Want your kids to go outside and play? There’s an app for that. Leveraging the power of technology to encourage activity that isn’t actually linked to a mobile device or computer is Springfree Trampoline, which has partnered with a new outdoor digital gaming company named tgoma (which stands for “take gaming outside and make it active”). The “world’s safest trampoline” now comes complete with an app that turns the whole jumping experience into an interactive gaming system that encourages kids to be active.
The new integration comes at a time when children are spending 60 hours every week consuming media, and less than 60 minutes playing outside. But with Springfree featuring tgoma, the two companies hope to harness the younger generation’s passion for interactive gaming and competition, and turn it into a physical outdoor activity.
“Our goal is to shift kids’ behavior from indoor sedentary play to outdoor active play,” said tgoma founder Steve Holmes. “Instead of fighting technology, it’s about leveraging it to transform ‘screen time’ from an isolating, sedentary activity to a healthful, engaging experience for the entire family.”
So how does it work? Springfree featuring tgoma incorporates specialized sensor technology on the trampoline that directly integrates with the users’ own tablet device — these sensors, located around the edge of the trampoline, send data via Bluetooth to a connected tablet. Users simply have to attach their tablet to the tgoma tablet holder, which can accommodate any tablet between 7 and 11 inches in size, and hangs on the Springfree safety enclosure. The tablet can then be connected to the tgoma controller by way of Bluetooth, and families can get started with a game from the app.
tgoma’s outdoor interactive gaming system comes complete with seven interactive games, like Alien Stomp, based on whack-a-mole; 2048, “for older jumpers and adults to exercise the body while exercising the mind; and tgomaFit, which lets jumpers “transform the trampoline into an interactive exercise experience and access jump stats, set goals, and view energy burned.”
So if you’re looking for a way to get the kids outside again, consider getting a trampoline that is not only safe, but smart too.