Playnormous facts for kids

Playnormous was a special website with games about monsters. It was made to help kids and their parents learn how to be healthier. The games were created with advice from health experts. They wanted to use fun games to teach people about good health habits. The Playnormous website closed down in 2016.

What Was Playnormous?

Playnormous was a website that taught kids, usually from ages 6 to 15, and their parents about health. They did this through fun games and animated videos. You could also create your own monster world on the site. The people who made Playnormous wanted to use games to help families make healthier choices. This included eating well and being active.

The main part of Playnormous was its collection of health games. These games were a type of "games for health." This means they were serious games made for a purpose beyond just entertainment. Doctors and researchers from places like the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Baylor College of Medicine helped design these games. They also tested them to make sure they worked well.

How Playnormous Started and Ended

The Playnormous website was created to share successful health programs with everyone. It was made by a company called Playnormous, LLC. This company was a game developer located in Houston, Texas. Playnormous, LLC was part of a bigger company called Archimage. Archimage is known for its visual design and serious games.

The Playnormous team was led by Jerald Reichstein. The company started on April 18, 2007. The website officially launched in May 2008. Playnormous.com was built using a technology called Adobe Flash. As new mobile phones and internet browsers came out, they stopped supporting Flash. Because of this, Archimage closed Playnormous.com in August 2015.

Playnormous Health Games

Food Fury was the first health game on the Playnormous site. The Aetna Foundation helped fund Food Fury. Dr. Cynthia Phelps from the University of Texas Health Science Center led this project. This online game was for kids in 3rd to 5th grade. It taught them about choosing healthy foods and how much to eat.

Food Fury helped kids learn a method called "Go, Slow, Whoa" for picking foods. "Go" foods are very healthy, "Slow" foods are okay in moderation, and "Whoa" foods should be eaten rarely. This game was used in many places, like the YMCA's after-school programs. It helped children learn better eating habits.

How Games Were Made with Research

Playnormous games were built on ideas about how people change their habits. The games aimed to help kids become healthier. They did this by improving skills, building confidence, and making kids believe they could make good choices.

Here's how they did it:

• They showed healthy actions in the games. This helped kids learn new skills and feel more confident.
• They made the games fun and gave instant feedback. This helped kids enjoy playing and express themselves in their monster world.
• They used exciting stories and animations to keep players interested. This helped kids pay attention and get involved in the game's world.
• They helped players believe they had the power to change their eating or exercise habits.

Playnormous also worked with researchers to test their games. Kids from the Children's Nutrition Research Center played early versions of the games. Dr. Cynthia Phelps from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston led the testing team. The main goal was to make sure the games were not only educational and easy to understand, but also fun and exciting for kids to play.