We all hear about how (nearly) everyone these days is overweight and out of shape…including many of our kids. GeoPalz comes along as a way to get kids active and moving. I was able to get a couple of my kids trying out the GeoPalz pedometers and website the past few weeks.
Photo by Russ Neumeier
Each GeoPalz pedometer (typically a $19.95 cost) comes with a serial number. You can order online or look for a store in your neck o’ the woods where they might be carried. There are several themes of GeoPalz pedometers to help fit the personality/interests of your child.
Once your child has their pedometer, you go to geopalz.com, register the serial number with a login and password and your child can track their cumulative steps for a list of prizes. A parent’s email address is required for registration and the parent has to confirm the registration. Also as the parent, if you like you can get several emails letting you know your childs’ progress, weekly stats, etc.
Each 2,500 steps earns 1 Geopalz point. What are the points used for?
The goal is to get the kids motivated to walk/run/be active with the GeoPalz pedometer and earn prizes with each point earned—which can include GeoPalz-branded hacky-sacks, flying discs, footballs, or store gift cards. Both kids are shooting for a $10 Target gift card (199 points or nearly 500,000 steps). They’ve been jumping, running, and wiggling to make their pedometer gain more points.
So, the GeoPalz world works this way—you buy a GeoPalz branded pedometer (for $19.95) or provide your own pedometer when registering (for $14.95) and the kids earn points towards their prizes. Once a prize is earned, the parents will pay between $0.50 and $3.50 for shipping/handling of the physical prizes.
The kids can also earn virtual motivational awards (like tracking steps for 5 days in a row or reaching 10,000 steps) to keep them working toward their goal.
Where are we at? Full disclosure: the GeoPalz team sent me two sets of GeoPalz pedometers for review. Why? The first set were lost (one within less than a day) before we could register them. The kids didn’t even realize the pedometers had slipped off their waistbands/belts.
The youngest two are being more careful with the second set but still have fun working to get more points than the other. Neither (yet) have earned enough points for their prize. The unanswered question: will the kids’ enthusiasm last long enough to earn the prizes?
Wired: fun way to get kids active; lots of opportunity to get info from GeoPalz for the parents; the pedometers can be an expression of the child’s personality.
Tired: expensive pedometers slip off easily, bring your own pedometer and you save $5, parents pay shipping/handling for prizes earned.
