These are the best tech toys for kids
What do you think a child would like most as a gift this holiday season: a) Christmas sweater; b) board game; c) books; or d) consumer electronics.
If you answered d), you’d probably be right.
Question is, which one?
A few weeks ago in this space we looked at those trendy “hoverboards,” as well as the Leapfrog Epic tablet and Star Wars-themed Sphero BB-8 droid, but here we’ve scrounged up a few other recommended tech toys for kids and tweens -- ranging from $40 to $400.
Nuts and bolts
What kid wouldn’t want their own personal robot? The 2-foot Meccanoid G15 ($179.99) or 4-foot Meccanoid G15 KS ($399.99) are buildable robots that can be controlled in one of three ways: a motion-capture interface (which uses the camera from a smartphone to mirror your movements), “Learned Intelligent Movement” (LIM), and app-controlled “ragdoll” physics through a companion app. What’s more, the robot uses voice recognition to say thousands of phrases, tell jokes, play games, and more. The G15 has more than 600 parts, while the G15 KS is made up of more than 1,200 parts.
Droning on and on
If you’d like to gift a flying drone but are concerned about cost and complexity, Parrot’s Airborne Night McClane drone ($129.99) might be the perfect quadcopter to wrap up for a loved one. Equipped with two headlights (with adjustable intensity), this lightweight drone is easy to control – even in the dark – via the companion app for smartphones or tablets. Do 360-degree stunts, take photos, and enjoy up to 25 minutes of battery between charges. Included in the box: two removable shields, a USB charging cable and set of stickers to decorate your drone.
Fitness gets gamified
Exercise can be fun in and of itself, but some of us need a little extra motivation to get moving. Called nabi Compete, these kid-focused activity trackers ($39.99 for two wristbands) are the first to include both a competitive and collaborative fitness element; the accompanying app encourages kids to challenge friends or family members in achievable goals -- and earn rewards for reaching them (as well as “Go Points,” used to grow and nurture virtual pets). Designed for kids age 6 and up, the nabi also tracks steps and estimated and challenges based on real world places, like local landmarks, as opposed to just the number of steps taken.
Music matters
It would be remiss not to include a video game in a “tech toy” round-up, and one that’s best played with friends and family over the holiday break is the new Guitar Hero Live (from $99.99, on sale, which includes the game and one guitar). Activision’s once-popular music game is back, and it’s more ambitious than ever before, with a number of new modes including GH Live, which delivers a first-person view of you on stage surrounding by a band, and GHTV, an interactive music video network, of sorts, that lets you play along to a continually updated collection of music videos and concert footage. More than 50 artists’ songs are available in the game’s library, to start. Guitar Hero Live is available for multiple platforms, and also available with two guitars ($149.99).
Robo rex
If you can’t decide between gifting a toy dinosaur or controllable robot, WowWee’s MiPosaur ($99.99) gives you best of both worlds. This intelligent robotic dinosaur, with an evolving intelligence and personality, can learn its surroundings and interact with it – as well as play with its favorite toy, a trackball (included). Your dino buddy on wheels can chase the trackball and play with it, while kids can use the ball as a virtual leash to take MiPosaur for a walk. Along with the free companion app, kids can also control MiPosaur with some simple hand gestures, to perform pet tricks, dance moves, and much more.
Columnist Marc Saltzman writes on tech devices and trends for Paste BN. Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. E-mail him at techcomments@usatoday.com.