Sean Fyfe The Playtime Apps Interview

Sean Fyfe The Playtime Apps Interview

www.skillforkids.com, a Brisbane-based website aimed at giving parents practical knowledge and advice to help them nurture healthy kids and combat the growing problem of childhood obesity, has launched a series of 99 cent Apps for iPhone and iPad through the App store.

The Playtime Apps target parents of children aged 0-2, 2-4 and 4-6 and together boast over 300 videos full of practical advice and step-by-step games and activities you can play with your children to encourage their physical development – and ward off childhood obesity.

www.skillforkids.com's founder, physiotherapist and tennis coach Sean Fyfe, believes the Apps will become invaluable tools for time-poor parents.

'Every parent wants to do the best for their kids," said Mr Fyfe, 'But these days there's so much conflicting information – or no information at all – so of course it's hard for parents to know what they should be doing. Instead of bombarding people with complex articles, these Apps give them short, age-appropriate videos they can watch anywhere that demonstrate practical and fun games and exercises they can do with their kids to ensure they hit their developmental milestones and encourage them to be active and healthy."

Along with the videos, each App also boasts a timeline to help give parents a guide as to what physical milestones their kids should be reaching by when.

'Our goal with each of these Apps is to give parents a really simple, practical, fun tool they can use anywhere, anytime to help keep their kids healthy." Mr Fyfe concluded.

WATCH heaps of entertaining videos filled with practical advice and play activities you can do with your child to encourage their health and physical development in a fun way.

SEARCH videos based on age, activity style and much more.

ADD VIDEOS TO FAVOURITES so you can easily re-watch without searching.

EXPLORE our timeline of developmental milestones – a great guide to what physical milestones your child should be reaching when.

Interview with Sean Fyfe

Question: Why did you decide to create SkillsForKids?

Sean Fyfe: Skillforkids was created in response to young kids declining development of early motor skills, the building blocks of sport, along with their physical activity levels. Parents need a resource they can use along their journey as parents to nurture their kid's skills and healthy development. The better parents and caregivers understand development, the better placed they are to help desirable traits and skills emerge over time. Skillforkids gives parents the underlying knowledge as well as the practical games and activities so they can be proactive in their children's physical and psychological development.

Question: Can you tell us about the new app that targets child health and obesity?

Sean Fyfe: The playtime app series consists of three apps – Playtime 0-2 years, Playtime 2-4 years and Playtime 4-6 years. There are two standout features of the apps. The first is the milestone section that lets users very easily track when and what skills should be emerging, and the second is the hundreds of videos of age appropriate skill building games and activities that parents can do with their kids during playtime. By proactively engaging kids in fun physical activity experiences, parents can establish early lifestyle habits as well as develop their kids building block skills of sport.


Question: Why did you decide to create this app?

Sean Fyfe: We have our extensive website, but we wanted something even simpler that parents could have with them all the time and be able to quickly access anytime.


Question: How did you physiotherapist and tennis coaching background help in creating these health apps?

Sean Fyfe: Over many years of coaching, unfortunately I have seen an increasing number of kids beginning to play sport around the age of six years without a foundation in their motor skills. Without these motor skills, kids ability to learn and enjoy sport becomes very difficult. So in effect, there are way too many kids who aren't being provided the experiences in the early years of life that will allow them to make sport and physical activity a big part of their life.

My background in health through physiotherapy, has given me firsthand knowledge of the long-term effects of physical inactivity on so many facets of the human body and mind. It has also given me a basis to study and work with so many other health professionals and coaches in developing www.skillforkids.com.


Question: What is the main motivation behind the app?

Sean Fyfe: The motivation is to really make a difference. There is so much terrific research that has and is being done on the importance of the early years in life in determining long term behavioral and health outcomes. But so much of this research is yet to really have an impact on those who are in a position to truly act on it and make a difference. So we feel as though the apps really do get great information and ideas to parents in a very user friendly and engaging way.


Question: How does the app encourage physical development?
Sean Fyfe: The playtime apps are completely different to apps designed for kids that involve kids sitting still being electronically amused. These apps help parents get their kids moving, learning and becoming stronger and fitter - real cornerstones of healthy child development.


Question: Who is the app targeted to?

Sean Fyfe: The apps have been created for parents of young kids. We have the three apps for the three different age groups – 0-2 years, 2-4 years and 4-6 years. But also we have some great feedback from other caregivers like early childhood teachers who are using the apps.


Question: How is progress tracked with this app?

Sean Fyfe: Kids progress can be tracked by using the milestone section of the app. Parents can flick through and see for example that by 18 months toddlers can start to kick a ball on the ground, then at 3 years they can start to kick and catch, by 4 years they can run and dribble the ball with the feet, and by 6 years perform all the skills that allow them to play soccer successfully. Parents can track how all their different skills develop.

Along the way, they can also select the age of their child and bring up all the videos of activities that are developmentally appropriate for their child's age.


Question: Why did you decide to price the apps at only 99cents?

Sean Fyfe: Our aim is to get more kids active, skillful and developing in a healthy way of which sports participation is a big part. So 99 cents means that the apps are accessible to absolutely everyone. And if more parents are using the apps, the more kids are being engaged in active learning experiences which will leave a positive and lasting impression on who they become as people.


Question: What are the best things about the app?
Sean Fyfe: The best thing is how user friendly they are. That's what we spent so long developing and we're very happy that people are finding them so simple and easy to use. Most parents are time poor and need things that fit seamlessly into their lives, and that's what we wanted to create with the apps.


Interview by Brooke Hunter