Look at These Great Apps for Springing into Healthy Habits
by
PSN Team 
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Warmer weather means outdoor exploration and fun. Check out some apps that can help your child and family develop healthy habits this spring that are also creative, exciting, and educational.
Check Out These Great Apps for Springing into Healthy Habits
Spring is just around the corner, which means a shift from indoor to outdoor activities for many of us!
As days grow longer and temperatures inch upward, our mind shifts from inactive hibernation to activity mode. This is a natural time to think about your child’s overall wellness.
Are you and your family moving your bodies every day?
Drinking enough water so you will stay hydrated in the warmer temps?
We have some apps that make building and practicing healthy habits fun and a reminder of how to search for apps that fit your and your child’s unique needs on your own using our FREE app search tool.
For creative ways to get moving, GoNoodle—Kids Videos has been a trusted website and app used by teachers and parents for years now.
Since they have so many fun, FREE videos, this app is a way to get kids (and grownups) of all ages up and moving.
No matter what the skill level, the entire family can have a fun dance party with catchy tunes like “Pop See Ko,” “Peanut Butter in a Cup,” and many more!
Another helpful app for finding videos geared towards getting kids moving or just relaxing while enjoying something they are interested in is YouTube Kids.
GoNoodle & YouTube Kids only include “kid-friendly” videos, so you can feel safe letting your child explore the apps without worrying they will stumble across inappropriate content.
Take The Fun Outside
When you are ready to get outside, try taking an app like PictureThis—Plant Identifier with you. This app is simple to use.
Just point your device’s camera at a plant, take a picture, and start learning!
It is an interactive way to learn about plants you see while strolling in the park or your neighborhood and to figure out problems with plants around your house or yard that may not be thriving.
One way to get your child involved is by asking them to be your “nature photographer,” taking pictures of plants, trees, flowers, and even grass and then learning more about it.
For teens working on transition skills, think about having your teen take responsibility for caring for a plant.
Activities can be adjusted based on ability and can be wonderful for developing skills such as following step-by-step instructions, understanding the weather, and following a calendar.
Lastly, no matter where you are getting your exercise, either during an inside dance party or a walk outside, we all know it is essential for our health to stay hydrated.
The app Plant Nanny Cute Water Tracker can be a helpful way to track how much water your child drinks by helping an animated plant “grow” each time you track water during the day.
To search for more health and wellness apps on BridgingApps:
- Go to the homepage at search.bridgingapps.org.
- Use the search bar to enter keywords related to health and wellness.
- If you are unsure of a search term, select the “Health & Safety” section, which includes apps for General Health & Safety, Medication Management, Mental Health, and more.
If you are unsure where to start, you can also always browse our curated app lists for inspiration. Happy exploring!
GoNoodle – Kids Videos
By: GoNoodle, Inc.
GoNoodle is a free app that is full of educational, fun, family-friendly videos of sing-a-longs, yoga, stretching, and more. Check out a fun new take on “Hand Jive”, “Boom Chicka Boom”, “Pop See Ko”, and much more! There is surely something to please everyone’s taste in music and games on this app. It is a great app for a quick “brain break” from challenging school or work tasks or to be used as an “ice breaker” when getting a new group together.
Price: Free
YouTube Kids
By Google, Inc.
With YouTube Kids parents can customize the user settings and turn the search feature off, which is a great option to keep kids safe. Developers use a mix of filters, user feedback and human reviewers to keep the videos in YouTube Kids family friendly. No system is perfect, so YouTube Kids is constantly working to improve safeguards and offer more features to help parents create the right experience.
Price: FREE
Plant Nanny Cute Water Tracker
By SPARKFUL INC.
Plant Nanny² is a cute, colorful and fun app for tracking how much water you drink — each glass also waters the app’s plants so you both can thrive. Every day you can collect and take care of little plants to get hydrated and grow together.
Price: FREE | Offers In-App Purchases
PictureThis – Plant Identifier
By Glority Global Group Ltd.
Picture this is a free app that allows the use of your device’s camera to instantly identify plants. Users are not only given the name of the plant, but also tips for caring for the plant and beautiful plant pictures from around the world. Great companion to a walk through the neighborhood or park!
Price: FREE | Offers In-App Purchases
Check out the BridgingApps App Search Tool to search for apps, create lists, and even share them.
BridgingApps, a program of Easter Seals Greater Houston, is a community of parents, therapists, doctors, and teachers who share information about mobile device use with people with special needs.
Amy Fuchs is the Program Manager at BridgingApps and a former special education teacher. Amy Barry is the Digital Marketing Lead at BridgingApps and is the mother of five children.
Cristen Reat is a co-founder of BridgingApps and a mother who found success using a mobile device with her younger son, who has multiple disabilities. We share a passion for using mobile technology to enhance the lives of people of all ages with disabilities.
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- Apps for Adventure
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This post originally appeared on our March/April 2015 Magazine
