Schools

Sachem Elementary Schools Use iGame4

Digital interactive gym class stimulates children's minds and muscles.

Who said video games are bad? The creators of iGame4 utilize video game technology in physical education classes to stimulate a unique experience for elementary students.

Representatives from the Mt. Sinai based company were at Merrimac Elementary School in Holbrook last week and will be at Cayuga and Chippewa in the Sachem Central School District soon.

iGame4 offers various packages in which activity based video game stations are set up in a large multi-purpose area. During an iGame4 program, children rotate through up to 12 stations while heart rates and calories burned are anonymously tracked. Each station features a 100” screen, projector, data tracking devices, video game system and an active video game.

Find out what's happening in Sachemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I have a 3 and 5-year old,” said Bobby Romano, a physical education teacher at Merrimac. “I need to get them to understand that video games are okay, but they need to go outside and play too. These guys brought video games and exercises together. Every game here raises a kid’s heart rate. It’s pretty smart. The kids are getting their video game, having a ball and have no idea they’re exercising.”

The company provides a service to schools where they come in, set up the equipment and stay for anywhere from three days to 35 weeks.

Find out what's happening in Sachemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Al Pisano, a staff developer at Boces and professor at Stony Brook University, where he teaches teachers how to integrate technology into their curriculum, started the company and quickly realized a need for the techno-gym set up.

“Kids want to have fun, so it was the perfect marriage,” he said. “They love to be active and this is letting them do that.”

“Kids who don’t have the opportunity to play team sports outside of school at least have the opportunity to help their body,” said Darren Ginas, vice president of sales for iGame4. “We’ve gotten some great feedback from physical education teachers about kids who would never normally participate and we come in and these kids are running, jumping, sweating and getting a good workout.”

iGame4 recognizes the need for a healthier lifestyle among children.  According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, positive experiences with physical activity at a young age help lay the foundation for being regularly active throughout life which:

  • Promotes health and fitness
  • Builds healthy bones and muscles
  • Reduces the risk of obesity
  • Reduces risk factors for diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease
  • Is associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression
  • Positively affects concentration, memory and classroom behavior among adolescents
  • Improves standardized test scores

To learn more, check out the iGame4 website.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here