How to Safely Recycle Your Old Electronic Devices to Your Kids

Because I love new technology, my family has tons of new electronics coming into the house at any given time.  Which is pretty cool but also means we’re generating a lot of “old” electronic devices. I’ve already handed a few devices down to my tech-savvy kids but I’m always careful to take a few precautions before doing so.

I received these great tips from PBS Kids in honor of CES this week – it’s a helpful tip sheet on what to do when you get a new device and want to give the old one to your kids.   While the end of the tips include some links to some PBS KIDS apps, I can’t agree more with these points including the one about apps that are marked “free,” for kids.

I’m finding it’s definitely worth it to spend a few bucks on an app you know is from a trusted educational organization (like PBS KIDS) rather than an app that may be free and will end up asking for money any time you want to do anything in the app.

Via PBS Kids:
Many states are banning electronics from landfills, requiring people to recycle them properly or encouraging them to pass it down to a child.

But parents should take some precautions before handing down the gadget, parents should prepare devices with the following tips from PBS KIDS:

1.Sweep it: All devices should be cleaned of any content including personal files, credit card information, etc. before handing down to kids. Parents should swipe all their browser cookies and perform an application sweep.

2.Secure it: There are parental controls on most tech devices that can turn certain features on and off. Settings on the iPhone, for example, that can be restricted include explicit song titles, Internet browser, YouTube, iTunes and the camera.

3. Set limits: As with any new toy, parents should set expectations and limitations with their kids when the device is handed down, and should encourage other forms of learning and play beyond the screen.

4. Find the right apps for your child: A good app is the perfect combination of education and entertainment, and should be appropriate for your child’s age and stage of development.

5. Avoid apps that try to sell: Apps labeled lite or free often attempt to make money by trying to sell virtual items while a child is playing a game, or link to another related app that requires payment to download. Select apps from trusted, reliable sources, and make sure that they are not trying to market to your child.

Once the device is cleaned, parents will likely want to load it up with age-appropriate apps.  With more than a thousand apps in the iTunes store, choosing these apps can be tricky, but PBS KIDS has a suite of educational apps that are perfect stocking stuffers. Here are some of PBS KIDS recent top apps for mobile devices which can be found on pbskids.org/mobile:

• FETCH Lunch Rush for iPhone/iPod Touch, Free (PBS KIDS First augmented reality app)
• SUPER WHY Alpha Boost for iPhone/iPod Touch, $2.99
• SID Science Fair for iPhone/iPod Touch, $2.99
• LITTLE PIM French and Spanish for iPad, $2.99