These days, you have to find a balance between letting your kid enjoy technology and teaching them the value of an active, healthy lifestyle. But the two don't have to be mutually exclusive.
Using the right gadgets, games and apps can make the difference between your child becoming a couch potato or a fitness enthusiast. Try these tech tools to keep them active, even when they're indulging in a little screen time.
Kurbo
$75/month on Apple and Android 1 of 6
This food and activity-tracking app helps kids eat healthier and lose weight by teaching them to make smarter food choices rather than count calories, which can be dangerous for children. Kurbo features games, a progress screen and "Krunch" challenges designed to empower kids ages 8 to 18 to increase their intake of healthy foods and decrease their intake of unhealthy options.
A full Kurbo subscription also comes with a live human coach specifically assigned to each user. Coaches check in with subscribers once a week via phone or video call to provide support, motivation and personalized recommendations.
Sworkit Kids
Free for Apple and Android 2 of 6
This free fitness app offers customizable workouts for kids that focus on strength, agility and flexibility. Sworkit Kids features videos of exercise demonstrations by kids, and workouts can be broken down into segments of 5 minutes and up.
Based on Sworkit (which stands for Simply WORK IT), a popular fitness app for adults, the Kids version aims to help children between the ages of 5 to 14 achieve the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
UNICEF Kid Power Bands
$39.99 3 of 6
The UNICEF Kid Power Band is an activity tracker with an educational twist. Kids learn about new cultures as they complete missions in the companion app. Celebrity athlete team members such as Alex Morgan, Tyson Chandler and David Ortiz lead the missions as kids earn points by completing activities and challenges.
Kids can then use those points to unlock therapeutic food packets that UNICEF delivers to needy children around the world, allowing kids to make a positive change in the world while improving their personal well-being at the same time.
Nabi Compete
$39 4 of 6
Sold in pairs, the Nabi Compete is an activity tracker that encourages a little friendly competition. Kids can take on friends and family with a variety of activity challenges based on real landmarks, like climbing the Eiffel Tower or walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Kids can also work together towards fitness goals such as completing a marathon or burning off an entire buffet-worth of calories. Users also earn points by completing challenges, which can be used to unlock and feed virtual pets within the companion app.
Active Video Games
Prices vary 5 of 6
Whether your kid is interested in sports, dancing or just general fitness, there's no shortage of options out there to keep them (or you) active while getting their video game fix.
Games like "Just Dance," "Wii Sports" and "Active NFL Training Camp" help players work up a sweat without leaving the house. These are also great for bad weather days that limit outdoor activity options.
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