The LeapBand lets kids personalize a virtual pet: they can pick from eight pets in five colors, using preselected names.
First, a colored band around the edge of the 1.4-inch screen inches along so you can see your progress, but it doesn’t just go around the screen once per day. It makes up to 10 laps (driven by physical activity and interacting with the LeapBand), changing colors each time. Kids also earn toys for their pets to play with, and energy gems called Joules that fill a treasure chest. Over time they even unlock the other 7 pets, and can level those pets up to get fancier track suits.
Besides the activity meter, the LeapBand has built-in activity challenges to get kids moving. Wiggle like a worm for 10 seconds! Dance like a chicken! With a friendly voice giving instructions over the built-in speaker, and only four buttons on the watch itself, it’s easy for kids who can’t read yet to figure out what to do.
Because kids need a little quiet time between running around shrieking, the watch has some calmer activities too—every fourth activity challenge is a “cool down” challenge. And just like a Tamagotchi, your pet needs nurturing: it’ll get hungry or tired or need a bath, and kids can take care of those needs to make it happy again. There are also some minigames that teach healthy living concepts, like eating fruits and vegetables.