Cool Zamzee Giveaway for Active Kids! – Review by Cara Potapshyn Meyers

Zamzee

Sedentary behavior and obesity are major problems of national importance. There are approximately 20 million tweens and young teens in the U.S. Research shows that sedentary behavior is putting these young people at risk for serious and seriously expensive long-term health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. It is very important that this trend be corrected.

Product overview

The Zamzee activity meter measures movement and connects to zamzee.com, where physical activity is translated into Pointz and rewards.

Upload your activity

Zamzee measures intensity of activity, not just steps. It is designed for kids, with their direct input and fits into a pocket or clips onto clothes.  The Zamzee will hold a charge for 2 weeks.

It has a built-in USB for data upload and charging (no cords!).

Your child can create an avatar at zamzee.com (kids under 13 need parental approval). Simply plug in the built-in USB and data uploads while the meter charges. Data is secure, and personal information is confidential. The Zamzee site is entirely COPPA compliant.

Track progress your online

An activity graph shows movement levels by day, by week, even by minute!
Pointz are awarded for movement and improvement to beat your average and earn bonus Pointz!

Family View lets parents view multiple users from one account, as well as total activity for the whole family!

My son tested out Zamzee several weeks ago. We had him put it in his pocket for safety and let him wear it all day. At various points throughout the day, we would look online to see what “Challenges” were offered. Since the Olympics were going on at the time, many of the challenges were Olympic related. Children were not expected, for example, to actually perform gymnastics. It was purely a fun, pretend way to get your child moving while trying to meet goals, earn points and ultimately Zamz $.

I have to admit, there were times when we did short challenges for 5 or 10 minutes together to see if I could keep up with my son! Since he is already a mini-athlete, he blew me away every time! But if we were at the park, we could choose a tennis challenge and practice our tennis moves while my son was accumulating points every time he moved. What a great way for the whole family to keep in shape together!

Once a timed challenge was over, we would plug the Zamzee into the USB port of my computer to see whether he met the requirements of the challenge. He met them just about every time! This, in turn, would motivate him to want to do more challenges!

There is also a portion of the screen called “Whams.” This portion allows you to pull down pre-created sentence parts to create either real or imaginary sentences where other children can read what you chose and “like” your sentence. It also helps you accumulate more points. An example would be, “Running with an alien and feeling great!”

Other kids can also request to be your “friend” and you can make requests of others. This way you can see how far others are achieving and you can try to “compete” with them!

I had a blast helping my son use the Zamzee website! I got excited every time we uploaded the Zamzee to see whether my son met a goal or challenge. I giggled as my son created “whams” that sounded silly. I was also excited when the screen would show that someone “liked” one of my son’s “whams” or requested to become a “friend.” And I saw exactly how active my son really was. What an eye opener that was for me! For my son, though, being active meant earning points and goals so that he could trade them in and “buy” various reward items! He saved up enough to purchase a decorative skin for his Zamzee to make it look even more cool!

Take on challenges, level up & more

With Zamzee you can also take challenges: adventure stories have chapters which can be unlocked by being more active.
Successfully completing a challenge boosts your Pointz total and can even earn you Zamz, the virtual currency of the Zamzee shops.

Level up, earn badges, climb the leader boards, personalize your avatar, tag your activity and more! 

Rewards for moving more

Earn Zamz, the virtual currency used in Zamzee shops, by taking challenges or accomplishing Goalz.
Parents can give kids extra motivation by funding $5, $10 or $20 Goalz.

Goalz make movement turn into Zamz faster than regular challenges.

Fast facts

What does Zamzee cost?

A Zamzee meter is $29.95 plus shipping.
There are Starter Kitz (meter + Skin + $5 Goal), Family Packz (discounts on multiple meters) and Bulk Packz (for large group orders) also available.

What colors does the Zamzee meter come in?

Blue, green, pink and black.
We also sell Skinz to enable users to further customize their meters.

What rewards can be purchased in the Zamzee shops?

Everything from gift cards to tech gadgets to charitable donations and more. The rewards catalogue is constantly updated with new items selected by the Zamzee team and based on feedback from Zamzee kids.

What are Goalz?

Goalz give kids incentives to move more like an allowance for physical activity. When kids move enough to reach a Goal they are rewarded with Zamz, which can be spent in the Zamzee shops. Goalz can be purchased for users by parents in $5, $10 or $20 increments as well.

How many Zamzee users are there?

Zamzee is currently in beta, with about 5,000 registered users as of June 2012. Zamzee pilots programs in collaboration with schools and community programs which are underway in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

When will Zamzee launch?

Zamzee is expected to launch in Fall 2012
The Zamzee beta program continues and is open to the public.

Want to win a Zamzee Giveaway? Send us an e-mail with your full name and mailing address and why you would like your child to win a Zamzee to [email protected]. Winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email.  Suggested age for a child using a Zamzee is 8+

Find out more, go to: zamzee.com 

Note: Thanks to Zamzee for providing a sample product and Give-away.  Cara Potapshyn Meyers and MotherhoodLater.com assume no liability relative to products reviewed in this blog.

Tags: active kids, Cara Potapshyn Meyers, challenges, online tracking, rewards, Zamzee