This has worked really well for us. My kids are 11 and 9 and we started with Gizmo watches a couple of years ago, and got them Apple Watches this year (one han

This has worked really well for us. My kids are 11 and 9 and we started with Gizmo watches a couple of years ago, and got them Apple Watches this year (one hand-me-down, one SE). Their friends are starting to get phones, and we're a hard no on phones for kids, but this way they can keep in touch with us and their friends without a phone. The effect on independence has been interesting. They seem to feel more reassured about venturing farther afield, so they've been riding bikes to shops and restaurants and their friends' houses much more frequently than they did before. (Of course, before they were also younger and there was more covid, but their calls to check in tell me that they like being able to ask a question or keep us up to date on their plans.) As for durability, I got some chunky hard cases for the watches and there have been no issues. You can also get the "solo loop" band, so they don't have to deal with clasps, and the watches never fall off.