Garmin has a new way to get kids to stay active and track their activity. The wearable tech company introduced a new line of fitness trackers for children that feature kid-friendly characters from Walt Disney-owned brands like Star Wars and Marvel Comics.
Thanks to a partnership with Disney, Garmin’s Vivofit Jr. 2 fitness trackers come bearing designs that feature characters like BB-8, the adorable droid from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, while other trackers are adorned with the Star Wars logo, Captain America’s shield, or even classic Disney cartoon characters like Minnie Mouse. Garmin said on Wednesday that the new wearable devices also come installed with mobile apps that correspond to the franchise and characters on the tracker and which feature tailored “adventures” for children to follow, including planning a party with Minnie Mouse or following BB-8 on a sort of scavenger hunt for missing starship parts.
“The Vivofit Jr. 2 is all about making fitness fun for kids, instilling at a young age the joy of leading an active lifestyle,” Garmin CEO and president Cliff Pemble said in a statement. “We are honored to team up in such a unique way with Disney, tapping into the brilliance of their creative storytelling experts.”
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The new product comes only one year after Garmin released its first Vivofit Jr., a smaller version (with brighter colors) of the company’s adult-sized Vivofit fitness trackers. The idea behind the kid-focused trackers is to help parents ensure that their children are physically active while also monitoring their various games and activities. In addition to the companion mobile apps, the Vivofit Jr. Models are also water proof for use in the pool. And, the new Vivofit Jr. 2 models have a new color screen, replacing the black-and-white screen on the older versions.
Garmin is selling the Vivofit Jr. 2 trackers for $99.99, which is $20 more than the previous version (and the same price as the tracker for adults). Garmin has struggled to turn around slumping sales for its wearable fitness devices. That area of the company’s business dipped roughly 15% in the most recent quarter, though those results were offset by the success of Garmin’s outdoor products, which include handheld GPS devices.