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Kidsburgh: 'Pokémon Go' Great For Exercise, Education

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pokémon Go is one of the most popular games for kids and adults, with 45 million users at one point.

But did you know Pokémon can actually make your kids smarter? Kidsburgh.org has come up with a list of 10 Pokestops where you can not only capture Pokémon characters on your phone but also learn something about history, ecology, the arts and more.

KDKA's Kristine Sorensen grabbed a group of Pokémon fans to see what they could play and learn at the same time.

Three 11-year-olds -- Cal McAdams, Nick Herring and Jacob Burton -- started their track on Mount Washington, followed by Pikachu (who was really Kristine's son wearing a Pikachu hat).

The first Pokémon stop that showed up on their phones was actually the Grandview Observatory's historic placard. There, they learned that this was once the most valuable mineral deposit in the U.S. and was called "Coal Hill."

From there, they got into the car for a short ride down the road to Grandview and Bigham where they learned about the Underground Railroad and how slaves would hide in the mines on Mount Washington.

The next stop -- the North Side. There are Pokestops all over, plus a "gym" where the characters fight. After some exploring, the kids find the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They talk about veterans they know and how to honor them.

The boys want to stay longer and visit all the Pokestops nearby, but when they get to Downtown Pittsburgh next, they can't believe how many Pokestops there are.

"I think it's pretty cool with all the Pokestops," Burton says. "It filled up all my storage."

They learned that the trees in front of the August Wilson Center are the first in Pennsylvania planted in a specially designed system that gives them enough soil underground to thrive.

Then, they find their last Pokestop down an unmarked alley.

"I've never seen anything like this," the boys say.

It's an interactive art installation called Cell Phone Disco.

"I think this one's really cool," Herring says. "Just how it works -- that cell phone data can make the lights go haywire."

Parenting expert Dr. Debi Gilboa, also known as Dr. G, says not only does Pokémon get kids off the couch, it can be a great teaching tool.

"Sometimes going downtown or to a new neighborhood sounds a lot more fun to us than to our kids. This is a way to say, 'Hey, I want you, through Pokémon Go, to learn five things you didn't know about this area and teach me," Gilboa suggests.

The boys agree.

Herring says, "One thing I like about it, it's the game that tricks people into exercising."

Burton adds, "You get to have this little world that fits inside your pocket."

McAdams sums it up, "It's kind of a good way for kids to have fun and kind of learn at the same time."

To see the full list of Pokémon Go stops that will make your kids smarter, visit Kidsburgh.org at this link.

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