From keeping tabs on rampant pre-schoolers to encouraging teens to study, wearable tech can be the cool good cop to your boring bad cop in the precarious armistice that is parenting. Here are the best watches and bands for your child’s needs.
Children
Main concerns: Keeping them occupied and knowing where they are.
Garmin VivoFit® Jr. 2
Choose from a range of fun themes to suit your child’s particular obsession – Star Wars, Marvel, Frozen, Disney Princesses… the gang’s all there. The band syncs to the Garmin Jnr app on your smartphone, where you can assign chores to each child, set reminders to perform these tasks and reward the kids with virtual currency for completing them. By hitting daily activity targets, kids advance in their mission to help Princess Anna, BB8 or the Avengers in an in-app game that’s themed to match the band. Exercise cards improve motor skills, with coaches like Olaf and Yoda teaching basic moves, such as jumping jacks and mountain climbers.
V-Kids Watch
Giving peace of mind to parents of adventurous pre-schoolers, this watch syncs to the TCLMOVE app on your phone, allowing you to keep tabs on your child’s whereabouts and exchange voice messages and emojis with them during the day. They can press the SOS button to alert you if they get into trouble. The watch is waterproof to one metre for 30 minutes, so will keep going even when they go all Peppa Pig in a muddy puddle.
Tween
Main concerns: Too much time sitting in front of screens; they desperately want a phone but the internet is full of creeps.
FitBit Ace 3
Get your little Minecraft addict moving IRL with this swim-proof activity tracker, which prompts kids to move and rewards them for hitting physical activity goals with milestone badges and challenges. Swappable bands, customisable watch faces and avatars let kids express their personalities, while the durable design is created to withstand jungle gym tumbles. Activate “kid view” in the Fitbit app to let your child see their goals and progress.
Q529 GPS Smartwatch
A good stalling tactic for tweens begging for a phone, it can make and receive calls – but only from numbers you’ve added as contacts – and it has a built-in camera. GPS tracking tells you where your child is and where they’ve been during the day and an SOS button lets them call for help when needed. Educational games keep kids entertained.
Teen
Main concerns: They don’t listen. They don’t talk.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6
You get a fitness tracker for the price you were spending on Lego sets not so long ago. Thirty sport modes – including swimming – help active teens monitor their performance. Sleep, heart rate and blood oxygen level monitoring give insight into your kid’s stress levels and health. Set alerts and timers for homework and studying – syncing the band to their phone and a set of wireless earphones allows teens to control their study playlist from the wrist while their phone is in another room. Personalise the display by uploading a pic.
Which smartwatch is right for you?
As the world adapts to living with Covid-19, so too have manufacturers of smartwatches and activity trackers. New fitness trackers to hit the market now cater to the global pandemic, from stress management to blood oxygen monitoring. Check out the above list to find the best smartwatch for you.
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