Zamzee for Groups Program Curriculum Launched Today

Today we announced a new product launch, the Zamzee for Groups Program Curriculum! The Program Curriculum is a complete syllabus for increasing physical activity presented in a lesson-plan-style format that is teachable by any instructor using Zamzee for Groups. It makes it even easier for program leaders to use Zamzee to motivate, measure and manage physical activity.

Over the course of 2013, Zamzee piloted our group program in hospital clinics, schools and community programs. We worked closely with program leaders to use Zamzee to help improve kids’ health. After integrating the learnings from our pilots, in October we launched Zamzee for Groups. Zamzee for Groups is a powerful reporting system which makes it easy for program leaders to get accurate data about physical activity and motivate kids to move more.

After the launch of Zamzee for Groups, we continued to monitor our programs and consider ways we could make it even easier for program leaders to use technology to increase physical activity. The Zamzee for Groups Program Curriculum was developed to help instructors quickly get their Zamzee for Groups programs up and running. It makes it simple to use Zamzee to kickstart a physical activity program or strengthen an existing class.

Zamzee Home Video #1: My Avatar and Me

Zamzee’s 2013 summer interns, Tom Bartlett and Jack Wiefels, go on a magical adventure where they learn how to use Zamzee, meet a “real” avatar, and encounter the all-knowing Zed. Find out how Zamzee works in this goofy and fun home video!

Reflections on a Year of Using Zamzee at Greenfield Hebrew Academy

By Sue Loubser, Director of Technology at Greenfield Hebrew Academy

Sue Loubser and Jon Babul from the Hawks Development Team.

Our year is over and we reached our goal of A Million Minutes of Activity! We never doubted we would, although we did learn a few lessons as the year progressed.

When we launched the program last September, the school was abuzz. Our head of school recalls that “kids went home and were jumping around during dinner and running around in place as friends talked to them. Children who ordinarily couldn’t easily wake up in the morning or had to be dragged out of bed suddenly popped out with great enthusiasm and energy to maximize their minutes.” Parents were amazed by the changes in their kids’ behaviors.

Although this was launched as a Middle School project – there was so much interest from younger students that our PTSA started selling Zamzee meters. They sold 50 in short order and it felt like everyone was being active!

We held a lot of competitions during the year to keep students motivated. Originally our goal was to mandate the wearing of Zamzees as part of our PE program, but mid-year we took that requirement away. That meant we had to help the kids stay motivated to keep using Zamzee.

Students could win gift cards, T-shirts, chocolates (from Israel), drinks, baseball caps and even an iPod in random drawings or as rewards for exercising over a certain number of minutes. We were also given 20 pairs of Braves tickets to give to students who met a goal for exercising. We had random reward days where if you uploaded during the day, you received a treat (which could be a Zamzee flashlight or a skin) or even a surprise recess.

How Rewards Made Physical Activity a Habit – Zamzee User Interview

Ilan moved enough to earn 18,000 Zamz and get a Wii!

One of the most exciting parts about getting a new Zamzee is the realization that you can earn a free Wii or Xbox by collecting Zamz. Rewards are a crucial part of Zamzee’s game design to get kids moving. This type of extrinsic motivation inspires kids to make a behavior change and kickstarts their physical activity. As they work towards their extrinsic reward (whether it’s a small plush toy or a Wii), Zamzee fosters kids’ intrinsic motivation by making moving fun and social. The end result is kids get in the habit of being physically active. It’s an approach grounded in Deci and Ryan’s theory of behavior change and HopeLab’s research on Zamzee, which is why we know it works.

All that being said, every now and then it’s nice to meet a real user that’s benefited from Zamze. Ilan C., a Zamzee user from Greenfield Hebrew Academy, is the latest Zamzee user to receive a Wii for all his moving. We interviewed Ilan and his parents to find out just how Ilan earned a Wii, and how you can, too!

Zamzee: Hi Ilan! Congratulations on getting a Wii! Tell us, how long were you working towards earning the Wii?

Ilan: I was working toward the Wii for about 6 months.

Zamzee: Wow! That is a really long time and a LOT of moving! How did you stay active to earn enough Zamz?

Ilan: I did baseball, football and I rode my bike, took walks and ran too. My favorite activities are playing outside with my dad and riding my bike.

Zamzee: How does it feel to have earned the Wii after 6 months of moving?

Can Adults Use Zamzee?

Jeff and his kids taking a walk last weekend.

Hi Team Zamzee,

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much Zamzee has helped me change my life. A few minutes ago I ordered the Xbox reward after the last few months of busting my butt to earn the Zamz for it. It was a great motivator for me, and Zamzee will continue to be a great source of motivation for me and my family.

