When it comes to tech toys, grown-ups shouldn’t have all the fun!
These days little kids love their gadgets just as much as the big kids do.
Today’s youngsters are more switched on than ever. They take to new gadgets like ducks to water and are amazingly fast to grasp new ideas -- even if Mum and Dad are still scratching their heads sometimes. New technologies don’t phase kids, as they’re “digital natives” born into the internet age where everything talks to everything else.
Barbie e-Reader
New technology isn’t just about our children spending more time on the couch in front of a flickering screen. Most parents place sensible restrictions on the amount of “screen time” their kids get, which these days extends beyond the television to include computers, tablets and smartphones. Thankfully today’s high-tech toys can also fire up our children's imaginations, spark their interest in the world and even get them back outside in the fresh air.
Gaining control over the music in your bedroom is a rite of passage for every child.
Owning something as simple as a clock radio is a big deal when you’re a little kid. Especially once you’re trusted to turn out the light at night and get yourself out of bed in the morning.
There’s no shortage of bedside gadgets designed for youngsters, ranging from basic clock radios up to Barbie CD players and Hot Wheels iPod docks. From here you might even upgrade to a standalone shelf system, boom box or perhaps wireless speakers tied into your home’s Wi-Fi network for enjoying multi-room audio. The ability to listen to The Rolling Stones in one room whilst playing The Wiggles in the next room is a great way to keep the peace on a rainy day.
The sound of music
An iPod is the perfect way to give your kids control over their own music.
You don’t need to spend a fortune, you can start with a tiny iPod shuffle and later consider upgrading to a Nano, Classic or Touch. iPods come in a rage of great colours for the kids, not just boring white.
All iPods come with headphones, but you can also plug them into practically any sound system via the 3.5mm headphone jack. The great thing about Apple’s iPod Classic and iPod Touch (plus the iPhone and iPad) is that they feature Apple’s universal dock connector, so they work with a wide range of iPod speaker docks.
Time to dance
Some iPod docks pack enough grunt to rock the largest home, but there are also plenty designed with bedroom dance parties in mind.
Pre-teens will love the Hot Wheels iPod dock or perhaps the Hot Wheels and Barbie CD Boom Boxes, which feature a 3.5mm audio input for playing sounds from practically any music player. You could pair up the CD Boom Boxes with a Barbie or Hot Wheels 4GB Multimedia player which handles music, videos and photos.
Older kids will love the Glee speaker, with a 3.5mm audio input for playing sounds from practically any music player. If they’ve got an iGadget with a universal dock, then the Glee iPod Dock might be a better choice. If the speaker dock is destined for the bedside table then the Glee iPod/iPhone Lamp is the perfect bedroom accessory, letting youngsters charge their iGadget whilst playing their favourite songs or listening to AM/FM radio.
Turn the page
If a rainy day keeps the kids inside it’s the perfect opportunity to snuggle up with a good book and an eBook reader puts an entire book store on their shelf.
The Barbie, Glee and Hot Wheels 7-inch eBook readers are fully-fledged eBook readers which are compatible with the Adobe eBook format, which means you can buy eBooks online from a range of stores and easily transfer them from your computer to the eBook reader.
These eBook readers feature 2GB of storage, enough to hold hundreds of books, and are good for eight hours of reading between charges (via USB). They can also display PDF, RTF and text files, plus they’ll play MP3 music tracks.
Type away
When it’s time to play on the computer, kids are spoilt for choice in terms of accessories.
Youngsters can choose from a Mi Gear, Barbie, Ben 10 or Hot Wheels keyboard, mouse and mouse pad to keep their favourite characters at their fingertips. These are USB “plug ‘n’ play” devices, so it’s easy to switch them over if every kid wants their favourite when it’s their turn at the keyboard. It’s also easy to swap them when the grandkids come to visit.
Speaking of grandkids, computers offer the perfect way for children to stay in touch with family and friends who live far away. A Barbie or Ben 10 webcam makes it easy for youngsters to chat with their grandparents face to face via online services such as Skype or Windows Live Messenger.
Start your engines
When the rain clears and it’s time to play outside, remote control cars are great fun for zooming around the backyard or through the park.
You’ll find a wide range of radio controlled cars, off-road buggies and monster trucks to keep the kids entertained for hours. Meccano even sells remote control cars that the kids can build and tune themselves, some of which include a built-in MP3 player and speakers. You’ll find cars for grown-ups as well, such as replica Holden V8 Supercars and Peter Brock’s Holden Torana GTR XU1.
Budget radio control cars tend to work on the same frequency, which can be a pain if each of your kids gets one for Christmas. Take a look at the Radio Control Furious Racers Two Car Set, with two cars which run on different frequencies so they can race against each other.
Let’s go exploring
Curious kids love to explore the world around them and you can help them on their way by putting together a great explorer’s kit.
The Nat-Geo Outdoor Explorer Kit has plenty of great gadgets to get youngsters on their way, including binoculars, a compass, a torch and a magnifying glass. You might want to add walkie talkies to their explorers’ kit, so they can stay in touch or report their findings back to base.
If you’re looking to upgrade to more powerful binoculars, 10x25 binoculars are smaller and lighter but 10x50 offer a wider field of view and will also offer more detail if you’re stargazing -- giving you a good look at craters on the moon.
Capture the moment
Whether you’re in the park, on the beach or just playing in the backyard, kids love to take their own photos.
You’ll find a great range of digital cameras and even camcorders featuring the kids favourites such as Barbie, Glee and Hot Wheels -- with the Glee gear featuring a 5 megapixel sensor for sharper images. You’ll also find camera and camcorder cases, to protect them against scratches and bumps.
The great thing about digital cameras is the kids can keep shooting away and it doesn’t cost you anything, you can just print the pick of the bunch. When you’re printing them, you’ll get the best results using photo paper rather than plain paper.
Source: TechLiving Magazine: Issue 10 – Updated Summer 2011
Featured Videos
You might be interested in
