The transition of wearables into a child’s model was nearly inevitable, and this device will launch in August.
As wearable technology just starts to take off among adult consumers in the form of smartwatches and fitness trackers, LeapFrog has now announced that it will be joining the wearables race by adding its own device, specifically for kids, to the available mix.
As kids are more comfortable with mobile devices than their parents, these wearables represent an opportunity.
Unlike in previous generations, for kids, mobile devices have been around for their entire lifetimes, making them an age group that is most likely to naturally accept and adopt the latest evolutions, such as wearable technology. LeapFrog is jumping – so to speak – on this opportunity and is betting that parents will be willing to spend $40 on a digital wristband for their kids. These new wearables will be released in August by the creator of the popular educational electronics brand for kids.
This new wearable technology device for children is meant to be worn as a form of health tracker.
The company is hoping that these wearables will take off and will help to breathe some life back into their drooping stock price. The device will be called the LeapBand, and it is meant to be worn by kids between the ages of 4 and 7. When it is turned on, it encourages children to become more active in a fun and engaging way.
While worn, the LeapBand tells children to “pop like popcorn” or it may tell them to “wiggle like a worm”. Once the activity is accomplished, the child is assigned points. Those points can later be used in order to unlock certain game features that are also available within this wristband. For example, after having accumulated a certain number of points, the wearer can use them to redeem a virtual pet. This can be a typical pet animal such as a dog or a cat, or something a bit less common like a donkey. It can even include a unicorn. As more points are built up by the children, the kids are given additional ways in which to interact with their virtual pets.
The wearable technology gamifies fitness for kids, but provides parents for parents who can track and monitor the activity levels of their kids and who can select from a list of physical challenges that they feel are appropriate.
