Hands down, here are my two most favorite online Asthma Education websites! If your child(ren) have asthma, I truly hope you check them both out–they are fun and incredibly valuable. The first one is attractive to older kids and I just love to no end…not just because I love the characters but for what my own son learned from this game 10 years ago -the game has been updated though. The second one is absolutely marvelous in providing specific what-you-really-need-to-know asthma control parent information-plus a darling asthma control game and better for younger kids!
I adore asthma games ever since my whole family got hooked on Starlight’s Quest for the Code asthma CD ROM game 10 years ago (biased again-the American Lung Association introduced us to this game)! It was fabulous and featured an impressive line up of movie starts (Gweneth Paltrow, Cuba Gooding Jr., Diane Sawyer and even General Schwarzkopf). My son learned an amazing amount of information about managing his asthma just from playing this game. Needless to say, I was very excited last night when I found the game online! The game has been updated and is more cartoonish (less scary than before), so I couldn’t tell if some if some of the celebrities were still there-although Diane Sawyer and Cuba Gooding Jr. in the game for sure. In the Quest for the Code, players fight Mucus Air Gone. Goodness, who doesn’t want to fight Mucus Air Gone? Kids learn about asthma triggers, maintenance medications, rescue medications and how lungs work.
Even more exciting: my beloved American Lung Association has produced an online asthma game: Lungtropolis! The Mucus Mob have taken over Luntropolis and it is up to the kids to save the town by becoming an Asthma Control Agent! Oh my. The game is quite simple and provides just the right about of information for elementary aged kids. What I liked the most was the Parent Site. The Lungtropolis Parent link is full of great information to help parents guide their children to controlled asthma. There is information regarding when to see a doctor and even a checklist to help you communicate with your physician.
All bias aside, this is a very clean, easy and to the point website that is written for us average type parents..not too much doctor speak, but enough information for us hold effective conversations with our doctors. One other mighty fine point about the Parent Portal is the section about Empowering Your Child. In my mind, there is just nothing more important than teaching your asthmatic child how to self manage. It’s their body and they need to learn their warning signs and know how to react. This section is worth it’s weight in gold.
Hope you enjoy of Lungtropolis -my favorite asthma management website for parents and kids and the Quest for Code–which holds a special place in my heart as this is where my family learned quite a bit together about managing my son’s asthma.
Confession: I went onto both sites and played the games. I couldn’t help it. I just had to see it all for myself. Of course, there was nothing worse than waking up my daughter asking why I was playing computer games and not working and then getting busted by my teenage son–who then became nostalgic and played Quest for the Code. That’s okay, they both still don’t know where my secret Divvies stash is hidden!
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One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..