How Tech Tools Can Help Teach Kids Healthy Habits
From wristbands that track physical activity to Twitter chats on food issues, technological advances are creating new tools to help kids, families, and schools learn about healthy habits and fight childhood obesity. Too much screen time can take kids away from physical activities, so we rounded up five innovative ways technology can be integrated into family and school routines that can make eating healthy and exercising more fun:
Washington students wear special wristbands to track their movement
This year, fifth graders in Washington’s Snohomish County are wearing Gear Up & Go PowerPod wristbands to track their physical activity. The students then sync their wristbands to computers and can compare exercise scores with their friends. Since their launch, the wristbands have sparked friendly competition between kids and motivated them to ride their bikes and run around outside. On a larger scale, the county can use the data to see when and where kids are exercising – and use this information as inspiration for future health initiatives. Read the full story from KomoNews.com: http://bit.ly/1fBuX7b
Weekly #FoodFri Twitter chats provide healthy tips for parents & educators
Every Friday at 1pm EDT, MomsRising hosts a #FoodFri Twitter chat around a relevant topic relating to school food food marketing to children, or another nutrition-related topic. Recent themes include “Get Food Education in Every School” with Chef Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, and “Energy Drinks, Are They Healthy” with the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Learn more about #FoodFri here: http://bit.ly/1bNGsSc. You can also check out past #FoodFri insights on Twitter, and read a recap of the chat we hosted back in September.
The USDA encourages innovators to design apps to help kids exercise more and eat healthier
In 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a challenge to come up with “fun and engaging software tools and games that drive children to eat better and be more physically active.” The winner was a free digital tool called “Pick Chow!” that enabled kids to “create” virtual meals and immediately see the nutritional value of the different foods. Check out “Pick Chow!” here and learn more about the USDA challenge here.
Students use iPads to aid healthy school lunch taste tests
Students in a California school district can easily cast their votes on healthy school lunch taste tests via an iPad. Their votes and results are sent directly to the nutrition director, who can use the information to craft student-approved meals and snacks. Some of the nutritious foods students tried include pot roast, sweet potato muffins and cherry fruit pockets. Read the full story from the Press-Enterprise: http://bit.ly/Io3wzf
Online cookbooks make planning healthy meals easier than ever
The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently released a digital cookbook with 20 kid-friendly, healthy recipes ranging from oat squares to sesame tofu to fruit kebabs. You can even open the cookbook on your mobile phone when you’re doing your grocery shopping to get the ingredients you’ll need for the recipes.
What technology helps you keep your family or students healthy? Tweet us @BagtheJunk, write on our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.