Technology is taking over not only phones, TVs, vehicles and homes. Kids’ toys are in fact some of the earliest adopters. Some of the most wished for Christmas gifts today are the robot toys. Only a few years ago, this type of hi-tech products would have been nothing more than a mystery to young minds and expensive purchase for parents. However, today, kids grow up surrounded by smartphones, tablets and laptops (read more: Chromebook; Tablets under $100), while parents have realized that exposure to technology trends from younger age is rather beneficial for their offsprings. Probably, for this reasons robot toys are gaining popularity and here are a few new and interesting models, which unfortunately are not included in Amazon’s latest offer of up to 50% off on learning toys.
In case you are wondering, MiP stands for Mobile Inverted Pendulum. This robot is about 10” tall and it received a nomination for CES’ award Last Gadget Standing earlier this year. Children can easily operate the innovative toy via a mobile application for iOS and Android devices. This little guy can do various tricks, including dancing and singing. It will even bring you a glass of water if you ask for one.
This is a new-generation of LEGO toy. It does not have much to do with the traditional construction sets manufactured by the company, but it has a lot do to with robotics. With LEGO Mindstorms EV3, kids can create their own robots. There are a few standard designs from which kids can start. However, the best thing about this product is that children are free to build any kind of robot they want to. Thanks to it, they make up the rules as they go. Namely, that encourages them to use and develop both their creativity and logical thinking. The robot can be connected to PCs, Macs or mobile devices through which children can control their invention.
Chatsters – Gabby Interactive Doll
Robot toys are not only for boys. There are various products of this category that were specifically created for girls. This is a robot doll that can dance, talk, play games and do various other activities. Moreover, kids can even exchange text messages with Gabby through a special mobile app. How? Well, she has her own smartphone!
One big disadvantage of toy robots and technology in general is that it tends to break easily. That, however, is not the case with Sphero 2.0. This toy has a ball-like shape which makes it more durable and even water-resistant. Children can used it to play over 30 games and other activities once they download and install its mobile app onto a smart gadget. In addition to that, children can even create and program their own games through another application.
But these hi-tech toys come at high price. The cheapest of them is Chatsters – Gabby Interactive Doll, which can currently be ordered from Amazon.com for $79.99. MiP and Sphero 2.0 will cost you a little under $120 each. You will need to dig even deeper for LEGO Minestorms EV3 – $349.99, although during Cyber Monday sales it might be a little more affordable.
