Kids watch a lot of YouTube. And that generally means a lot of sedentary, butt-in-seat time.
But what if they had to pedal to keep the content coming?
That’s the question entrepreneur couple Arnav Dalmia and Shivani Jain are asking with their new company/product Tovie.
Described as a “sensory-friendly bike that helps kids use movement to self-regulate,” Tovie is a peddling machine where kids sit on whatever chair/couch/etc is comfortable and get their feet going. (If this sounds familiar: Yes, it’s basically like those under-desk peddlers for office workers. More on that later.)
The reason Tovie piqued our interest is Dalmia and Jain’s proprietary “Pedal-to-Play” system, which “makes movement the controller,” they say. It works by connecting Tovie to a kid’s device via Bluetooth, and whenever they stop pedaling, the YouTube video they’re watching (or the video game they’re playing) stops working.
The goal is to keep kids moving their bodies but still allowing them screen time.
“Studies done by researchers have found that movement in general is a tool for self-regulation of the hormones in their bodies, to help the nervous system calm down,” Dalmia told Inc. “It helps get the excess energy out before they have a big meltdown.”
He added that with Tovie, he and Jain feel they are “creating a whole new category of children’s fitness.”
“People think that children can get exercise while outside playing, but not all kids are the same, and they have different circumstances. In winter, it’s too cold outside.
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