Build your child’s social circle with new Play:Date app
Stock Photo - Group of friends arm around sitting together. via Getty Images
A new app allows users to swipe in hopes of creating a new kind of connection online: the perfect playdate for their kids.
Play:Date was created to help families wanting to increase their child’s socialization.
Socialization has a lasting impact on a child’s development, and many have been deprived of it because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Babies born during the pandemic and children who were isolated during the pandemic had less opportunities to master social skillsets required to form healthy interactions," said founder and CEO Shamim Kassibawi.
Or perhaps your family just moved and would like to make friends in your new neighborhood, or meet families that share your culture or religion.
Play:Date was created as a way to find those connections.
App screenshots from Play:Date
A Play:Date profile includes info both about the parents and the child’s interests and personalities. You can also find matches by when you’d like to meet up (morning, afternoon, or evening) and by what types of activities you’re interested in.
"Earlier on, kids were limited to school, day-care, the park or family dinners to make new friends. With Play: Date, we truly hope and strive to ensure that every child is able to form and rekindle long-lasting friendships," said Shamim.
App screenshots from Play:Date
Play:Date already has over 1,500 members and is available now in the UK, United Arab Emirates, and the USA.
Shamim told FOX Television Stations in an email that she is pleased downloads have been growing organically in the U.S.
"The concept of creating relationships online is one that is very familiar to our users in the U.S.," she said.
You can download Play:Date on your iOS or Android device.
This story was reported from Detroit.