Technology’s increasingly becoming intertwined with our lives, and that includes the young ones, too. Plus, they can help with added safety for your kid and peace of mind for you.
Designed to make parenting become a tad easier too, these smart watches and other wearables can help you keep an eye on their whereabouts (especially for toddlers always hatching an escape plan), encourage healthy physical habits, get them to keep on top of tasks, and even monitor their temperature without having to whip out a thermometer.
This doesn’t just motivate kids to stay active, it’s got reminder alerts and task timers to keep them on top of chores like homework, practice time and even brushing their teeth. Meeting daily activity goals unlocks new levels in the interactive parent-controlled Garmin Jr. mobile companion app, too, with adventures that correspond with the band’s design.
Especially for little ones who love Star Wars, it now comes with bands featuring The Mandalorian (in a slate grey), and the adorable Grogu, in an eye-catching green. The colour screen can also be customised with a selection of watch faces featuring popular characters from both The Mandalorian and the entire Star Wars saga. And by unlocking their daily goals, they can experience the adventures of escaping Darth Vader with R2-D2 and C-3PO, helping Han Solo and Chewie fight the Empire, and more.
Plus, the watch promises to keep running for over a year without charging.
Available at a suggested retail price of $139, on Lazada, Shopee, Garmin Online Store and selected authorised retailers. Visit its website for more information.
Powered by watchOS 8, the newest Apple Watch is great for those big on health and wellness, including an electrical heart sensor and ECG app, and a Blood Oxygen sensor and app.
Great for adults and kids alike who enjoy exercising, choose from a plethora of options to track your workout, be it running outdoors, cycling outdoors, boxing, or swimming. There’s also an auto-pause function (say, for when you’re waiting at a traffic light during a run or cycle) that allows for more accurate stats.
Starting a workout with Apple Watch is a breeze too — all you have to do is ask Siri “Hey Siri, start an outdoor cycle!”. There are also plenty of other cool family-friendly features too, from a walkie-talkie function to fall detection and a Camera Remote app so you can hit the shutter on your watch for the perfect family snap. You can read more about it here.
Visit Apple’s website to shop.
Fitness enthusiasts will likely be acquainted with Fitbit, and the company’s got designs for active kiddos, too. Designed with kids over six years old in mind, the Fitbit Ace 2 helps build healthy goals, includes parental controls, and clocks all-day steps, active minutes and even sleeping time.
You can also set a customised daily goal, too. And if they’ve been sitting in the spot for too long, you can drop a friendly reminder to get them moving or stretching.
It’s also water-resistant (up to 50m) for kids who love the water. Available in a slew of bright patterns and colours (sold separately), each charge will power it up for up to five days.
Visit its website for more information.
MyFirst’s newest smartwatch for kids, it’s been upgraded with several features.
For one, PPG (Photoplethysmography) Heart Rate Monitoring has been included in new R1s, and parents can set a high heart rate alert, and the watch will notify the user to slow down if the heart rate exceeds the set beats per minute.
There’s also improved water resistance (IP68 waterproof rating) compared to its predecessor the RS. Other nifty functions include a one-touch SOS button for emergencies, real-time GPS tracking, 4G voice data and video calls as well as messages, and a Class Mode’ to minimise distractions during school hours.
And to encourage your child to be on the move, there’s an activity tracker shows your achievement of daily targets, and rewards with unique badges.
The myFirst Fone mobile app is compatible with iOS and Android devices. Visit its website for more information or to shop.
For a more wallet-friendly option that’s also better suited for younger kids (ages four and above), consider the VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX3.
It’s outfitted with dual cameras for photos and videos, and they can create watch faces from photos or choose from over 50 fun animated faces. The School mode can be switched on to use the DX3 as a watch only during lesson time.
Shop here.
In these times, monitoring your kids’ temperature and health throughout the day is always a good idea. And PouchPASS is here to help. This temperature tracking system is complemented by a waterproof and dust-resistant wristband with clinical-grade temperature sensors, the PouchBAND. It then sends real-time body temperature to a cloud, which can be remotely accessed through the PouchPASS app via bluetooth.
Crafted from hypoallergenic silicone and polycarbonates (PC), it’s smooth, flexible, and comfortable for the kids to strap on. There’s no charging needed too – its battery can last between three to six months, depending on usage.
It’s developed by PouchNation, a Singapore-based company that develops solutions for the events industry, such as NFC-based systems, RFID enabled cashless payments and geolocation.
For more information, visit its website.