The team of researcher and colleagues from Cornell University have developed a series of free, evidence-based apps for preschool-aged children. The aim of the applications is to encourage beneficial behaviours such as healthy eating and exercise among kids.

As per the study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, a great number of parents have informed that the apps have helped their kids in trying new foods and also raise their activity level.

Associate Professor of Nutrition in the College of Human Ecology Laura Bellows said, “Screens aren’t going away. We want to substitute for sedentary screen time and give children active screen time instead.” Prof Bellows co-authored 'Engaging Preschoolers in Food Tasting and Movement Activities Using Mobile Apps' with first author and a postdoctoral associate at Cornell Ligia Reyes. Additional coauthors include Barbara Chamberlin, a PhD of New Mexico State University and Susan L. Johnson, a PhD of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Parents/ guardians can download the set of 04 distinct apps 'Foods and Moves' from the Google Play and Apple app store. Through the apps, kids direct the cartoon monsters and animated human preschoolers to try new foods which boost their indoor activity through Tasting Party Express, Spin-n-Move, Jungle Gym 1, and Jungle Gym 2.

The objective is to encourage physical activity and initiate new food and movement-based vocabulary.

Majority of the parents observed that their kids continued streaming the apps in after years and 80% of parents informed to recommend these apps to other parents.

Source: cornell.edu