Fitbit has introduced a smartwatch for kids that rewards activity with 3D games on their wrist – the more they move, the more game time they unlock.

The Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatch is for kids aged seven and above. It transforms exercise into play, while giving families peace of mind with reliable calling, messaging and location sharing with parents.

The Ace LTE delivers immersive, interactive 3D games on the wrist. Each game is built for the device using haptics, sounds, accelerometer and more to deliver fun and engaging gameplay. So whether they’re a chicken in a bathtub racing through space, or fishing for a soy sauce snapper in Smokey Lake, Ace LTE keeps kids moving. And it updates with new games every few months.

The watch recognises and rewards all sorts of physical activity, whether it’s playing hide and seek, jumping on the bed or having a sibling dance-off. All this movement shows up in Fitbit’s weirdest activity ring yet – the Noodle – that lives on the home screen and celebrates when kids reach their daily move goals.

“We worked with leading, independent experts in child psychology, public health, privacy and digital wellbeing to design Fitbit Ace LTE to be fun, safe and helpful,” said Anil Sabharwal, Fitbit vice president. “It’s built with privacy in mind, front and centre. For example, only parents are ever shown a child’s location or activity data in their app, location data are deleted after 24 hours and activity data are deleted after a maximum of 35 days. There are no ads or third-party apps, and only contacts added by a parent can call or message the device.”

The smartwatch uses a movement algorithm for kids developed by the Google Research team that measures kids’ physical activity throughout the day, encouraging and motivating all types of movement.

The motivation doesn’t stop with games. Eejies are customisable creatures that feed off daily activity; the more kids reach their movement goals, the more healthy and happy their eejie gets. By completing daily activities and moving through each game, kids earn arcade tickets to customise their eejie’s look with new outfits or even deck out its home in Bit Valley, the native home of the eejie.

There are six collectable bands that are more than accessories. Each band has built-in technology that unlocks different items, styles, rooms and Noodles when attached for the first time. For example, connect the blue Courtside band to immerse the eejie in a world of basketball, or plug in the green band to meet Wally, Bit Valley’s resident Spooky Pug who loves to cosplay. Bands are sold separately and new bands will be released regularly.

With the Fitbit Ace Pass and app, available for Android and iOS, parents can see their child’s real-time location, call, send and receive text and voice messages, add contacts they trust, and manage settings such as School Time to eliminate distractions during class. And in a couple of months, Fitbit will be adding tap-to-pay so kids have safe and easy access to pocket money.

To set up, parents download the iOS or Android app on their compatible phone, and kids can be up and running in minutes. There is no need to buy a SIM card, pay an activation fee or visit a carrier as everything is included when they purchase the Fitbit Ace Pass data plan.

The Fitbit Ace LTE is water resistant up to 50 metres and has a battery that lasts more than 16 hours. The high-resolution display is scratch-resistant and dustproof thanks to its Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen. A bumper is included in the box for added protection.

The Ace LTE (blog.google/products/fitbit/5-things-my-kids-and-i-love-about-the-fitbit-ace-lte) can be ordered for $230 at the Google Store (store.google.com/us/product/fitbit_ace_lte) or Amazon’s online store (www.amazon.com/stores/page/3DC9530F-1C15-4D17-9386-D85AAAFCDA2D). It requires the Fitbit Ace Pass data plan at $10 a month, or $120 for an annual subscription, with annual subscribers also receiving a collectable Ace band valued at $35. Those who buy the annual plan between now and August 31st save 50% off the subscription cost.