Get Your Kids Outside With Pokemon Go App!
What an incredible rush of excitement there’s been in the last few weeks since the release of the Pokemon Go App! Both kids and adults alike are having the time of their life playing the app, capturing Pokemon, taking screenshots, and sharing their most prized Pokemon pics with their friends.
Have your kids caught the Pokemon Go “Fever” yet? If so, let me help you WOW both your kids and their friends with today’s top tips to get your kids outside and having a blast using the Pokemon Go App!
Getting Your Adventure Started
Upon starting the game, they’ll need to choose their first Pokemon from the professor. Getting outside and starting that great adventure is the important part, so go ahead and choose your starter Pokemon and let’s go! Begin traveling outside right in your own yard then progress to different points within your neighborhood where the map shows “rustling leaves” to hint that a Pokemon is there. You can click on the “Nearby Pokemon” screen that pops up and shows which Pokemon are currently in your area. The little footprints will be less such as a zero or 1 if the Pokemon is really close to you. Use these tips to walk or bike ride in one direction and see if the footprints continue to decline in number and the Pokemon appears. Your phone should buzz or vibrate to alert you that the Pokemon is right next to you somewhere. Use your finger to turn your map screen and find the pokemon icon showing on the map. Next, quickly click on the Pokemon to engage in capturing it. Hold down your finger on the Pokeball while the little green circle on the Pokemon shrinks around them like a target. Now swipe the Pokeball upwards to toss it towards the Pokemon and capture it. Some Pokemon with higher levels may take several Pokeballs to capture.
Use The Map For Clues To Poke Stops
Your Pokemon Go game app has a very unique map that is built in to work with the Google Maps GPS system (based off the game Ingress). With this unique feature in place, the app has prepared certain locations in your neighborhoods to be “Poke Stops” or “Gyms” such as non-profits like churches, recycling centers, thrift stores, water towers, and drop off donation centers – to name a few. By starting your adventure point near some of these locations, you are more likely to have a lot of wild Pokemon available around these hubs. The Poke Stops are great for finding unique treasures such as extra Pokeballs, potions, revives, and even a Pokemon egg! Parents – help your kids visit these spots by going for walks or bike rides to nearby locations once a day or whenever you can through the week. They will save on the budget by picking up these much needed items for free at these locations instead of having to purchase them in the app with real money.
The Poke Stops appear as an icon that stands out on the map. Click on these when they grow closer and it shows you an image and the name of the company or location so you can find it more easily and travel there. Once you are close enough to the Poke Stop, it will allow you to “spin” the circular image and it will spit out free items inside little bubbles. Click on these bubbles to pop them and retrieve your free items! Top places to go are theme parks and College Campuses if you have any near you. These locations seem to host four to ten Poke Spots in one place!
Get Your Friends Involved In The App With You
Having a blast with this Pokemon Go App is easy to do, but it can get even more entertaining when you play it with your friends tagging along. Invite a friend or cousin to join you on your “Pokemon Adventure” and take your bikes (and a bottled water) as you head out towards some new locations. The more varied locations you try, the better your luck at finding some unique Pokemon you haven’t seen before. Ask your friends to “pose” in your pictures and try to come up with some clever and fun photos capturing your Pokemon! You’ll find searching like it’s a scavenger hunt for these Pokemon has never been so cool until you try aiming to capture a Snorlax on a bridge like it’s blocking the way. You’ll laugh, get fresh air and exercise on your walks and bike rides, and fill your Pokedex all at the same time! Onward to your great adventures Pokemon Trainers!