My kids started wearing Garmin Vivofit at 6 or 7 and have loved them. They will compete with each other on steps and activity. I like the Garmin for that age better. My DS got a FitBit Versa for his 13th birthday and shortly after DD's Garmin died so we got her the FitBit Ace. I always had their Garmin data on my phone. FitBit needs its own device--I can't have my FitBit and DD's FitBit both on my phone, which is why we always stuck with the Garmin. DS now has a phone and we have DD's FitBit Ace on my iPad because she des not have her own device. She is 11.

I have zero issues with kids tracking activity. They aren't counting calories for goodness sake. Nothing wrong with having kids be mindful of their activity level.

Anonymous wrote:My kids enjoy them * and 10). I do not think they feel any requirement to achieve a certain number of steps. They just like the info. I got 6K steps at soccer! We compare step counts at dinner some days. It has lead to some after dinner walks if we are all low.

So harmful!

If your child is obsessed with counting steps, sure it could be bad (but maybe there are other bigger problems). Otherwise, it's a pretty nifty watch.

My kids have them, and don't focus on getting a certain number of steps per day. But they've been interested in comparing the number they get on a day walking around the city, vs. hiking in Shenandoah, vs. playing outside with friends.

My kids enjoy them * and 10). I do not think they feel any requirement to achieve a certain number of steps. They just like the info. I got 6K steps at soccer! We compare step counts at dinner some days. It has lead to some after dinner walks if we are all low.

My 9 year old loves hers. It’s the first thing she puts on in the morning. I thought the step counting would bother me but it just made her run around more. Wearing at a sports practice was exciting because she would get so many steps. That was in the early days. Now she just uses it for a watch but still really likes it.

We got 3 years ago for my now 10 year old fundamentally to track his sleep as he had sleep related issues. The silent alarms were a great help during virtual learning and even now to prompt him. He likes it, but its the adult version so no games. He occasionally brags about the number of steps he did but its mostly just used as a watch.

Anonymous wrote:This is a terrible idea. Do not get your kids a fitbit. Geez, how does this even need to be said.

For those of us who are a little slow, could you please say it?

What exactly is the harm?

This is a terrible idea. Do not get your kids a fitbit. Geez, how does this even need to be said.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been hesitant to get my 8 year old one. Mainly because I can’t seem to understand WHY this is a good idea. Besides the watch aspect. I don’t want her tracking and contemplating her daily activity. She is incredibly active. It seems like a bad concept to open up to my daughter…

Agree. Should net be tracking steps in 1st grade much less elementary school. Not a good idea. Let them be kids. Geesh.

My 10 YO loves his. He had been wearing some old fitbits we had before, and was happy to have a kid version. He doesn't care about activity levels other than to be excited when he has some crazy amount from a lot of outdoor play. He likes that it has an alarm, so he can be responsible to get on bus, or get to his music class on time.

Waste of money. Neither of my kids were interested in wearing it - even for the watch aspect.

I’ve been hesitant to get my 8 year old one. Mainly because I can’t seem to understand WHY this is a good idea. Besides the watch aspect. I don’t want her tracking and contemplating her daily activity. She is incredibly active. It seems like a bad concept to open up to my daughter…

My kids didn’t like it and refused to wear them. Big waste of money.

I think my younger kid was in 2nd when he got his, and they've been big hits with both of my kids.

We've had one that was a dud and stopped working, and have had to replace a few broken straps, but otherwise they've been great.

Younger kid is easily distracted, so we occasionally hear from his teachers about behavior, but they've never mentioned the Fitbit as being an issue.

Can anyone provide feedback on the kids fitbit (I think the Ace 3)?

My 1st grade DD (6.5yo, pretty responsible) is really angling for one and I'm trying to figure out if it would be okay as a Christmas gift or if we should set expectations that it needs to wait until she is older. I don't have concerns about the tech or the concept of counting steps (and I like the idea of a watch), but I really do not want it to be a distraction at school.