FitBit Garden: A Mobile Game Designed to Increase Physical Activity in Children

Abstract

In this paper, we present the design and deployment of a mobile game titled "FitBit Garden" that encourages children to be physically active by representing the activity levels tracked via a FitBit pedometer in a garden ecosystem. The garden flourishes and grows as children and their parents take positive actions in the real world to improve the child's physical activity. These actions are then manifested into the virtual world via the mobile app. The paper presents the design of the intervention, the methods developed to collect and analyze data and the results of the usability study to determine form, function and acceptability of the intervention.