The best alarm clocks for kids: 7 recommendations & tips

Children’s alarm clocks make it easier to get up in the morning. Comprehensive comparison with lots of helpful tips for buying.

Children’s alarm clocks are currently on everyone’s lips and are specially geared towards the needs of our little ones.

There are now many different children’s alarm clocks with all kinds of additional functions. As parents, we can quickly lose track of things.

Many parents always ask themselves the same basic questions:

  • How are children’s alarm clocks different from normal alarm clocks?
  • Do they really make it easier to wake up and save discussions in the morning?
  • Which functions are recommended, which only disturb?

In this article, I’ll answer those questions and give you a couple of good models for your child.

First of all:

You shouldn’t expect miracles from a children’s alarm clock – but together with a few other tips they will help to get your child used to a fixed sleeping rhythm.

Children’s alarm clocks with their many exciting additional functions such as different alarm tones can be very helpful, especially from elementary school age.

If you don’t have much time: my recommendation

I particularly liked a product that I would like to highlight separately. It’s about the test winner of this product test.

However, choosing the test winner was not easy either, because during my research there were also one or the other model that truly delighted me.

Now you can quickly lose track of all the different child alarm clocks. I paid attention to the following criteria in this product test to make it easier for you to choose the children’s alarm clock:

  • All alarm clocks can (also) be battery operated <-> good for traveling, camping, etc.
  • The models are particularly low in pollutants and have a quality seal
  • They don’t tick and work silently

But first I would like to briefly find out together with you which type of children’s alarm clock is best for your son or daughter.

This should convince you quickly why children’s alarm clocks are currently very popular and a good choice for your child.

Which children’s alarm clock is right for my child?

Admittedly, figuring out the right alarm clock for your child is not rocket science.

 

However, there are a few differences here and there. I would like to briefly describe these.

What are the differences in the children’s alarm clocks?

Basically it can be said that alarm clocks have developed a lot over the centuries in terms of their appearance.

If they are categorized based on their types, they can always be reduced to two levels:

  • Analog alarm clock
  • Digital alarm clock

While the first category is something like the standard version, the second and more modern category is particularly suitable as a children’s alarm clock.

Electronic and digitized alarm clocks in particular offer many exciting additional functions with which manufacturers try to differentiate themselves from one another.

  • And this is exactly where the wheat is now separated from the chaff. The fact that an alarm clock should wake our children is hardly worth mentioning.
  • Even a radio function is no longer world-shaking these days. These are the basic uses that alarm clocks for children are supposed to fulfill.

The more modern and digital a children’s alarm clock has been designed and designed, the more additional functions it contains. Some are useful and helpful, while others are technological frills and ‘nice to have’.

Of course, all pragmatists among the parents don’t care at all.

If the alarm clock is not supposed to beep in a modern way, but rather to ring in a traditional way, an ordinary mechanical alarm clock for children may do the same. After all, it only depends on the alarm function and every old alarm clock could be used for that.

With this conviction, you should not neglect the many great designs that children’s alarm clocks offer. Is your son a fan of a superhero? Does the daughter like princesses or is she into the color pink?

Then you have the opportunity to hit exactly this mark with a children’s alarm clock.

It is the design in particular that sets children’s alarm clocks apart. And at the same time, you may still have the opportunity to fulfill your child’s wish.

There are some children’s alarm clocks that have special learning effects for children. However, this usually applies to the very youngest offspring, who are confronted with a watch for the first time.

What are the advantages of children’s alarm clocks?

If we want to ignore the many exciting additional functions, the advantages are not necessarily due to the children’s alarm clock itself.

  • Much more interesting is the fact that, with the help of a child alarm, you slowly get your child used to growing up.
  • Historically, industrialization changed the whole of social life in the 19th century.

The new way of working in the factories forced people to discipline themselves and to interrupt their sleep rhythm with alarm clocks in order to work.

 

Our children are also subject to certain obligations to which they must submit. Be it kindergarten, school, the early doctor’s appointment, etc.

As great as childhood may be, life starts quite early with a disciplined and early morning wake-up.

The “manual awakening” of the parents by hand does not always work and is seldom loved by the offspring. You also have to be awake yourself to start the day in an exemplary manner.

So it can’t hurt if you equip your child’s room with a children’s alarm clock. However, it is even better if you make your child jointly responsible for setting the alarm function correctly.

On the one hand, your child learns how to operate these small technical devices.

And understands the social weekly rhythm with work or school days better.

On the other hand, this is perhaps the first step towards independence in education. Even if under the double control of our curious eyes.

