It’s that time of year again! September is here, which means it’s back-to-school time for kids of all ages across the country. Whether your tot is just starting school or moving up to the next year, it’s a time of new beginnings for everyone. In our opinion, one of the best gifts to mark the occasion is a new watch. Our own biases aside, watches are one of the few back-to-school gifts that are both practical and educational. But, most importantly, they are practical and educational under the guise of being a fun new toy. To help you make your perfect pick, today we have rounded up some of our best back-to-school watches for kids of all ages and abilities.
Our Best Back-to-School Watches
Flik Flak Garden Fiesta ONCE AND FLORAL Kids Watch FBNP091C
Flik Flak watches make the perfect first watch, as they are carefully designed to encourage your child to enjoy learning to tell the time. We think that this is such a good brand for children, that there are actually two on our list. But, one of the first that stands out is this nature-inspired Once and Floral piece.
At its centre is a blue and white dial with a pretty pink minute ring encircling it. So that they are easily readable, the Arabic numeral hour markers are a bold red and stand out against the rest of the dial. For extra clarity, there are also white Arabic numeral indices that support the minute markers by denoting 5-minute time increments. Moreover, another one of our favourite features is the hands. To help your child learn which is which, the hour and minute hands take the form of the brand’s namesake Flik and Flak characters. Geniusly, this creates a story that makes the difference between the hour and minute hands easy to remember. Framing the dial is a strong blue bio-sourced plastic case, which is built to withstand shock and drops. Finally, topping off the design is a pink recycled textile strap adorned with adorable multi-coloured flowers.
Flik Flak NESSIE-NCREDIBLE Blue and Green Watch FBNP199
Our next Flik Flak contender is a similar model but with a more boyish theme. Framed by a green bio-sourced plastic case, a blue and white dial takes centre stage. In the same fashion, big blue Arabic numeral hour markers and the Flik and Flak hands make the time easily readable. Like the former watch, it also features a bright minute track ring around its central portion. But this time, it alternates between two different greens every five markers to match the colours of the Loch Ness Monster. Moreover, these are reinforced with white numerals that represent five-minute time increments.
The comfy, recycled blue textile strap takes the form of a rich blue loch. Adding some playfulness to the design, at random intervals, the green Loch Ness Monster weaves in and out of the water. At the back, it fastens with a green bio-sourced plastic buckle that matches the case. Perfect for any budding marine wildlife lovers.
Lacoste Kid’s 12.12 Black Dial Black Plastic Strap 2030042
For more experienced time tellers, we recommend this Lacoste. With its all-over black colour scheme, it’s more mature than the Flik Flaks. However, it also benefits from strategic colour coding on its hands for some added support when differentiating the hands. Standing out against the black dial, the hour hand is white, whilst the minute hand is green and the second hand is yellow. The hands are paired with bold white Arabic numeral hour markers, which sit within a green minute scale on the flange. At 3 o’clock, the brand’s iconic crocodile logo replaces the hour marker for a light-hearted finishing touch. Finally, a 32mm black plastic case protects the design with a black rubber strap to comfortably secure it to the wrist.
If you’re a fan of the easy-to-read design but not the colour scheme, the same watch is also available in pink and blue.
Lorus Digital Watch Pink Silicone Strap R2367NX9
Echoing the recent Barbie-pink trend, this Lorus is a great digital choice. Unlike the other watches on this list, this Lorus will encourage your child to expand their understanding of time beyond just reading it. In its petite build, the watch boasts many different functions to play around with, including a timer and an alarm. Moreover, other features like the weekday display, the date display, and dial illumination add even more functionality to the design.
Perfect for any pink lovers, these functions are housed in a pink plastic case integrated into a pink silicone band. However, beyond its pink colour, the most impressive thing about the case is its durability. It manages to seal in an outstanding 100 metres of water resistance, which is very rare for an affordable children’s watch. As a result, the Lorus is an ideal long-term choice.
Tikkers Children’s Panda Dial White Silicone Watch TK0093
With its simplistic but cutesy design, this adorable Tikkers Panda definitely deserves a spot on our best back-to-school watches list. A cheeky panda face forms the centrepiece of the dial and is accessorised with black bear ears on the case. Black Arabic numeral indices and hands make for easy reading whilst contrasting the white background of the dial. Encasing the design is a black plastic case, which fits small wrists well at approximately 28mm in diameter.
Finally, to ensure a comfortable fit, the watch is topped off with a white silicone strap. A brilliant pick for animal lovers, the kids are bound to love it
Festina Unisex/Junior’s Stainless Steel Bracelet Blue Dial F20457/2
If your youngster is becoming proficient in time reading and wants a more grown-up watch, we highly recommend this Festina as a stepping stone. The brand is known for its high-quality designs for men and women, but not many know it also has an excellent children’s range. We love this model in particular, which features a bright blue dial adorned with silver-tone baton indices and matching hands. In contrast, the second hand is red to optimise readability.
Just like the Lorus digital watch, the Festina is a great timepiece for an inquisitive young one. As well as a 24-hour subdial, the dial features two other chronograph counters that encourage further timekeeping experimentation.
To survive the playground, these capabilities are housed in a durable stainless steel build complete with a matching bracelet. Additionally, it also has up to 50 metres of water resistance.
And that concludes our best back-to-school watches list for this year! Did you find what you were looking for, or have any other recommendations for other parents? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
