Help your kids learn good fitness habits with this Garmin vivofit jr 3 deal

Looking for an activity tracker for a young child? Garmin is one of the most respected and reputable brands in the fitness tracker and smartwatch business, and the Garmin vivofit jr. 3 is on sale for Amazon Prime Day, down 38% to an amazing $49.99 from its regular $79.99 price tag.

Garmin vivofit jr. 3 | $30 off at Amazon

This isn't the most feature-rich activity tracker you can find for kids, but the fact that it's so simple is precisely what makes it great. And at this discount, it's a great first smartwatch for kids.

$49.99 at Amazon

I am a huge supporter of activity trackers for kids, which not only give little ones some autonomy by having their own digital watch, complete with timer, on their wrist, but also encourages them to be active. This one, which is swim-friendly so kids can even jump in the pool and shower with it on, tracks sleep as well so parents can ensure their kids are getting enough quality ZZZs.

There are two big things I look for with an activity tracker or smartwatch for kids: battery life and simplicity. And this device has both. Designed to look like a fun smartwatch, it has an interactive app so kids can explore new destinations as they get more steps, with everything managed from the app on a parent or caregiver's phone. In terms of battery, unlike other smartwatches that need to be charged weekly or even multiple times per week to keep chugging along, because this one is so simple, you need only worry about replacing the battery every year or so, just as you would with a standard wristwatch.

Admittedly, while I didn't name the Garmin vivofit jr. 3 the best kids fitness tracker overall, I did award it the best for teaching responsibility. There's a reason for that. Along with games and adventures kids can enjoy as they work towards achieving their step goals, this app has another purpose: parents (and kids) can use it to manage chores. Parents can assign tasks, send alerts (like when it's time to put down the screens or come inside from the backyard), and set alarms for wake-up or bedtimes. Parents can even reward kids for good behavior or completing their daily list of chores.

Kids will love the timer so they can do things like race and compete with friends and siblings, time themselves when training for sports, or just use it for fun. Parents will also love the ICE (in case of emergency) widget that displays access to the child's emergency contact.

In terms of how it compares to the Fitbit Ace 2, which is also on sale for Prime Day, the Fitbit has a bigger screen, longer battery and offers sleep tracking, but the Garmin focuses on incentivizing kids to maintain good habits, which is a bonus. Plus it's much smaller and can be more comfortable for young wrists.

The deal applies to the watch with a standard bright-colored band in Blue Stars, Digi Camo, or Lilac Flower, but for an extra few bucks, many of the versions that come with licensed watch band designs are also on sale. Speaking of which, this isn't the only fitness tracker/smartwatch deal you'll find on Prime Day this year: Amazon has tons of great deals on Android smartwatches of all kinds, from Garmin and others.