GoNoodle for Apple TV: Productive Screen Time Encourages Kids to be Active with Short Safe Videos (w. giveaway)

What do you do with antsy kids who have energy to burn and don’t want to bundle up to go outside in the winter months? Finding creative ways to keep kids active inside can be tricky but it doesn’t have to be thanks to GoNoodle for Apple TV. A popular tool to provide brain breaks for elementary ages during the school day in classrooms across the country, GoNoodle recently announced their Apple TV app for home use. This allows families to access GoNoodle’s two minute long dancing, running, yoga, and even mindfulness videos on new generation 4 Apple TVs.

About GoNoodle

Originally developed to help teachers give their students a brain and movement break, GoNoodle’s two minute videos for desk-side physical activity that get kids up and moving so they can better focus on their school work. Now GoNoodle is being used in 65,000 schools, by 450,000 teachers, and 9 million students who have engaged in 399 million minutes of activity as of October 2015. GoNoodle has proven to be so popular in schools (1 in 4 elementary teachers use it in their classroom!) that kids have asked to continue watching and moving to the videos at home.

With more than 2 million kids accessing GoNoodle content through their YouTube channel the new free GoNoodle app provides safe content that gets kids ages 3-12 up and moving. Using GoNoodle on Apple TV helps turn screen time into active time thanks to the apps interactive movement videos that kids can do alone or families can do together.

Using GoNoodle with your Apple TV

On your Apple TV, go to the App Store, and search “gonoodle.” After just a couple minutes of following the installation directions, you’re ready to play. Note that in order to access all features, an adult needs to activate the app with the email address associated with your Apple TV.

Once you’ve downloaded GoNoodle for Apple TV, choose among 14 different channels. There is content from familiar brands such as Zumba Kids, Kidz Bop, FRESHstart Fitness and YouTube but also plenty of other short videos that appeal to all interests. Take a look at the extensive list of channels and content available for free through GoNoodle!

• Awesome Sauce – 1-2 minute songs about cookies, brains, and kitty high fives whose animal superstars will also get kids laughing
• Game On!—2-10 minute interactive games that get you moving, breathing, and bouncing meatballs
• MooseTube—Sing and and move along with these 1-2 minute chants and cheers
• KooKoo Kangaroo— Spend 2-3 minutes dancing and sing along to ridiculous songs
• Empower Tools—Strengthen body, mind, and heart with these 3 minute empowering videos that help manage frustration, strengthen focus, relieve anxiety, and teach how to be kind to yourself.
• Think About It—Think, reflect, and set positive intentions for the day in 90 seconds or less. This is a great channel to use as you begin your day.
• Maximo—Rejuvenate with Maximo, a marvelous monkey, during these 3-4 minute stretch breaks
• Indoor Recess Movement Mega Mixes—These longer format mega mixes range in length between 7-15 minutes to provide kids with a chance to exercise during a longer break
• Run with Us— Run, jump, and throw in place with animated Olympians in these 3-4 minute track and field events.
• Brainercize- Challenge your body and brain with coordinated movements in under 2 minutes

For ideas on how to incorporate GoNoodle into your day, visit 10 Ways to Use GoNoodle at Home.

Parents who love GoNoodle for home can share 10 Ways to GoNoodle for Beginners, a helpful post that provides classroom teachers with different ways of incorporating content throughout their day to give kids a much needed brain break.

Features of GoNoodle App on Apple TV

• 15 MinuteMixes— Created to be used for specific purposes or times of day, parents will appreciate include Kick Start Your Day to wake up the kids and get them ready for the school day, Stress Buster that was created to help kids relieve stress, and Wind Down the Day to bring a sense a calm as your family transitions to bedtime.
• AutoPlay— Need a series of GoNoodle content to help you make that important phone call, prepare dinner, etc.? The Auto-Play feature plays one video after another.
• 30 Minute Warning— This feature reminds kids when they’ve been playing for 30 minutes and encourages them to take a break. I love that this feature helps kids be more mindful of their screen time!

Summary

GoNoodle’s short videos are safe content that provide a change of pace when kids sometimes need them the most. Since most GoNoodle content is only a few minutes in length, it’s easy to watch one or two and then move on to another activity without the dreaded battle that often comes with tearing your child away from something mid-episode. Helpful features make GoNoodle easy for parents to use at home without the guilt that’s often associated with screen time.

GoNoodle is a free app that is available for use with the new Apple TVs (generation 4). Earlier models of Apple TV only support Apple’s built in apps.

For more information, visit the:

• GoNoodle.com
• GoNoodle blog
• GoNoodle Facebook page
• @GoNoodle on Twitter
• GoNoodle channel on YouTube

GoNoodle Giveaway! Win a new Apple TV!

Since the Apple TV GoNoodle app works on the most recent version, GoNoodle wants to help keep your family active by giving a generation 4 Apple TV ($149 value) to  a Tech Savvy family.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Images courtesy of GoNoodle. No compensation was received for this post although GoNoodle did provide an Apple TV for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.