We just took medical play to another level with Seedling’s Parker, Your Augmented Reality Bear. Child life specialists use medical play every day to prepare kids for procedures, help them process their experiences and just explore the materials in a non-threatening way.
We have also been adapting our coping techniques with the advancements in technology, by using tablets and virtual reality goggles to distract kids during painful procedures.
Parker is now helping us combine these two modalities together and enhance the therapeutic experience for young patients.
My kids and I had the opportunity to play with Parker and we loved him. Coming from a child life specialist’s perspective, I thought that the app’s games and activities were engaging for young kids (2-8 years old) and that the augmented reality was very unique.
There were only four medical play tools, a stethoscope, spoon, medicine tube and thermometer. I would have loved to have seen more, including a syringe or injection device. I also thought about infection control with the plush teddy bear and felt body outline. I know that many specialists use cloth patient puppets and follow hospital guidelines by using disinfecting wipes, so that could be an option for Parker. It may also be machine washed. The felt body outline could probably be coated with a laminate, to wipe down between uses.
More about Parker:
Seedling, the LA-based startup with a mission to reimagine play, has today unveiled Parker: the world’s first augmented reality (AR) teddy bear. Parker comes to life when used with an iPad or iPhone and the accompanying free Parker App, which allows kids to have an immersive experience through which they learn empathy, problem solving and open-ended play skills, all while developing digital literacy. Parker is immediately available exclusively at Apple.com and in Apple stores in select countries.
Parker is a classic teddy bear made extraordinary through the magic of Augmented Reality. Parker the bear is all plush and fluff —no batteries, no cameras, no Wi-Fi. Parker is just like the teddy bears we grew up with; soft, squeezable and perfect for pretend play. Add an iPhone or iPad and use the app to interact with Parker and the world of make believe comes to life.
Parker offers an engaging open-ended experience for children ages three and up. By using the app and your iPad or iPhone to interact with Parker and the enclosed tools, caregiving is transformed into an interactive experience. The more you play with and care for Parker, the more magical your world becomes as Parker’s Happiness FactorTM grows. Surprises and additional play features are revealed, including interactive games to play and puzzles to solve.
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