Kids’ watches are one of the most important accessories for children’s younger years. They offer littlies greater independence and they play a big part in getting those organisational skills on track – which is great news for parents!
Whether your child is still grasping the difference between the minute and hour hands or telling time like a little pro, there are feature-packed watches for kids out there for every age, stage and budget.
What to consider when buying a children’s watch
Not sure where to start when choosing a watch for your little one? These points will help you narrow down what features to look for:
Clear labelling: The dials of many great kids’ watches have clearly marked hands, hours and minutes, and this can go a long way in helping children to distinguish areas of the watch face and grasp time-telling faster.
Water-resistance: When it comes to young kids, splashes happen – and happen! Whether they forget to take it off before leaping into the kiddie pool or find themselves caught in a downpour, a waterproof kids watch offers kids and parents peace of mind and could extend the life of the watch too.
Analogue or digital: Digital watch faces are typically suited to older kids who are already familiar with reading the time and just prefer to do things digitally. Analogue watches are excellent for learners because they display the process of time more visually and help younger kids better understand concepts like ‘quarter’ and ‘half’.
11 cool and classic watches for kids
To help you find the best kids’ watch for your mini-me, we’ve scouted out 11 winners. In no particular order, here they are:
Marlee Watch Co.
Marlee Watch Co. Kids Timepieces (from $69)
Whimsical watches that capture the hearts of little time-tellers. Sunflowers, mermaids, rainbows or adventures on the high seas await with custom artwork designed just for these beautiful watches.
Elite
Elite Children’s Glitter Watches ($49.90)
Because for some kids (uh-hem, and adults), glitter is life. The sparkly watch straps on these classic kids’ watches add the perfect amount of pizzazz to outfits, whether it’s everyday attire or a very best dress.
Flik Flak
Flik Flak Personalised Children’s Watches ($75)
Swiss-made and bursting with colour, these are some of the best kids watches around. They’re shock-resistant, water-resistant and kids can personalise the strap with up to 15 characters.
Lacoste
Lacoste ‘The 12.12’ Kids’ Watch ($129)
This timeless classic is going to make a fab gift for the child who likes to step out in style. It has a soft silicone strap for ultimate comfort, clear numerals and subtle branding. There are ten styles in the range, from single colours to fun prints. The only problem is choosing!
Cactus
Cactus Dynamo Kids’ Digital Watch ($59.95)
The guys at Cactus combine functionality with oodles of style in these colourful digital watches. Features include an alarm, stopwatch and handy backlight for when it’s way past bedtime. They’re also water-resistant up to 100 metres.
Treat Republic
Treat Republic Kids’ Personalised Watches ($75.89)
Why stop at just a name? Personalise these super-soft rubber watches with up to five lines of text. Subtle learning elements will help kids continue to improve on their time telling, while fab themes add a good dose of fun.
EasyRead Time Teacher
EasyRead Time Teacher Watches ($48)
Packed with features to help little ones learn to tell the time sooner, these watches are recommended for kids as young as four years. They can withstand splashes and even have washable straps. This is one of the few learning watches around that has every single minute labelled.
ICE
ICE Ola Kids’ Watches ($99.90)
They’re crazy-cute, compact and designed especially for little wrists. These fashion-forward kids wrist watches are crafted from soft coloured silicone to be super comfy to wear. Numerals are presented in bold colours for ease of distinguishing and they are resistant to water up to ten metres.
Baby-G
Baby-G Youth Watches (from $199)
Known as the little sisters to world-famous G-Shock watches, these unmissable accessories come packing tonnes of features and a whole lot of style. While technically developed for women, their smaller and lighter build makes them ideal for kids – and there are more than a few magnificent styles to choose from.
Lorus
Lorus Time Teacher Children’s Watches (from $49)
These high-quality kids’ Quartz analogue watches come with sleek, timeless, single-coloured bands and they’re definitely leaders in the style stakes. With a long-life battery and subtle learning elements, these are watches that will see the kids through many-a-year.
Freestyle
Freestyle Shark Classic Mini Watch ($115)
If it’s water sports the kid’s love, this watch is the perfect fit. It’s water-resistant to 100 metres and built tough enough to handle the most active of lifestyles. Features include dual time display, night vision, an alarm and handy hydro pushers for underwater use. A seriously cool sports watch for kids.
Know a children’s watch we should add to our list? Contact us and let us know.
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