Kids Micro:Bit Digital Watch

Technology is evolving faster than ever, and the next generation will shape its future.

This Micro:Bit Digital Wrist-Watch is designed to inspire young minds to embrace this revolution—combining coding, creativity, and wearable tech in a fun, hands-on way. More than just a watch, it’s a gateway to programming, problem-solving, and product design, empowering kids to customize, experiment, and bring their ideas to life. By making technology interactive and accessible, this project helps spark curiosity and build the skills needed for tomorrow’s innovators— worn on their wrist!

1. 3D Printer
2. Black PLA
3. ~25cm of just under 5cm diameter ribbon
4. ~6cm stick-on Velcro strip
5. ~4cm insulating tape strip
6. Scissors
7. Micro:Bit
8. Battery compartment (comes with each Micro:Bit)
9. 2 batteries (to fit the battery compartment)

I wanted the watch to be simple in design so it can be easily adapted by others. Therefore I decided to focus on producing a functional design that was as small and reusable as possible.

There is a link to my original Tinkercad file in the step below, so you can personalise the 3D printed Micro:Bit case in your own way! Some ideas include adding your name on the front, decorating it with stars or 3D illustrations, or just painting it after printing; get creative!

1. Before anything else, I needed a working program.
2. I decided to keep it as simple and straight-forward as possible to allow for easy adaptation into new ideas into other projects.

Run the code here: https://makecode.microbit.org/_XgTVoqh44XVJ

Explanation of code:

1. "On start" set the "hours" and "Minutes" variables to 0 and show the simply face icon to test the Micro:Bit is working properly.
2. "On shake" shows the current time when you shake the Micro:Bit, i.e. when you shake your wrist. If the minutes component of the time is smaller than 10 (only one digit) an additional 0 must be added before it to set it to the correct format to display. Once the time is displayed, the smiley face icon is shown again.
3. "On button A pressed" increases the value stored in the "hours" variable by 1, unless its current value is 23, in which case its new value would be 0 (because its a 24 hour clock), when button A (on the left) is pressed. This part of the code serves to allow the wearer to set the current hours on their watch.
4. "On button B pressed" increases the value stored in the "minutes" variable by 1, unless its current value is 59, in which case its new value would be 0 (because there are 60 minutes in an hour), when button B (on the right) is pressed. This part of the code serves to allow the wearer to set the current minutes on their watch.
5. "Forever" wait 60000ms (1 minute or 60 seconds) then increase the value stored in the "minutes" variable by 1, unless its current value is 59, in which case its new value would be 0. If the values stored in the "minutes" variable is 59, the value stored in "hours" is increased by 1, unless it is currently equal to 23, in which case it will be set to 0 again. This part of the code serves to update the time on the watch every 60 seconds.

I measured carefully the dimensions of my Micro:Bit and used this to create a 3-piece box that would contain it securely and allow it to be threaded onto a watch strap.

1. The "front" piece frames the 5x5 LED display and the A and B buttons, giving the watch a smoother, tidier look.
2. The "back" piece consists of a series of bar through which ribbon can be threaded to hold the Micro:Bit securely in place on the strap.
3. The "top" piece squeezes the front and back pieces together, and prevents the Micro:Bit from falling out. It leaves space for wires to be plugged into the various ports.

I designed all 3D printed parts using Autodesk's Tinkercad (a 3D design and modelling software), because I love its easy-to-use, quick-and-simple nature- making it ideal for projects like this!

View my design here: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/2XOzhLueLsu-shared-watch-case?sharecode=gr9meuxFchQkS787qwiA8yq3LXj0_snx0B1kA74m21A

Once you've got the program and 3D printed parts, construction is simple.

1. Thread your ribbon through the bars on the 3D printed "back" piece.
2. Hold the "back" piece on the back of the Micro:Bit beneath the ports, and slide this into the "front" piece.
3. Push on the "top" piece to seal in the Micro:Bit. You should now have the Micro:Bit securely fastened onto the ribbon.
4. Place a strip of stick-on Velcro on the ribbon above the Micro:Bit case, and another (shorter) piece on the other end of the ribbon, on the other side. This way you should be able to Velcro your watch onto your wrist easily.
5. I chose to stick a small amount of insulating tape along the ends of my ribbon, which prevented it from fraying.
6. Lie the Micro:Bit and ribbon on a surface with the LED display facing upwards, and slide the battery compartment (with batteries) underneath, below the Micro:Bit and under the ribbon. Fix this in place by slotting the cover for the compartment over the top, trapping the ribbon in between the 2 pieces and holding it in place.
7. That's it! Enjoy playing, experimenting, and adapting your own statement digital watch! :)

Thanks for joining me on this creative endeavour; I hope you have found my writeup interesting and informative!

1. What went well:

It's a simple, adaptable design that's quick to make and fun to experiment with.

1. What I would change:

It's a shame to have a relatively large, bulky battery compartment on the under side of the watch, although it cannot be helped without the use of a specially-designed battery that was less obtrusive.

1. My favourite part:

I love how the Micro:Bit compartment simply slots together and looks sleek; it took a lot of effort to design, but I think it looks great!

1. What I learnt:

Cool watch, not so practical for school though!

Please check out the rest of my Instructables here: https://www.instructables.com/member/MistyPearl/