Currently working on a free Android pedometer app for encouraging children to exercise, any thoughts / suggestions ?

[laurie79]

I’m currently working with some friends on a free gamified pedometer application for Android smartphones to encourage children to walk more, and get more exercise. I know there is a lot of pedometer apps out there.

The app would be aimed would be mainly aimed at the childrens market ( 12+ years ) with

• accurate step tracking
• daily goals
• award badges for daily goals achieved and distances walked
• location based badges for visiting local parks and places of interest
• social features to add a level of friendly competition against friends and family members
• with the ability to earn vouchers for money off local retailers/cinema chains.
• all data would be anonymized and protected, and no data would be shared with private companies
• there would be no in-app purchases

We were hoping to encourage children to walk more, explore the local parks & city with their parents, and promote local independent retailers.

We just wanted to gauge opinion if this app would be something people would use? And if they had any suggestions or thoughts ?
Laurie

Problem is that only rich kids will have suitable 3G phones, I think? So you'd be marketing at an already privileged group.

We were given some cheap free clip-on pedometers at a Health Fair recently. 2 of them broke quickly & other one seems inaccurate.

My 6yo Adores his & checks it obsessively. My 12yo would have absolutely zero interest.

Since age 12+ has trouble using public space without being called anti-social hooligans, I think a better thing to do would be to provide an activity which involves some walking to reach it and then gives them a space to use as they like. This is why skate parks can work so brilliantly.

The other possibility is like a mini-Strava but for walking & boys. I know how passionate my husband & his peers are for Strava (cycling), so something similar for teens might have a glimmer of a chance (must have a competitive element). Needs to record climbing and could be used to attract runners, each defining their own segment (maybe this already exists?). My 14yo might go for that, actually. But not only as a smartphone app, something accessible online too, especially if it could tie into the Garmin we already have or Apple products, too.

DD's school gave them all pedometers (3-18) the senior girls never really engaged, juniors were excited for one week only infants were engaged for the whole five weeks. There were weekly prizes for best girl, class and year. They also shook the pedometers to get higher readings. Based on 500 girls I would say engagement will be fairly low.

Information! Provide them a proper analysis of their movements for the day, their speed, their distance covered and so on.

Don't dumb it down just because it's for kids.