The Benefits of Using an AirTag to Help Locate Your Children in Crowded Places
- My Bright Tyke
- Dec 23, 2024
- 7 min read
As parents, ensuring the safety of our children, especially in crowded places, is a top priority. Whether at a busy amusement park, shopping mall, or a packed outdoor festival, the fear of momentarily losing sight of your child can cause a lot of stress. Even though your child might be wearing a colourful matching set from My Bright Tyke, they might still get lost or slip away into the crowd, especially if your kid is a runner.
Fortunately, there is technology out there that offers a helpful solution: wearable trackers like the Apple Airtag or Tile. While traditionally used to track items like keys or wallets, these small, discreet devices can also provide peace of mind when attached to your child’s clothing or backpack.
This is where My Bright Tyke t-shirts are specifically designed to help parents in these situations. Each My Bright Tyke t-shirt has a specially designed discrete hidden pocket, large enough to fit most small wearable trackers like the AirTag and Tile. The pocket is designed to hold the tracking device and keep it safe without anyone knowing it's there. This way if you lose your child, you have the peace of mind of hopefully being able to locate them if the need arises.
So in this article, I will share my experience with how I use the Apple AirTag with the My Bright Tyke t-shirt to help track my son when we are in crowded spaces.
How Does the Apple AirTag Work?
Firstly let's quickly recap what a small wearable tracking device is and how they work. In my case, I use an AirTag or Tile. They are basically the same in their features, however, since I use the Apple ecosystem at home I will be primarily talking about the AirTag in this article.
An AirTag works through Bluetooth technology and Apple’s vast Find My network, which leverages millions of iPhones, iPads, and Macs around the world to anonymously pinpoint the location of your AirTag.
So when the Apple Airtag is placed into the My Bright Tyke's hidden pocket and worn by your child, the AirTag sends signals that nearby Apple devices can detect. These devices then securely relay the location to your Find My app, allowing you to see your child’s location on a map.
While the AirTag doesn’t have GPS functionality like some other tracking devices, it still provides effective real-time tracking, especially in areas with a high concentration of Apple devices (such as busy cities, amusement parks, or crowded malls). So basically more people that are around the AirTag with Apple phones or other Apple devices, the more often and accurately the signal from the AirTag will be updated. This is why an AirTag works great in crowded areas.
Another helpful feature is that the Airtag can create an audible chirping sound to help you locate your child as well once you do get close to them by activating the Play Sound feature.
In short, if your child wanders off in a crowded environment, the AirTag and all its features combined can help you quickly locate them without any panic, giving you peace of mind no matter where you are.
Benefits of Using an AirTag for Child Safety
Discreet and Lightweight: The Apple AirTag is small and lightweight, making it easy to place into the My Bright Tykes t-shirt's hidden pocket. Your child won’t feel bothered or weighed down, and it won’t draw unwanted attention from strangers.
Peace of Mind in Crowded Places: One of the scariest moments for any parent is losing sight of their child in a crowd. With an AirTag securely attached to your child, you can quickly open the Find My app and get their approximate location. This added layer of protection allows you to react swiftly, reducing the time spent frantically searching.
Precision Finding for Nearby Locations: If your child is within Bluetooth range (approximately 30–60 meters), the Precision Finding feature on your iPhone can give you ultra-accurate directions to them. This feature guides you with step-by-step instructions, making it easier to reunite with your child, especially in a large area with obstacles or distractions.
Lost Mode and Notifications: If you do lose track of your child in a busy area, the AirTag’s Lost Mode can be activated. Once Lost Mode is turned on, if another Apple device comes in close proximity to your child’s AirTag, it will anonymously send you the AirTag's updated location. This way, you’re not relying solely on your own phone to find them; you have the support of the entire Apple ecosystem. Additionally, you can set up notifications to alert you if your child’s AirTag is separated from your phone, which can be helpful in situations where the separation happens unnoticed.
Affordable and Easy to Use: Compared to other child tracking devices, AirTags are relatively affordable. They don’t require a monthly subscription, and their one-year battery life means you won’t need to constantly recharge them. Simply attach it, sync it to your Find My app, and you’re ready to go.
