How to get kids outside with tech, from drones to geocaching
Growing up in Alaska — unless the thermometer said something like 100 degrees below zero — my parents expected us kids to go and play outside. These days things are a lot different, and you’re just as likely to find a child glued to a bright screen in a dark room than you are to find them playing outdoors on a nice day.
A recent study in the UK showed three-quarters of kids there spend less time outside than prison inmates. While there are many reasons for this shift, the grasp of digital technology is at least partly to blame. But could the right technology actually encourage kids to get outside more? A handful of consumer gadget makers sure hope so.
Go Fly A Drone
“It’s like a videogame, but more fun because you’re outside,” says Isaac Kantor, my 10-year old neighbor, as he buzzes a Parrot Airborne Cargo drone past my head. It’s one of several Parrot drones currently on sale as part of a special promotion aimed at getting kids like Isaac engaged with the great outdoors by way of fun-flyers that look cool and move fast. From what I can see, it seems to be working.
“It’s as good as baseball,” Isaac gushes while his friend Ben takes a turn. “I like it so much because you can fly super fast, you can go over things, I can race it,” he says as he takes off running across his yard beneath the minidrone. “Why would you want to be inside on a beautiful day,” he shouts back to me.
Parrot’s user-friendly drones are largely credited with sparking the current drone craze and now the company hopes to spark new interest amongst families and kids with discounts from $30-$100 off on several popular models. For teens, there’s Bebop2 ($499.00) that swiftly maneuvers the skies with its four-bladed quadcopter design, and its built-in app connectivity streams video from its 1080p HD camera right to a smartphone or tablet. If you’re not convinced that your family is up to the challenge or pricetag of a full-sized quadcopter (don’t forget, you have to register the Bebop with the FAA and fly in approved locations), Parrot’s minidrones are smaller, simpler, and cheaper than their bigger brothers.
The Airborne Cargo drone ($69.99) is the baby version of the company’s larger quadcopters, but it’s still a darn impressive little aerial robot. It weighs less than two ounces, but is impressively stable in the air, not to mention speedy. There’s a built-in camera to take snapshots — and we all know how much kids love taking pictures — and a “free fall take-off” feature that lets your young pilot toss the drone into the air and have it automatically start up and self-stabilize. And, just like the rest of Parrot’s drones, it’s controlled entirely from a smartphone or tablet, which you probably already own.
If you live near a lake or pond, or happen to have a decently-sized pool hanging out in your backyard — lucky you! — the Parrot Hydrofoil drone ($119.99) is probably going to make your kids very, very happy. Using the principles of water physics, the drone speeds along the waves while the fins give it lift. It’s pretty cool to see in action, and way more interesting than your average RC boat, and they’ll learn a thing or two about physics along the way.
I’ll admit that luring your kids out of their dimly-lit rooms using a drone is kind of like a high-tech carrot on a stick, but if the cool factor is enough to get them to breath the fresh air, and it’s something fun you all enjoy doing together — why not take advantage? Our family has had a blast doing this — not only with our kids and neighbors’ kids — but with all the grown-ups around too. Just remember to pack extra batteries or a portable charger because most of the modern drone batteries last about 20 minutes at a time.
Super Mario For the Backyard
Getting your kids outside is a big part of the battle, but the whole idea behind getting them up off the couch and out from behind their computer or TV screens is hinged on one thing: activity.
A new gadget launching later this year called ROXs ($119 via Indiegogo) is a series of round, saucer-sized devices packed with wireless sensors, RFID, as well as lights and built-in speakers. Kids can spread the ROXs around a yard, strap them to fences and trees, or even to themselves, to play one of 10 pre-programmed games, like like “Zombie Tag” (run from zombies to reach safety) or “Crazy Chicken,” (sprint from sensor to sensor as fast as you can).
ROXs includes all the addictive parts of a great video game (patterns, competitions, collaborative play), with running around outside. Kids can play by themselves or with as many as 50 other people. It’s no surprise that this awesome idea reached its Indiegogo funding goal of $10,000 in less than eight hours on the crowdfunding site!
Activity Trackers as Movement-Motivators
Cultivating an active lifestyle for your grade-schooler or teen is ultimately going to serve them well throughout their lives, so equipping them with the tools to log that activity — like an activity tracker — from a young age can be a great way to form long-lasting habits.
The ibitz pedometer ($24.99) is solid fitness tracker with lots of statistics-tracking power, but its all-ages approach is really what makes it a good choice for kids and teens. Sure, it monitors steps, distance, calories, and overall activity level, but a 10-year-old doesn’t really care about all that now do they? The ibitz GeoPalz kids app turns those numbers into a game, and each step your child takes pushes their colorful virtual characters further into adventure. As the parent, you can add in-game rewards for specific milestones as well, and cater the experience to your own personal goals.
Leapfrog’s popular Leapband ($29.99) is made with even younger kids in mind — as young as 4, in fact — and it ramps up the cuteness with a whole bunch of virtual pets that live on the device. Physical activity helps your child complete challenges and earn points on the device, putting an extra game layer between them and the exercise. If you need to set quiet hours or tweak how the device works, the parental controls are very straightforward.
These trackers are great tools as long as they’re being worn and used correctly — which is something I can’t guarantee any kid or even teenager will easily adopt. If they do, that’s fantastic, but if not, I have one last secret weapon that will get you and your kids up and moving, and you probably won’t even have to buy any additional gadgets to try it out: Geocaching.
Geocaching’s Catching On
Geocaching, which is really nothing more than using any GPS device to search for and locate hidden items in public places, is a hobby that has been growing for decades. Now, with GPS tracking built into the smartphone you already own, it’s easier than ever to give it a shot. Just pick any one of several great geocaching websites — geocaching.com is a perfect place to start — and find the GPS coordinates of a hidden treasure near you.
Then, with the help of your kids, use your smartphone or other GPS-enabled device to find those exact coordinates and discover what’s waiting for you. Many geocaches include a box or container of some type, along with trinkets, souvenirs, and other items left by those who came before you. It’s always fun to find something secret, and you’re usually encouraged to leave your own small piece of memorabilia behind for the next person to enjoy as well.
If you’re a parent, you already know that every kid is different. Some don’t need any motivation to go outside and be active, while others are a little harder to convince. Your teen might find drone flying to be their biggest passion, while others would rather go on a forest adventure to find a secret box of goodies. It’s all about experimentation, but you can always count on technology to give you and your kids a new reason to leave the couch behind and enjoy some time away from our screens.
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenniferJolly.