Fisher-Price Makes Exercise Bike For Kids With Tablet Holder

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Is this really where the world is heading? What ever happened to "go outside and play?" Or limiting your kid's use of games, tablets and consoles so they don't turn into a couch potato?

“Inspired by the insight that preschoolers learn best and retain more when they’re active and having a good time, we’ve reimagined the Think & Learn Smart Cycle for a new generation of children,” said Nitya Madhavan, vice president of marketing for Fisher-Price. “We hope today’s families will be excited for this platform that channels preschoolers’ energy and their fascination with technology to make learning fun!”
 
'Go out and play' is a nice thought, but given that most parents just let their computers/tablets/phones raise their kids these days I really don't see how this is a bad thing.

They should make it so that the tablet only activates while the kid is peddling and is otherwise unusable.
 
See, I view this as not so much a "get more excercise" thing, but more of a "you are insanely fidgety and spun most of the time so here's a fun way to burn off some of that extra energy before bed" thing, but my toddler raising experiences might be unique.
 
LOL.. and just last night i was researching treadmill desks for my boss for use at work..
 
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This would've been great for this kid I sorta baby sat for the past couple months. His parents were too busy and scared to let him outside due to busy city traffic and his energy levels were just too high even for martial arts tournaments (which I was uncomfortable with, as he bashed his head one too many times because of it) plus he was learning how to ride a bike and we very slowly rode around the block only a couple times, not nearly enough to gain experience or burn off energy...
 
This isn't actually such a terrible idea for people raising kids in dense cities, the bike should power the tablet though.

You couldn't have paid me to raise my horde in the city.
 
This would've been great for this kid I sorta baby sat for the past couple months. His parents were too busy and scared to let him outside due to busy city traffic and his energy levels were just too high even for martial arts tournaments (which I was uncomfortable with, as he bashed his head one too many times because of it) plus he was learning how to ride a bike and we very slowly rode around the block only a couple times, not nearly enough to gain experience or burn off energy...
You must not spend a lot of time with kids otherwise. Kid's heads are pretty much attracted to hard objects, constant head bashing is an inevitability.

As far as this device goes...this might be good for families that live in very dense urban areas where "outside" means a sidewalk or a park 2 miles away and you just need the kid to burn off that extra energy. My son only has one mode: RUN EVERYWHERE, it's rather hard to tire the kid out. Luckily we have a back yard so I don't see myself buying this anytime soon.
 
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Yea, he had no "backyard", this was in a downtown in southeast asia, just a curb along side the street... it didn't help that it was raining practically every day...

WTF?
 
Most places, even posh-cushy suburbs have a hard and fast rule about "going outside to play" i.e. If you're not being a helicopter parent, then you're being an negligent parent and you can expect an investigation from the department of children and families or social services asking why your child was allowed to be outside. When I was a child, playing outside was just this expected okay thing. As an adult with children, i know at least 3 other families who've had the "parent police" called on them because their kids were outside playing in the backyard with no visible parental supervision (sitting in a lawn chair or watching through windows facing the backyard while you cook dinner/do dishes no longer counts these days).

The world is now a place where if the expectations of other are not met, than the government agencies designed to protect children will be leveraged against parents / babysitters as if there were eminent abuse afoot. It's disgusting.

I don't agree that the world needs an exercise bike for a 2 year old with a tablet attached, however I do understand parents' who have no desire to have their children taken away for letting them go outside and play surrounded by neighbors who'd rather call the police than the parent to make sure everything is okay. This product is just as much a reaction to scared parents as it is to lazy parents as it is to urban/city life. Outside of places like Alaska or Montana, I don't see anyone being able to "play outside" without someone calling the cops for one reason or another under the age of 16 or so, and even then... I'm not so sure.
 
Most places, even posh-cushy suburbs have a hard and fast rule about "going outside to play" i.e. If you're not being a helicopter parent, then you're being an negligent parent and you can expect an investigation from the department of children and families or social services asking why your child was allowed to be outside. When I was a child, playing outside was just this expected okay thing. As an adult with children, i know at least 3 other families who've had the "parent police" called on them because their kids were outside playing in the backyard with no visible parental supervision (sitting in a lawn chair or watching through windows facing the backyard while you cook dinner/do dishes no longer counts these days).

The world is now a place where if the expectations of other are not met, than the government agencies designed to protect children will be leveraged against parents / babysitters as if there were eminent abuse afoot. It's disgusting.

I don't agree that the world needs an exercise bike for a 2 year old with a tablet attached, however I do understand parents' who have no desire to have their children taken away for letting them go outside and play surrounded by neighbors who'd rather call the police than the parent to make sure everything is okay. This product is just as much a reaction to scared parents as it is to lazy parents as it is to urban/city life. Outside of places like Alaska or Montana, I don't see anyone being able to "play outside" without someone calling the cops for one reason or another under the age of 16 or so, and even then... I'm not so sure.
I keep hearing of this, yet I have yet to actually experience this parent gestapoland for myself...and I live in a rather affluent suburb. I let my kid run around to his hearts content in the yard with either me or my wife just watching through the window every now and then. If we're at a park, I just watch him from a bench.
 
Bingo.

But hey this could be an interesting idea for people who live in the northern states (AKA the arctic tundra) and the kids are snowed in.

Those kids in the artic tundra are probably the least likly to need this product. They are out clubbing seals or working a trap line, it's the rest of the states that go into panic mode when a snow flake falls.
 
Is this really where the world is heading? What ever happened to "go outside and play?" Or limiting your kid's use of games, tablets and consoles so they don't turn into a couch potato?

“Inspired by the insight that preschoolers learn best and retain more when they’re active and having a good time, we’ve reimagined the Think & Learn Smart Cycle for a new generation of children,” said Nitya Madhavan, vice president of marketing for Fisher-Price. “We hope today’s families will be excited for this platform that channels preschoolers’ energy and their fascination with technology to make learning fun!”

You can't monetize "go outside and play".
 
Is this really where the world is heading? What ever happened to "go outside and play?" Or limiting your kid's use of games, tablets and consoles so they don't turn into a couch potato?

“Inspired by the insight that preschoolers learn best and retain more when they’re active and having a good time, we’ve reimagined the Think & Learn Smart Cycle for a new generation of children,” said Nitya Madhavan, vice president of marketing for Fisher-Price. “We hope today’s families will be excited for this platform that channels preschoolers’ energy and their fascination with technology to make learning fun!”
Steve, nobody is trying to stop kids from becoming bike potatoes.
 
This certainly has uses, like stated for people that live in dense urban areas or even for families that live in apartments/condos and for times when weather doesn't permit outside play (we just had a cold snap end a few weeks ago that approached -40 with wind chill lol) this is a great way to get them to burn energy without driving you up the wall :p
 
Make it so the tablet only works if they're peddling

I think that's the point, racing games except you pedal to go. This is no different than the driving games that were learning based, except this is better because the kid now has to put in some effort.

I think H got the wrong angle on this toy again.
 
My daughter would love this. I ride my indoor bike trainer in the winter because its too cold to ride outside. She could join me and have fun while copying daddy things.
 
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If they start now, think of how many merits they'll have by the time they have to report to their assigned stations!
 
My bro is in a federal job and they wouldn't even approve of a standing desk. Basically he is forced to sit, even if he wanted to stand.
To be fair, I only know one person with a standing desk, and he made an incredible transformation (dropped from 380lbs+ to just under 250).
But the standing desk is at home obviously.
 
I'm surprised it doesn't have a motor to run itself, plus 12oz can and french fry holders built in. 'MURICA
 
My bro is in a federal job and they wouldn't even approve of a standing desk. Basically he is forced to sit, even if he wanted to stand.
To be fair, I only know one person with a standing desk, and he made an incredible transformation (dropped from 380lbs+ to just under 250).
But the standing desk is at home obviously.
Strange, I work with the feds quite a bit and I know many civil service engineers with standing desks. Might just be local leadership being a bunch of cockbags.
 
Standing desks aren't that much more healthy though than regular desks where you sit all day. The health benefits come from moving.
 
You know, I'm pretty sure my first kid had something like this - I'm almost positive it was a stationery bike that could connect to a TV like a games console. I remember plugging in cartridges into it and everything (think it was a VTech).
 
Standing desks aren't that much more healthy though than regular desks where you sit all day. The health benefits come from moving.
Perhaps, but a lot (most?) standing desks can convert to a standard desk, so you can go back and forth.
 
I love going for walks and seeing the scenery. Things are so beautiful outside. Even in the city, there are some really cool things. You just have to take the time to look.

Sometimes, you can see bald eagles up in a tree. Or a fawn standing in the trees. Or just some really cool waterfall. Or even just some old guy on his last breath smelling the roses at a streetside shop.

For me, stop and smell the roses is a good thing. When I go for a walk, my phone is put up (I keep it with me, just in case). I don't look at it, I don't play with it.

That, and the more manly situational awareness. I can sneak up on my wife, scare her and a few seconds later she'll ask "huh?". Too engrossed in her texts...
 
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