iPods and MP3 players had their time in the spotlight, but the market for such devices has nearly vanished—most people just use their phone as a music player. However, kids also like music and podcasts, and young kids don’t have smartphones. An old iPhone or Android phone is the perfect music player.

A Kid-Friendly Interface

First things first—kids are remarkably quick to learn how to use touchscreens. You can find cheap MP3 players with physical controls, but in my experience, it’s more difficult for a child to learn how to navigate these interfaces. A phone is almost certainly easier to use.

The beauty of an old phone—especially an Android phone—is you can really control and customize the experience. For example, I added a kid’s profile to a Google Pixel phone and installed Nova Launcher. This allowed me to limit the apps available on the device, crank up the icon and font size, and create a super streamlined home screen.

The same general idea can be applied to most devices, whether it’s an iPhone or another Android device. The key is to remove as many apps as possible, put the media apps at the forefront, and let them listen to their heart’s content. Speaking of apps…

Podcasts and Audio Apps for Kids

The next thing you’ll need is some apps. There is no shortage of music and podcast apps targeted at kids—it just depends on what you’re looking for. One important thing to keep an eye out for is offline support, as you’re probably not going to dedicate a data plan to a wannabe iPod.

Spotify Kidswould be a great option for people with a Family Plan, but it doesn’t support offline playback. Instead, I decided to go with an open-source app called “InnerTune” for music. On the podcast front, I went with KidsPod, which has a huge collection of kid-friendly podcasts. The KidsPod+ subscription includes downloads for offline listening.

Of course, you can go as deep down the rabbit hole as you want with this. I tried to keep things as simple as possible—one app for music, one app for podcasts. Don’t hesitate to explore all the great offerings in audio entertainment for kids to find what works for you.

A Nice Pair of Kids Headphones

The last thing to complete the puzzle is a pair of headphones. Now, smartphones haven’t included headphone jacks for a while, so Bluetooth may be required. However, if you don’t want to worry about charging yet another device—and keeping the phone and headphones tethered has its advantages—a simple dongle will do the trick.

I decided to go with the Altec Lansing Kid Safe Wireless Headphones. They have a built-in volume limiter of 85db, mild noise canceling, and the option to be used wirelessly with Bluetooth or wired. We recommend these headphones along with a handful of other great choices.

Altec Lansing Wireless Headphones

$25 $30 Save $5

The Altec Lansing Kid Safe Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones have an 85dB limit to protect kids’ hearing, but they also offer active noise cancellation to help them focus and come in a variety of bright, fun colors.

$25 at Amazon

That’s really all there is to it. Many of us have old phones lying around collecting dust, and there are dozens of great uses for them. If you’re not trading them in to your carrier for discounts, you might as well put them to good use.