As of this morning, I’ve lost 39.8 pounds since getting my meter. I still have a long way to go to be “fit,” but I’m well on my way…and it’s largely thanks to you and that little blue meter. I spend the better part of 2-3 hours per day walking now. Time that I used to spend in front of the TV or computer is now spent doing challenges. I have more energy, my fat clothes don’t fit any more, and my wife is finding me more handsome every day! 🙂

Zamzee Customer Service

If you ever have a question or problem with your Zamzee, you can email zed@zamzee.com or call (855) 771 – 3148. Amy Shakoori usually acts as the Voice of Zed, and she meets some pretty great Zamzee users. Just check out her conversation with one of our users below.

Amy and Zed talk Justin Bieber in their downtime.

Hi Zed,

I think I have loved my Zamzee to death–literally. I am sad to report that my Zamzee passed away on Sunday. We had so many great adventures together. We played lacrosse, basketball, football, scootered and rode bikes together. My Zamzee did not survive our last adventure though–jumping on the trampoline. I am hoping to replace my Zamzee so that we can continue to have many fabulous adventures together. Would you pease let me know how to replace my dear Zamzee?

Thank you,

Ryan

How to Set Up a Zamzee Meter

You just received your new Zamzee (yippee!), and you’re not sure how to set it up. In this blog post we’ll walk you through the registration process step-by-step.

You probably have a card that looks like this:

Step #1: Log into zamzee.com.

Click here to sign up for zamzee.com. You need to enter your first name and create a username and password. We ask for your birthday because, if you are under age 13, we need permission from your parent or guardian before we can allow you to access all the features of Zamzee. If you bought your Zamzee through our website, you do not need to enter a code. (People who need a code usually received Zamzee through their school, community group or healthcare provider. If you do have a code, make sure you enter it at this step!)

How to Get a Free Xbox

pburdette stands in front of her Xbox!

The most popular item in the Zamzee Rewards shops is the Xbox 360 Console. Earn 21,000 Zamz and this sleek black beauty could be yours.

But new users often ask us, “Does anyone ever win an Xbox?”

Yes. Just this week, pburdette dropped 21,000 Zamz and we sent her an Xbox the very same day.

So how did she do it? We interviewed pburdette so you can learn her tricks and earn an Xbox yourself.

Zamzee: Hi pburdette. Congrats on winning the Xbox!

pburdette: Thanks! It feels great to have accomplished my goal.

Zamzee: No kidding! What are you planning to do with the Xbox? Do you have any favorite games?

pburdette: I am going to give the Xbox to my son and I am sure he will have a favorite game to play.

Zamzee: Wow, your son is super lucky to have a mom like you. Have you ever earned any small rewards on Zamzee, or have you saved all your Zamz for the Xbox?

pburdette: I saved ALL my Zamz for the Xbox because that’s what I really wanted. I’m not sure how long it took me to get enough Zamz, but I enjoy exercising so it didn’t seem like very long.

The 10 Most Important Features of Zamzee

1. The Zamzee meter. Stick it in your pocket or clip it to your shoe, and your Zamzee meter will measure your movement throughout the entire day. Zamzee makes running around at recess twice as nice: you’ll have fun moving on the playground and your movement will be worth something when you get home and upload your Pointz to your computer.

2. The Zamzee Upload Center. You’ll need to download the Zamzee Upload Center on your home computer so that you can transfer Pointz from your Zamzee meter to zamzee.com.

Tips from Users: 7 Ways to be #1 on the Zamzee Leaderboard

So a little bird told us you want to be the leader of the Zamzee leaderboard. A worthy goal, young whippersnapper. But how do you earn enough Pointz to climb to the top? We’ve asked some of the top Zamzee users to share their tips and tricks about getting to be #1.

Let’s start with advice from JLeeBly. JLeeBly is #2 overall on the lifetime Zamzee leaderboards – impressive.

Tip #1: Upload Pointz Every Day

JLeeBly

JLeeBly says that “if someone is really looking to make it to the top, consistency is key. Make activity, and uploading, a daily habit.”

Have you discovered that you get bonus Pointz for uploading your Pointz every day, and every week? That’s what we call a consistency streak. The more days you upload in a row, the more bonus Pointz you’ll receive.

Tip #2: Compete with Friends and Siblings

JLeeBly uses Zamzee with a group of friends, which helps everyone to “push ourselves a little bit further than normal to be #1 for the day, the week, or overall.”

Before you can become #1 on the overall leaderboard, try just moving more than your little sister or best friend. You’ll earn mega bragging rights for being the top mover in your family, and you’ll be racking in the Pointz at the same time.