Time Teaching Elementary School Watch

Digital clocks are everywhere, so why should kids learn to read an old-school timepiece? Easy: because it teaches essentials of counting and fractions and gives youngsters a grasp of the concept of time.

Lauren Vantuykom’s clever design uses blocks of color that help little ones understand what hour it is, even when the small hand isn’t pointing right at a number (at 2:30, for example). The minutes are vividly marked off in increments of 5 to 55, and the star-shaped secondhand demonstrates the meaning of “clockwise.”

Each watch has a Japanese quartz movement and is shock- and water-resistant (though can’t be worn while swimming). The hypoallergenic silicone band is free of lead and BPA, and features your choice of butterflies, sharks, or dinosaurs. Made in China.