Frolic

Most American girls are not meeting physical activity guidelines, placing them at risk for adverse health consequences. Only 18 percent of high school girls met the recommended daily guidelines, compared to 35 percent of boys. Games can provide an opportunity to support girls’ physical activity, and to address the gendered barriers they face. With this in mind, the team behind Frolic created a mobile game to support playful activity in girls aged 7-12.

The game is designed using the socio-ecological approach, which is a public health theory of change that incorporates factors such as social relationships and cultural norms. Parents are also leveraged as important sources of support and motivation.

The game offers reminders that it’s time to play and then uses structured questions to determine the resources girls have available for play. Participants then move away from the screen to play the game(s) they chose, while Frolic tracks their play duration. After they’re done having fun, participants return to their device to rate the games and report how they did. The game also offers the opportunity to add an activity to a “favorites” section, eventually building a library of their favorite games.

Developers
Adela Kapuscinska, Payal M. Bhujwala, Melissa Kalarchian, Jessica Hammer

Awards
Winner U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Women’s Health “Shape of Health” Game Challenge

Paper
 A Socio-Ecological Approach to Activity Games for Girls