Parent associations in eight schools in Greystones, Co Wicklow have agreed to adopt a code of having no smartphones until the children have finished primary school.
The initiative was introduced after principals, teachers and parents noticed a rise in anxiety in children.
Principal of St Patrick's NS in Greystones Rachel Harper said: "We could see a huge increase in anxiety levels in primary kids across the board and reaching out to other primary schools they were experiencing similar."
The principals of eight schools have joined up to introduce the "no smartphone" code while in school and outside.
It is part of a wider community initiative called "it takes a village" which aims to build a community of services to help with issues around anxiety among children and includes having a play therapist visit the schools.
While many schools have policies on smartphones, all eight primary schools in Greystones and Delgany have joined up, asking parents to sign up voluntarily.
"I suppose the strength of this initiative is if everybody signs up to it, so it's not just one school or two schools," said Ms Harper.
"If everybody signs up, we hope this is going to become the new norm for primary-age children."
"If a child in St Patrick's here goes to the rugby club or the tennis club, that every other child will be similar to them, that it's just the new norm that children of primary age don't have a smartphone," she added.
Member of the Parent Teacher Association in St Patrick's NS Laura Bourne said: "Bullying doesn't stop at the gates anymore, it goes home with you in a device in their pocket."
She added: "It's really hard to monitor and control so I think any aspect of that that we can control or limit is good."
