All Black stars are teaming up to promote traditional forms of entertainment for kids. Photo / Supplied
All Black stars are teaming up to promote traditional forms of entertainment for kids. Photo / Supplied
All Black stars are calling for more children to drop the devices and return to traditional forms of play.
In an age where toy sales are dropping, All Blacks Dane Coles, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Karl Tu'inukuafe have teamed up with rugby Legend Keven Mealamu in a bid to encourage kids to spend less time on digital devices.
Research by Sanitarium Health Food Company has shown that eight in ten parents feel their children's lives are too complicated - a statistic Mealamu said was worrying.
"I think we have to role model the information that we're sharing with our kids. I know these days our phones are a part of our work, but we need to find that balance as well," he said.
"For our family, we try to have dinner together ... it's a time when they can put the books, computers and phones down and catch up."
Hoping to do his bit to change things, Mealamu has teamed up with current All Blacks in a new campaign for Weet-Bix.
The campaign includes a collectors card game, Weet-Bix Stat Attack, found in the product boxes which features 33 current players, six All Black legends and head coach Steve Hansen.
The idea is to get Kiwi families to spend time together away from any distractions - something Mealamu, a dad of two, says he's passionate about.
The game features 33 current players, six All Black legends and head coach Steve Hansen. Photo / Supplied
"There's something quite special about sitting around a table and playing a simple card game or board game together," he said.
"I like to be able to share with the kids how I got there, how tough it was and the importance of working hard - that everything isn't easy. I collected those cards myself growing up and they provided a huge amount of inspiration for me."
All Black front rower Coles was also thrilled to be part of a campaign which encourages kids to engage in play with others.
Dane Coles plays with son Reef during a New Zealand All Blacks Captain's Run. Photo / Getty
As a father of two boys, Coles felt he held a responsibility to lead by example.
"I think it's great that we are able to help encourage the kids to head outdoors and hang out with their mates and have a bit of fun in the backyard. It's great to be promoting healthy habits," he said.
"We really are living in a different world to the one we grew up in, so it's awesome to promote something that we did as kids. As well as having a lot of fun, a game like this is teaching them social skills like interacting with their mates."
