The Firefly is currently the most popular cell phone on the market to be specifically aimed at children, and with its bright colour schemes, cartoony designs and screen animations, it is not hard to see why. It features three large, brightly coloured buttons that will allow even young children to contact mum, dad, or the emergency services at the touch of a button. There are a number of parental control features, such as a PIN protected phone book that lets parents set the numbers that their child is allowed to call, and an option to prevent incoming calls from numbers that are not on the list.

Parents who get nervous when their children are off on their own might want to have a look at the Wherifone, which features a GPS function that allows you to see where your child is at any given time via a computer connected to the internet. This can also come in quite handy if the phone gets lost, as the GPS can tell you where it is to within an accuracy of a few metres. It also features all the usual parental controls that you would associate with phones aimed at the younger market.

The LeapFrog TicTalk features perhaps the most comprehensive and detailed parental control options of any of the kiddie phones currently on the market. There is a PIN-controlled address book, and you can designate the times of day that certain numbers can and can't be called. There is also the capacity to download photos and a to do list, making the LeapFrog TicTalk perfect as both a fun device and something that can be used to encourage time management skills.

The Disney range of mobile phones contain many features that might normally be associated with adult phones, such as flip phone design, text messaging, and content downloads. Although it can do many of the things that an adult phone can do, there are still extensive parental controls, so these may be a good option for slightly older kids who have outgrown the simpler kiddie phones but maybe aren't old enough for unrestricted, adult mobile phone usage.

Although it is not specifically aimed at children, the Tracfone is nonetheless suitable for the younger market as it is inexpensive, sturdy, and comes with parental controls and a pay as you go price plan.

If you are really worried about racking up astronomical phone bills, but you want to get your child a phone of some kind, then the ChatNow phone could be right up your street. These do not use the mobile cell phone network at all, as they are really two way radios with a text messaging feature, so they can be used to make an unlimited amount of calls without it costing a penny.