Thought completely differently: If you want to do without a children’s alarm clock for the nursery, you have to wake up your children personally every morning. Do you really want to do that?

Sooner or later, that moment will come anyway, when a (children’s) alarm clock and a disciplined understanding of time will become indispensable.

What additional functions does my child need?

“OK. An alarm clock should beep or ring to wake us up. Roger that. Then why does my child need any expensive additional functions in a digital alarm clock? “

 

Additional functions are not always additional functions.

Even if a children’s alarm clock was designed for children in the end, you as parents (and buyer) of course decide in the end what makes sense and what doesn’t.

But also see it a bit as a mirror of yourself.

If you personally like to be woken up to music, then your child might find it just as great.

  • If waking up in the morning with a light alarm clock is more comfortable for you, then it may also help your child to feel more gentle in the morning.
  • Ultimately, you know best what is and will be good for your child in the future. There is no right or wrong in this sense. It’s just helpful or superfluous.

In the products I recommend, I will always highlight and recommend one or the other additional function – e.g. an integrated night light with motion detector .

Simply for the reason why I find them worth mentioning or as an argument to buy.

  • Perhaps this will help you choose the best children’s alarm clock and you will also find the additional function useful.
  • Perhaps a ringing alarm clock is enough for this purpose without a lot of trappings. In the end, that’s your decision!

What is really good about modern children’s alarm clocks is that these additional functions don’t necessarily make the price more expensive.

Personally, I was amazed at what the children’s alarm clocks can do these days and at what relatively low price they are offered.

You buy the alarm clock for your child, not for yourself

You are the buyer, but your son or daughter is the user.

Therefore, you should put yourself in your child’s shoes. Without, of course, becoming a child’s head yourself.

Therefore, it is important that you choose a children’s alarm clock that has been rated appropriately for their age. The age display on the product packaging is important additional information.

  1. Occasionally, manufacturers recommend the use of AB for a certain age group.
  2. Or conversely write that small parts could be swallowed in children UP to a certain age group.

You should follow these recommendations for the benefit of your child.

Reading tip: The best sleep aids for babies and toddlers

Please also consider the sense of many additional display options on the display of the digital children’s alarm clock.

  • To avoid possible confusion, I recommend a digital time display. In any case, set the clock to the 24h function.
  • Why should you do this? I hope you enjoy explaining to a 6 year old what the difference is between 12am and 12pm.

An analog clock face is more complicated to understand in childhood for this purpose.

The time can of course also be read with it, but it does require a little cognitive training. Digital displays are therefore more appropriate and more unambiguous.

But enough of the theory. I would like to introduce you to many different alarm clocks that particularly convinced me during my research. You will definitely find one or the other model that is also suitable for your own children.

The test winner

 

With all the ultra-modern clocks for the children’s room, an analog children’s alarm clock came in first in my ranking.

But: It is of course a special and even extraordinary model of an analog children’s alarm clock with mechanical clockwork that can play different alarm tones.

Of course, the manufacturer’s name suggests a cuckoo clock. However, that is not the case here. At least not quite. It’s more of a mix of modern cuckoo clock and alarm clock.

A cuckoo clock can also be used as an alarm clock. In this case, however, no cuckoo beeps, but an entire farm.

Your child can be woken up by the farm between 5 different animal voices:

  • The rooster crows
  • The dog barks
  • The pig grunts
  • The cat meows
  • The elephant trumpets

Well, an elephant may not be a native farm animal. However, it is the manufacturer who communicates his product as ‘animal sounds from the farm’.

  • Your child can of course decide which animal voice should sound when they get up in the morning. But the trick is how.
  • All five animals are small figurines that can also be removed from the clock.

This children’s alarm clock is available in four different colors: yellow, green, red, white. However, there is no price difference between the individual color models.

The alarm tone gets louder and louder in 3 stages and wakes even the biggest late riser. I was impressed by the fact that the volume of the alarm tone can be adjusted:

  • Quiet: 50 ~ 53 db
  • Medium: 60 ~ 63 db
  • Loud: 73 ~ 75 db

All three volumes were measured from a distance of one meter. This is also the minimum distance from the alarm clock to the ear that I would recommend.

The animal voices are, by the way, original recordings and no distorted loudspeaker announcements.

Your child’s favorite animal triggers the alarm function at the same time. When your child places the little figure in the correct position, the alarm clock is triggered by magnetism.

  • The figures can also be safely placed on the small shelves of the clock using magnetism.
  • The alarm function, however, is set by means of small wheels. The dial can be illuminated by pressing a button.

A snooze function and an integrated light are also part of this children’s alarm clock. 3x AAA batteries are required, which are not included in the scope of delivery.

