Motivating adults to work out is one thing. Motivating kids is a whole other beast.
However, Garmin is trying to tackle that beast by partnering with Disney and creating the vívofit jr. 2 activity tracker for kids.
Bands featuring designs with popular kid characters such as Minnie Mouse, BB-8 and Captain America will correspond with a mobile app adventure where children can compete missions to get to the next level and unlock new character step icons by completing at least 60 minutes of activity every day.
Kids can also challenge their friends through the Toe-to-Toe step challenge, which allows for kinds to initiate timed step competitions with their friends who also have vívofit jr. 2 devices.
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“The vívofit jr. 2 is all about making fitness fun for kids, instilling at a young age the joy of leading an active lifestyle,” Garmin president and CEO Cliff Pemble said in a statement. “We are honored to team up in such a unique way with Disney, tapping into the brilliance of their creative storytelling experts. Through collaborating across the brands of Disney, Star Wars and Marvel and infusing their characters and stories into our product and mobile app, we’re able to offer kids and their parents a gamified approach to fitness like no other.”
The bands, which are waterproof, features a customizable color screen, a 1+ year battery life and is available in two sizes — a stretchy band for smaller wrists or an adjustable band for older kids.
The screen, which is always on, displays the time, the date and reminders for kinds to stay active. It also tracks steps and sleep.
Parents can remained involved with this process through the band’s free companion app, which allows parents to review their child’s daily activities in addition to assign chores. Schedule alerts can be set up to remind their children when certain tasks must be completed.
“Disney is committed to creating healthier generations, and we’ve worked with Garmin to make healthy living fun with a wearable product featuring the characters and stories we know kids love,” Josh Silverman, executive vice president, global licensing, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, said in a statement. “By combining Garmin’s expertise in wearable technologies with Disney storytelling, we’re entering a category with the potential to influence the way kids stay active.”