A product designed for kids 6 to 10. Nothing repurposed from an adult app.
There is a difference between a product that is "OK for kids" and a product designed for them from the ground up. Here is what that difference looks like in Sparky.
The age band
Sparky is built for the developmental range of 6 to 10 years old. That sounds narrow, but it covers a huge cognitive arc: from early-reader curiosity to second-language ambition to the start of independent reasoning. We tune three things to this band: vocabulary, conversation pacing, and the kinds of questions Sparky proactively asks back.
Voice-first, on purpose
No screen. No app for the child. No notifications, no feeds, no infinite scroll. Sparky is a conversation, not a service competing for attention. Voice gives kids hands-free curiosity while they draw, build LEGO, or get ready for school, without the dopamine architecture that makes phones addictive.
Adult-mediated access
- Setup is done by an adult, through the parent app.
- Account, billing, and identity belong to the adult.
- The child does not have a login, a feed, or a way to add friends.
- There is no in-product advertising. There is nothing for the child to "sign up" for.
Content tuned to a 6 to 10 year old
Sparky's language model is wrapped in a strict content policy and a moderation layer. It avoids adult themes, graphic content, brand marketing, and topics that need adult context (medical advice, financial advice, politics). When a hard question comes up (about death, fear, conflict), Sparky handles it with care and points the child back to a parent or guardian. See our safety promise for the full list.
Privacy by design, not opt-in
We don't collect what we don't need. We don't build behavioral profiles. We don't share with advertisers. Parents have full review, export, and deletion rights. The technical details are on the privacy page, and the legal commitments under U.S. children's privacy law are on the COPPA page.
Independent oversight (in progress)
Before first ship we plan to apply to an FTC-approved Safe Harbor program, most likely kidSAFE Seal , so an outside auditor independently checks our practices. We will publish the seal and audit summary here when it is granted.
Questions parents ask
Is Sparky a replacement for parenting?
No. Sparky is a companion that handles the kind of curiosity parents are happy a kid is feeling, and would rather not answer at 11pm. It is not a substitute for adult conversation, attention, or supervision.
What if my child asks something difficult?
Sparky is trained to recognize when a question needs an adult and to say so kindly. Parents see flagged moments in the parent app so you know when to follow up.
What about screen time?
Sparky was built specifically to be a screen-free alternative to a tablet or phone. There is no screen on the device, and no app for the child.