There are two small negative arguments, which of course I don’t want to leave unmentioned and which I have to describe. Unfortunately, there are deductions in the B grade.

On the one hand there is of course the price. Despite the great and imaginative look, this children’s alarm clock is still ‘just’ an analog alarm clock. I think it’s relatively expensive.

On the other hand, there is the weight. I find 558 grams to be a pretty heavy weight. Not for adults, of course, but for fine children’s hands.

Overall, however, this children’s alarm clock is number 1 for me. What can the other children’s alarm clocks do? Can you even get close to the test winner?

An analog learning alarm clock

At the beginning I wrote that digital alarm clocks are more suitable and more unambiguous.

Now I recommend the second analog alarm clock with only a few additional functions to your offspring. Why?

Because this alarm clock offers many little learning aids. These are very interesting for toddlers.

I wrote in a previous chapter that digital clocks in 24-hour mode are easier for children to understand than analog clock faces.

However, this children’s alarm clock can help your child to read and understand the time. A colorful clock face, large numbers and seconds are very helpful and instructive for our children.

This means that both the clock and the alarm time must be set manually.

This is not done at the push of a button, but with the familiar small wheels on the back of the alarm clock.

Your child can also understand this and adjust it independently.

The alarm clock has a size of only 11cm. Some readers may consider this too small, but I find it very handy and ideal if our children want to take their children’s alarm clock with them on their trip.

The alarm clock also has a light function.

Depending on the color of the model, the appearance of the dial changes slightly. You can buy the alarm clock in a total of six different colors and thus respond to your child’s favorite color.

I linked you to the red model, which was also the cheapest of them all.

You can also choose between the following children’s alarm clocks in bright colors: pink, blue, green, dark green, white / green.

What I have to criticize a bit here is the price.

It is of course easy to assume that digital alarm clocks are always a bit more expensive. But this children’s alarm clock is a little more expensive than it should be for my taste and an analog alarm clock is justified.

Additional functions are generally less available than in the digital children’s alarm clock. I think the price is a little unjustifiably high for an analog children’s alarm clock. But maybe that’s just my personal feeling.

Light alarm clock for children

Light alarm clocks have been very popular for some time and don’t stop at children’s rooms either.

But are they even suitable for our children to rest in bed at night? Don’t light alarm clocks for children distract from sleeping?

In my opinion, light alarm clocks are very suitable for children and do not keep our children from sleeping.

Many useful additional functions tend to have the opposite effect. Light alarm clocks encourage your children to fall asleep rather than inhibit it.

I particularly liked one model:

There is what is known as scientific light therapy. This says that soft lighting calms the mood, stabilizes emotions and effectively promotes people’s sleep.

This is especially important for babies as the quality of their sleep has a huge impact on their growth. This light alarm clock can also shine in seven different colors and thus offers a night light directly.

So if your child is afraid of the dark, you can kill two birds with one stone with this additional function. Not to mention the gentle wake-up with simulated sunrise.

The alarm mode can also be set flexibly:

  • Alarm only
  • Just light
  • Alarm + light

In addition, this light alarm clock can play five different alarm melodies and always offer enough variety:

  • Vogelgesang
  • Ocean waves
  • Piano music
  • Seagulls
  • Normal alarm tone

Oh, what would I have wished for pleasant piano music as a little boy.

My alarm clock at that time always sounded like a loud church bell and rudely woke me up. A light alarm clock for children has my blessing.

But there is an even more modern solution than the light alarm clock. A small gadget that focuses on education and training for the very young.

Sleep trainer for children

I am also happy when I learn something new.

Have you heard of sleep coaches before? Neither do I, but I will explain it to you briefly.

Clock and alarm clock are of course the standard function here. But what is a sleep trainer?

  • Sleep trainers should playfully convey the difference between day and night without reading the clock.
  • Your child will understand when it is time to go to bed or to get up without looking at the time.

With acoustic and optical signals, sleep trainers tell children when the right moment has come. They are most clearly aware of this, of course, with colors.

The perfect sleep aid !

Of course, your child will not be able to avoid reading the clock at some point. But a sleep trainer can be suitable for the very youngest children. This can already work from 2 years.

Of course, no guarantee can be given, as each child reacts to it individually and a child’s will can sometimes be very arbitrary. The color changes signal to the child what to do.

  • Red – time to sleep
  • Yellow – Sleep a little longer
  • Green – May the day begin!

Parents have reported, however, that these sleep trainers are showing success, that children stay patiently in the cot nest or bed and adhere to the color specifications.

As a pleasant side effect, we parents have the rare and pleasant opportunity to sleep in on the weekends.

