Port Washington, NY (January 6, 2026)

One of the joys as a parent is to watch your children grow up into young adults — just not TOO quickly. This year (2026) Will and Violet Carmody competed with a new game popping up in playgrounds that combines the digital world with the physical one.

What I love about this is the creative combination of physical, mental and overall spirit of play. Both Will and Violet are running around in what almost looks like a game of tag. But instead of tagging each other, they are pressing buttons that light up (blue or orange). Each person picks a color and tries to collect more before time runs out. Simple game, easy to understand, anyone can play, and yet look how energizing it becomes.

The “power” that allows the lights to flash and the randomness to happen is generated by a hand crank. So while there may be a battery tucked inside all the metal, the sources of power comes from an old fashioned wheel cranked around quickly (and another form of exercise in and of itself).

The more the kids play this game, the more exercise they get while having a blast doing it. I really enjoy the ingenuity of this hybrid physical and digital engagement. Rather than ignore the draw of video games that kids have, someone took the time to integrate the desire to play video games into a good old fashioned game of tag. Brilliant.

Tomorrow, I head to the Philippines and continue my adventure. In another two weeks, Violet will join me in Sydney, Austrailia. Two weeks after that Elena will join all three of us in New Zealand as we continue this incredible journey together around the world.