Security: It’s important your children understand about privacy and how to keep themselves safe when using a walkie talkie.

A privacy code feature that scrambles the communication on these open radio lines is always a good option in walkie-talkies for kids as this ensures their conversations remain private. Walkie-talkies are not so much a toy as an educational learning tool that can teach kids about radio waves, encourage them to share (walkie-talkies are not much fun to play with alone), and get them out and about exploring nature instead of racking up screen time.Humans have highly developed manual dexterity skills that distinguish them from any other species on this planet. Some walkie talkies come with an integrated torch and LCD backlight, making them more suited to use all around the clock.

Although reception was OK, we did experience some quiet background static when using these and struggled to get a decent signal at the suggested maximum of 200m.Our three-year-old, five-year-old and eight-year-old have been testing these walkie talkies around the house, in the garden and on country walks, to really see which ones perform the best. Talk technology: Walkie-talkies are known for their push-to-talk function, but many newer models come with voice activation (voice-operated exchange, or VOX), which offers hands-free usage – perfect if your kid is on a bike or scooter. Recommended for three to 12-year-olds and weighing just 90g each, these walkie talkies are lightweight and portable, with a protective hard shell and the option to securely attach to a bag or belt using the handy incorporated clip. Talk to your children to make sure they know not to talk to anyone they don’t know on their walkie talkies and to come and tell you if anything like that happens. Little adventurers can also send messages back and forth by choosing from preset animated messages using the large, backlit LCD screen.

Child-safe two-way walkie talkies feature a digital connection that keeps your child’s conversations secure. As well as the standard chat function, these walkie talkies can send picture messages (like a thumbs up and ‘bye! There are three channels to switch between, as well as a button to send a ringing alert to the other walkie talkie to let someone know you want to talk to them. Despite being relatively basic in design – apart from that flashy Batman symbol – we were pleasantly surprised with the sound quality when using them.With a simple to use ‘push to talk’ operation as well as VOX, children can opt to use the Miavago completely hands-free if they prefer, leaving them to climb trees, build dens or easily hide from their friends. Range: Whereas professional walkie-talkies are available with a range of up to 30 miles, regular walkie-talkies and models for kids tend to only reach up to around two or three miles. With a range of around 150m, these aren’t a particularly long-range choice, but we found they were great for games of hide and seek and superheroes (naturally), while the reception stretched from inside the house out to the garden without a dip in clarity. For extra flexibility on when and how your kids use their walkie talkies, the NEHOPE Walkie Talkies offer a choice of 22 channels and offer either ‘one to one’ or ‘one to more’ communication, meaning children can easily team up with friends for wider group communication. Available in packs of two, three or four to suit your family size, they also come with the benefit of having built-in rechargeable batteries, which whilst more expensive than others initially, will save you significantly charges in terms of battery cost.