A child cell telephone for toddlers and preschoolers, providing young children with a safe and simplified introduction to utilizing cellular technology, can comprise a processor, a memory, an input/output, a contact manager, a message manager, and a phone controller. The child cell phone offers young children the ability to make and receive calls only to and from those known to the child. The child cell phone also can display a picture of the person calling or being called, and can play back a message. Also disclosed is a method for using a child cell phone, including acts of uploading approved contacts, selecting a contact, playing a message, receiving a call, and making a call.