Sam the sheep uses a colored traffic light system to teach our children when it is time to sleep.

The digital display also has a clock face that shows your child the traditional time and the modern digital version at the same time.

Of course, the times are not preset and you can program the alarm time yourself.

But is it even an alarm function if no real stimulus is triggered to wake you up? Sam the sheep can optionally play an alarm tone.

This sleep trainer is not recommended by the manufacturer for children under 3 years of age. 4 AA batteries are required, which are not included in the scope of delivery.

  • Alternatively, you can also connect the sleep trainer to the socket in the children’s room.
  • You can also buy this sleep trainer in different colors. I marked the gray color for you because it is the cheapest model.

A sleep trainer goes a bit beyond the functions of a children’s alarm clock.

I think it’s an exciting and interesting solution for parents who want to think one step further. This additional step then costs more accordingly.

There are even more expensive sleep trainers for children, Sam the sheep is still a bit limited.

For boys: I am your alarm clock

Admittedly, the following alarm clock was not developed exclusively for boys – just like car beds or princess beds , you don’t have to adhere to gender boundaries .

Theoretically, one or the other young lady can also enjoy this children’s alarm clock with the dark side of power.

Somehow I suspect there are still many enthusiastic guys behind the dark side of the force. And if your son can be woken up by Darth Vader, please don’t be told twice.

The manufacturer recommends use for children from 4 years of age. 2 AAA batteries are included. Darth Vader also makes a few noises at the push of a button.

The head and display are backlit. If your son taps the figure on the head, the light will glow for about 5 minutes. A built-in night light is therefore automatically provided.

Darth Vader’s cape is not made of plastic, but of fabric. Overall, the model looks more like a little comic-like Lego adaptation.

The prize is the big winner here over many other children’s alarm clocks.

However, if you want an even more authentic children’s alarm clock with Darth Vader, then you have to dig a little deeper into your pocket for the following model.

But you have a detailed figure with sensational additional functions from another manufacturer.

  • The manufacturer recommends use from 6 years. For wireless operation you need 3xAA batteries, which are included in the scope of delivery.
  • Alternatively, you can connect Darth Vader to the nearest source of energy and power if you want to do without batteries.

Darth Vader’s lightsaber also lights up when the display is operated. The three different tones on this alarm clock are even cooler:

  • Normal buzz beep
  • FM clock radio
  • The panting breath of Darth Vader

At the beginning I wrote that the additional functions in the modern children’s alarm clock cause a small or not noticeable surcharge. In this case pay

However, they are pretty good for marketing and the original Star Wars licenses. Definitely not an alarm clock for a tight budget or thrifty parents.

The only disadvantage is Darth Vader’s holy memory. The alarm clock does not save the alarm time after the alarm call and your son has to set it manually every evening.

On the other hand, you sharpen the memory of your son and let him actively participate.

For girls: only good analog alarm clocks available

During my research, I basically noticed that children’s alarm clocks for girls are much more analogue clocks than digital models.

 

It is difficult to say why these children’s alarm clocks, which are specially designed for girls, were traditionally installed.

  • Maybe it’s because a pink-pink design and typical girlie elements such as unicorns, glitter or rainbows are used.
  • Perhaps the manufacturers have suspected that there are otherwise no gender-specific additional functions in the digital manner?

I don’t know, but when I made my choice I was a bit disappointed because of the lack of digital children’s alarm clocks for girls.

If Darth Vader can gasp and create a night light with the lightsaber, then the children’s alarm clocks for girls should be able to do the same.

  • After all, it would not be impossible to program a horse wag or animate a rainbow.
  • So be it, the little guide for girls is therefore a bit skinny. For friends of digital alarm clocks, it will unfortunately look a little dreary.

No digital children’s alarm clock for girls convinced me.

The list marked below contains fairly cheaply manufactured child alarm clocks from China that have received quite lousy reviews and complaints from online users.

Amazon advertising links / images from the Amazon Product Advertising API

For this reason, I do not want to recommend a digital children’s alarm clock for girls and advise against a purchase.

The chance of a bad buy is pretty high here. Perhaps it is more worthwhile to look at the analog children’s alarm clocks for girls.

With the analog models, there are hardly any differences between the children’s alarm clocks for girls.

As already written, there are many unicorns or horses, a lot of pink color, etc. Price comparisons are most likely to be worthwhile here if, for reasons of design, the manufacturers have not managed to differentiate their products from one another.

But I found one model particularly worth mentioning because it moves a little away from the expected girlie elements of pink unicorns and instead strives for an idiosyncratic design.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Miss Ticki:

This children’s alarm clock for girls requires 1 x AA Mignon batteries, which are not included in the scope of delivery. Compared to many other digital clocks, this is very energy-saving.

