The era of fitness watches is upon us with there being years of data on how many steps a particular person took in a day. The ability to track physical activity can provide immense insight into what we can be doing better daily. Fitness watches for kids can include games, fitness trackers, and a plethora of other features. Kids learning healthy habits early is extremely important and these fitness watches/trackers can assist in educating wearers on how to live as healthy as possible.
The ability to get fit as a family can help encourage competition in the healthiest manner possible. Friends also get into these contests whether it is teens trying to lose weight or bulk up for spring break or a simple steps contest. Picking the right fitness tracker for your children will vary depending on a variety of factors.
Which Fitness Tracker is best for kids?
Children Ages 4 to 6
Getting children out between the ages of 4 to 6 and active can help reduce the reliance on TV or video games a large number of children develop. A fitness tracker can easily encourage healthy habits by making a game out of staying active.
The LeapFrog LeapBand rewards the child for activity and healthy eating by giving them virtual currency. This currency that is earned can be used to take care of their virtual pet. By using games to encourage physical activity a child that might hate exercise will see it as a way to take care of their pet. This is great for younger ages of children where you are trying to instill healthy habits like exercise and a nutritious diet.
The added fact that the watch is durable is perfect as everyone has seen a younger child slam some kind of watch on the ground. Battery life is healthy on this tracker as kids these ages will seldomly remember to charge it if it has to be done daily. Your child can build a sense of responsibility to care for their pet by staying active constantly. There are multiple animals that can be picked from that of a Panda and even mythical unicorns are available to pick.
Children Ages 6 to 10
Children from the ages of 6 to 10 need to develop healthy habits and you as a parent are the example they are most likely following. Kids of these ages still like games and can find interest in challenges that their fitness tracker gives them daily. Other options are sleek looking as well as durable as children will be children regardless of how mature they might act at times.
Garmin's Vivofit Jr 2 can appeal to children of all ages. For most parents, this is the motivation that they wished they had as kids to exercise. The tracker also tracks sleep and there are a plethora of options available from Marvel to Disney characters. The Garmin Vivofit fitness tracker is waterproof so an adventurous child does not have to worry about wearing it in any weather conditions.
There are games to help your child reach their activity goals for the day. The app is very parent-friendly due to the ability to track chores and add more/subtract certain chores. Coins are received which can be turned into rewards that are at your discretion. 10 coins could mean a trip to the park or another enjoyable activity. The Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 also has a battery life of around a year that will have to be replaced to eliminate charging.
Parents of kids of a certain age might not want them to be able to text or contact just anyone from their watch or fitness tracker. The Kurio Fit 2.0 can allow for the sharing of files like photos or even texts without open availability. A part can easily text their child as the watch has Bluetooth capabilities. Friends that have the same watch can also communicate with this tracker.
The monitoring of activity is important but this watch is a bit limited in the sense of activities it monitors. There are only 3 modes where you can play a game in order to get fit. Think of this as a safer way to communicate with your child and for them to communicate with friends while simultaneously encouraging fitness.
The UNICEF Kid Power Band can come in themed colors like that of Star Wars Black. Powered by UNICEF activity levels can be used to help out children that are malnourished around the world. This not only helps a child understand the importance of healthy living but it also helps give them a sense of social responsibility at the same time. The activity tracker allows for kids to go on missions and other challenges to keep them active.
The battery life of this activity tracker is around 5 days while it only takes about an hour to charge fully. There is a free app that allows the entire family to get involved and compete. The added feature of the watch being waterproof makes it great for children of all ages as it has a mature look.
The Vtech Kidizoom is more of a smartwatch combined with an activity tracker. There are two cameras so your child can take a selfie or a video of where they are playing. Activity challenges can be a perfect way to compete with friends as one challenge will use a stopwatch to see how fast your child ran from one point to another. This allows them to track progress and everyone loves to improve their speed and overall fitness.
There is a Monster Catcher game that could be compared to something like Pokemon Go that gained notoriety a few years ago. The game encourages your child to get up and get outside instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Which is the best Fitbit for a Child?
The standard for an activity tracker is that of a Fitbit as there have been multiple generations released. The Fitbit is seen as the standard for fitness trackers with some of the best features available. Below is one of what is considered the best fitness trackers for children on the market with the Fitbit Ace 2.
Not only is the Fitbit Ace 2 better than the original version, it is also more affordable by being around $25 cheaper. There is a tough silicone band that will not wear down compared to metal and is completely waterproof! There are rewards like badges for reaching certain activity levels or hitting goals on a consistent basis.
Sleep reminders help this tracker stand out as it can also be used to set alarms to wake up. Sleep is essential for the development of children's minds and bodies. The battery life is around 5 days so charging the tracker around once a week should suffice. The parental view differs from the kid's view so you can keep track and compete with your child with your personal Fitbit.
The Fitbit Inspire comes with a similar reasonable price tag as the Fitbit Ace 2 but with a sleeker, more grown-up look. The watch is waterproof so it can be used for those on the swim team. Counting calories burned can allow your teen to eat the optimum amount of calories in order to recover fully. Athletes at all levels use fitness trackers to help monitor activity levels throughout the day. A healthy competition for the family can help everyone bond to see how many steps or calories a person can walk or burn during a week.
The ability to sync up the watch with a smartphone can provide convenience. Using a smartphone to look up the best fitness routine possible to see how many calories it burns can truly tell a person the quality of their workout. A watch where you can text, check messages, track heart rate and activity levels in one piece of technology is nothing short of amazing.
Are fitness trackers safe for children?
Fitness trackers for kids are a safe way to help a child maintain activity but are to be used with caution. A child that might have body image issues could want to burn unhealthy amounts of calories daily. Monitoring the activity on a fitness tracker can be easy for a parent as a child should be active but not constantly exercising every waking hour. Competitions among friends and the family can act as a great motivator for everyone to get into the best shape possible.
Picking the right fitness tracker for your child will depend on their age. There are more complex trackers that will allow for the input of food that has been consumed over the course of the day. Nutritional education being done early can allow your child to have the desire to eat healthy for a lifetime. Keep features like battery life, engagement of your child, and help them get into fitness with a simple activity tracker!
