10 Apps to Get Kids Moving and Grooving
There is no doubt about it that kids use iPhone and iPads. In fact, there are some scary, eye-opening statistics regarding media use and children:
- ages 8-10 spend about 6 hours per day in front of a screen for entertainment
- ages 11-14 spend about 9 hours per day in front of a screen for entertainment
- ages 15-18 spend about 7.5 hours per day in front of a screen for entertainment
Pediatric therapists, parents, and teachers should be encouraging children to have at least one hour of physical activity each day and only 1-2 hours of screen time. Be creative during screen time and add in some physical activity. Here are 10 iphone apps to get kids moving and grooving (this post contains affiliate links):
1. Pokemon GO – This is the TOP app in the app store and it sure does get you moving and walking. You have to explore different areas collecting virtual pokemon. Your phone will vibrate when the Pokemon is close by and you throw a virtual ball at it to capture it.
2. Toca Dance – You can create different dancers, stages and dance moves with the characters. Once created, see if you can copy the same moves.
3. NFL Play 60 – Can you run fast? Jump high? Turn quick? Collect coins, get football and heart power-ups, earn boosters, collect stars and get free stuff! You run, jump, and turn WHILE HOLDING YOUR DEVICE and your character does the same. You move and your character moves on screen.
4. Sworkit Kids – Turn Fitness into a game with your children with customizable workouts for Strength, Agility, and Flexibility! No matter where you are, every moment is an opportunity to get active and have fun getting fit.
5. Kids Yogaverse I am Love – This beautifully hand-drawn Kids Yogaverse app incorporates 13 yoga poses for children demonstrated by children. Get ready to open your heart, expand your mind and reveal that YOU are the real treasure to love.
6. Super Stretch Yoga – Move, play and breathe as Super Stretch introduces you to his friends and their 12 yoga poses.
7. Fitness Kids – Contains 25 animated exercises that can be performed independently or in groups. Each exercise has buttons for music, movement, and speed.
8. GoNoodle Kids – GoNoodle Kids is all about getting kids moving with screen-time parents can feel good about. GoNoodle videos are designed to get kids up and moving, every time! These are perfect for in class brain breaks too!
9. Iron Kids – IronKids provides everything a young athlete needs to safely and effectively build strength, balance, and fitness; prepare to excel in sport, and keep playing by preventing injury. Includes video instruction on 9 exercises to work the core, upper body, and lower body; strength training pointers; and tools to create custom workouts.
10. Classroom Fitness Bundle – This video collection includes dancing, cross training and yoga. They are simple to follow videos to encourage motor planning and physical activity.
Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Screen Time vs Lean Time. Retrieved on 7/27/17 from https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dch/multimedia/infographics/getmoving.html
If you need more activities to get kids moving off their devices check out all of our themed sensory motor downloads, brain breaks, yoga for kids and even more sensory motor activities.