  • The manufacturer recommends use from 4 years. Your daughter will hear the ringing tone of old alarm clocks and no digital beeps as the alarm tone.
  • It is described as a so-called double bell ringing and that every late riser is awake.

Her name suggests that Miss Ticki ticks and makes noises when the second hand moves.

This is not the case, however, as the second hand creeps and does not move in increments. In addition, it is a built-in quartz movement that is particularly quiet.

You can even play a little with Miss Ticki. She has posable arms and legs like a doll. I have never seen this on any children’s alarm clock.

After the purchase: Digital children’s alarm clocks cause electrosmog

After buying a children’s alarm clock, it’s not quite done. There are also a few things you should be aware of.

 

On the one hand there is the emission of electromagnetic fields. However, this only applies to digital alarm clocks, all other analog children’s alarm clocks are excluded from this phenomenon.

Electrosmog is still considered to be scientifically not proven and insufficiently researched.

Therefore, no one can give a 100% guarantee as to whether electrical devices will cause long-term physical harm to people.

  • There are some people whose organisms are particularly sensitive to electrosmog. As a caring parent, you are of course very well aware of this sensitivity of your children.
  • Small children’s alarm clocks do not emit as much electromagnetic fields as computers or televisions. On the other hand, you should not underestimate the influence of electrosmog on your child.

That is why I would advise you not to place the children’s alarm clock directly next to the bed, even under the cot ‘s blanket. Better to be on a shelf or other piece of furniture a few meters away.

At the same time, of course, this has the pleasant advantage that your child has to try to get out of bed to switch off the alarm manually.

So with this little trick you provoke that your child gets up by itself and maybe wakes up earlier.

Of course you can also aim for the larger solution against electrosmog. However, this involves some additional costs.

I would like to recommend it to you as a sensible solution to problems in dealing with electrical appliances:

This small and mobile helper ‘swallows’ all the influences of electrosmog within a radius of 4 meters. Thus, the benefit goes far beyond the suppression of the electromagnetic fields of the children’s alarm clock.

At the same time, you shield your child against all influences of electrosmog in the immediate vicinity. And our children’s rooms in particular are becoming more and more digital and better equipped with electrical appliances.

Conclusion

Many products for children hardly differ from models for adults.

 

I noticed that especially with the children’s alarm clocks. And it kind of makes sense too.

Why should it be any different? There is no special alarm for children.

  • They wake up like adults and are at least as tired as we are. If not much more, as children need more sleep.
  • In other words: why not use the additional functions for adults specifically for children?

And I think many manufacturers had the same idea.

I noticed that, for example, with the light alarm clocks. There are only a few children’s alarm clocks with light alarm clocks that stand out from the ‘normal light alarm clocks’ with a special design.

The model I marked in the product test is also positioned as a light alarm clock for children.

Once you’ve taken a closer look at this product, you may be asking yourself the same question as me.

“What makes this light alarm clock a light alarm clock for children?”

The manufacturers try much more to market these for children due to the bright colors.

Neither do they have a special shape or any motif developed for children, nor do they play child-friendly sounds.

So a big difference cannot be seen at first glance. Rather, it is marketing and communication that should convincingly teach us the special suitability for children.

 

At first as well as at second glance, they are rather ordinary light alarm clocks that can ALSO be used in the children’s room, but are especially communicated for children.

So my advice: Unless your child has a specific wish for their children’s alarm clocks, modern alarm clocks with all the additional functions for adults will do at least as well.

It is more likely that the desire for a special design or motif for a children’s alarm clock is triggered because your child may have seen it on other children in the bedroom.

The usual ‘I want to have it too’ phenomenon.

  • If the next birthday is coming up or Christmas is approaching, then perhaps the relatives can be given a tip for the next gift. Then it might also make sense if your favorite motif is given away with the next children’s alarm clock.
  • If, however, you are personally more interested in the pure use of the additional functions and an expensive design or motif is not an option for your son or daughter, an ordinary alarm clock is completely sufficient in my opinion.

In principle, I do not question the functions of the children’s alarm clocks and the actual purpose of these products.

However, if you as the end customer have to pay completely overpriced prices for marketing and licenses from Disney, Marvel, etc., that in no way justifies in my opinion that your child is woken up earlier in the morning more expensive than necessary.

In fact, any other alarm clock for children can do this instead of a children’s alarm clock.

And if you feel like a new alarm clock, then I would like to recommend this model to you:

Philips HF3520 Wake Up Light im Test

Thanks for reading!

I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.

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