Water and Dust Resistance: Apple AirTags are built to withstand everyday wear and tear, including exposure to water and dust. This durability ensures the AirTag will continue working in various weather conditions or environments, whether your child is at a theme park or playing at an outdoor event.
How I Use an Airtag to Keep My Son Safe
As a family of five, keeping track of our kids in crowded environments can be challenging, especially when all three decide to head in different directions—and run! No matter how vigilant we are as parents, sometimes kids can slip away and blend into the crowd before you even realize it, and suddenly, you’ve lost sight of them.
Whenever we go to large events or busy places, we take extra precautions to help keep track of our kids, so we can avoid every parent’s worst nightmare—losing them in a crowd.
Before leaving home, we make sure our kids are dressed in their favourite matching sets from My Bright Tyke—my son's current favourite is the bright yellow set. Not only do these matching outfits make it easier to spot them in a crowd, but they also help with providing clear descriptions to authorities if needed.
We securely place an AirTag into the hidden pocket of the My Bright Tyke t-shirt, where it stays safely tucked away as our son runs around. He doesn't even notice it's there, as the design ensures the AirTag doesn’t interfere with his movements.
Once we arrive at our destination, I always check the tracker to make sure everything is working. This setup gives me peace of mind, knowing that if I do lose sight of my son, I can quickly try and locate him with the help of the AirTag.
There are various ways to attach an AirTag to your child's belongings, such as using a bracelet or pinning it to their clothes or bag. However, these methods can be uncomfortable for children and easily removed, especially in the event of an abduction, as the AirTag is visible and can be quickly discarded.
With My Bright Tyke’s hidden pocket design, the AirTag remains discreetly tucked away in the clothing, so children aren’t even aware it's there, nor is it visible to anyone else. In the unfortunate event of an abduction, this discreet feature increases the likelihood of tracking and locating your child, as the abductor will have no idea an AirTag is hidden within their clothing, giving your child a better chance of being found.
Real-Life Examples of How AirTags Can Help
Amusement Park Adventures: Imagine you’re enjoying a day at a crowded amusement park, and your curious five-year-old wanders off to check out a nearby ride. With an AirTag attached to their clothes or backpack, you can quickly pull up the Find My app and pinpoint their location before any panic sets in.
Busy Shopping Malls: In a large shopping mall, it’s easy for children to get distracted and wander away. One parent shared a story of how they lost sight of their child at a shopping centre, but thanks to the AirTag, they were able to track the child down quickly by using Precision Finding to zero in on the location.
Outdoor Festivals: At an outdoor festival or event, a child can easily become separated from parents in the crowd. A family attending a festival used an AirTag clipped to their child's belt. When they lost sight of him in the sea of people, they activated the Lost Mode. Within minutes, a stranger's iPhone detected the AirTag, relaying the child’s exact location to the parents via the Find My network.
Loosing your child at a busy amusement park can be a really scary experience
Safety and Privacy Considerations
It’s important to note that AirTags are not a fool proof solution for tracking children. They lack real-time GPS tracking and rely on Apple devices being nearby to locate the AirTag. Also, if an AirTag is separated from its paired device for an extended period, it emits a sound to alert those around it. This sound, however, doesn’t activate immediately and is designed to protect against misuse, so it shouldn’t be a major concern in the short term.
When using an AirTag for your child’s safety, make sure it is placed securely on their belongings or clothing, and educate them about its purpose in case they become separated. As with any technology, the AirTag should be used alongside parental supervision and communication to ensure your child’s safety.
Conclusion
While the AirTag is not specifically designed for child tracking, it offers an affordable and convenient way to keep track of your child in crowded places. By placing an AirTag on your child’s belongings, you can reduce the stress of losing sight of them and quickly reunite in case of separation. For parents looking for an extra layer of safety during outings, the AirTag provides a practical, easy-to-use solution that can give you peace of mind in the chaos of crowded environments.
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