Regular eye examinations from birth are essential for every child's healthcare and are essential to ensure normal visual development. Without regular eye tests, children with sight problems may have difficulty at school and lose confidence or fall behind. Eye tests can also help spot eye diseases and other health problems, such as diabetes, in the early stages. The good news is that our high-quality eye tests for children are easy to arrange, they're free on the NHS, and we make them as easy and fun as possible. It doesn't matter if your child doesn't know the alphabet as the Optometrist will use pictures and shapes to assess their sight.

An eye test with a Hayes Opticians Optometrist is totally painless and quick too - it takes just 30 - 40 minutes. You can, of course, stay with your child while they're having it. We’ll check for a number of things, including:

The standard of your child's vision
Whether they have a turned or a lazy eye
Their hand-eye co-ordination
Whether their eyes are healthy and developing normally
Whether your child is short-sighted, long-sighted or has an astigmatism
Whether their eyes are working together

Eye examinations are free of charge through the NHS
Examinations available for children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia or those requiring contact lenses
Wide choice of spectacles, many of which are free through the NHS
Children have their own dedicated bright and colourful glasses rack with a wonderful choice of frames
Extensive range of children's sunglasses and children's sports eyewear
Kids’ cleaning cloths and accessories

Clinically it is safe for most children to wear contact lenses, though we advise waiting until they're old enough to clean and look after them properly unsupervised. They should also feel comfortable about putting lenses in and taking them out, and be prepared to visit us for regular check-ups.

For many children, especially teenagers, contact lenses can be a great choice - especially for playing sport.