LEAPBAND™: Get kids active and learning while having fun

I was told about this new product that is being launched called LEAPBAND™ recently and I couldn’t resist sharing more info about this cool product hitting our shores.

There are so many articles these days talking about obesity and kids and thanks to technology, there are some unique ways to encourage kids to become more active and, well, LEAPBAND™ is one of them!

Kids love having fun, of course! And LEAPBAND™ takes this into account by combining playful physical activities personalised virtual pet play to help children get more active and learn about healthy choices.

About LEAPBAND™

LeapFrog, the leader in educational entertainment, has unveiled LeapBand, the first wearable physical activity tracker designed just for children that encourages active play and healthy habits while nurturing their very own personalised virtual pet.

The LeapBand activity tracker gets kids moving and having fun with 50 different activities and challenges, tracking a child’s physical movements so the more active a child is, the more points they earn with their virtual pet. As the child earns points through active play, they can unlock additional games, challenges, levels of play and virtual rewards for their on-screen pet.

LeapBand has an aspirational fit-band style designed with kids in mind. High-tech features include a built-in accelerometer, high-resolution colour screen, rechargeable battery and water-resistant design, making it the ultimate activity wearable for kids. The device also doubles up as both a digital and analogue watch.

“We understand that helping a child reach their full potential not only includes helping them learn numbers and letters, but encouraging them to establish healthy habits and get the exercise they need every day through play,” said Dr. Jody Sherman LeVos, director of LeapFrog’s Learning Team. “LeapBand is a great way to get kids up and active and help them develop a strong foundation for healthy lifestyles. LeapBand takes inspiration from the growing trend of adult fitness wearable technology and makes it perfect for kids by bringing the fun and play of physical activities to life with their very own virtual pets. One of the best parts of the LeapBand experience is that kids will have so much fun playing they may not realise all of the physical exercise they are experiencing and the healthy habits they are learning.”

Fit Made Fun!

The LeapBand activity tracker comes with eight different customisable pets from LeapFrog’s popular Pet Pals franchise – a cat, dog, dragon, monkey, panda, penguin, robot and unicorn – which can be customised by colour and name. With their very own virtual pal, children can play 10 preloaded active games and challenges with access to 40 additional free challenges. As they move and earn points, kids can unlock each of the additional eight pets and earn virtual toys for each of them as they stay engaged and learning with mini-games including Pet Boogie, Pet Chef and Pet Salon. Kids will have fun completing a variety of activities including “Walk like a crab,” “Spin like a helicopter” and “Pop like popcorn” no matter where they are.

LeapBand activity challenges are designed to keep kids active by tapping into their own individual movements without any required equipment.

Extend the Fun!

In addition to the active play on LeapBand, the fun is extended to include a free downloadable companion app called the Petathlon™. In the Petathlon app, kids can compete as their virtual pet in six mini-games like archery, surfing and bobsledding to win extras including medals and new tracksuits for their virtual pet. The Petathlon app is available for download to a child’s LeapPad Ultra, iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. **

Availability

The LeapBand activity tracker (Recommended retail price is R499, for children 4 to 7 years old) will be available in green, pink, blue and orange online and at all leading retail outlets. Additional activities and challenges are free and available for download via LeapFrog Connect for LeapBand. For more information, visit www.leapfrog.com/leapband.

** Petathlon app is compatible with most Apple iOS devices running 6.0 or higher, Google Android devices running 4.03 or higher and LeapFrog’s wireless tablet, LeapPad Ultra.