Needed
Children grow, and they grow pretty fast. When the Sprout plan ends up being insufficient for your child's monthly needs, you don't have to ditch Helium. Instead, the carrier will let you upgrade to its Air and Infinity plans, though in this case, their Kids Plans, which maintain parental control.
What Are the Differences Between Helium Mobile's Kids Plans?
You can choose between Air, which gives 10GB of data for $15 a month, or Infinity, which comes with unlimited data at a higher $30 monthly price tag. This table gives you a quick look at how these plans compare.
| Sprout | Air | Infinity | |
| Monthly Price | $5 | $15 | $30 |
| Data Allowance | 3GB | 10GB | Unlimited |
| Unlimited Talk and Text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Parental Control | Yes | Yes | Yes |
