Young or old, everyone wants tech. According to the Toy Industry Association, electronic toys is one of the hottest market segments.
And that means little ones have more choices than ever, from super-cool robots and life-like pets to kid-proof MP3 players and digital cameras. We've assembled a collection of the hottest tech toys for babies, toddlers and young kids. Take a look (use the navigation at your right):
-- By Jeff Bertolucci & Erin Burt
FURREAL FRIENDS
AGES: 4 and up
PRICE: $20 to $300 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: http://www.hasbro.com/furreal
No matter your budget, you can find a lifelike pet for the animal lover on your list. These dogs, cats, birds -- and even a kid-sized pony -- will move and interact with your child. But the best part: They don't have to be fed or cleaned up after.
Biscuit My Lovin Pup, the oversized plush puppy pictured here, for instance, has voice recognition and will follow commands to sit, speak, lie down and more.
Sponsored Content
GIGGLES COMPUTER FUNTIME FOR BABY
AGES: 6 months to 2 years
PRICE: $20 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: www.giggles.net
A series of interactive educational software titles that introduce babies to letters, numbers, colors, animals and other learning essentials.
Navigation is as easy as it gets: Baby taps a key or keys, and something happens on screen -- shapes change, critters appear, and so on. You run the programs on your home computer, but youngsters can't escape the program to accidentally mess with your files or programs.
Sponsored Content
KID TOUGH DIGITAL CAMERA
AGES: 3 and up
PRICE: $50 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: www.fisher-price.com
A real camera for aspiring shutterbugs still in Pull-Ups, the Kid Tough model takes a beating and keeps on clicking. It has dual handgrips and big buttons -- ideal for preschoolers -- a built-in flash, and even a 1.6-inch preview screen. And like a grown-up camera, it transfers images to computer via USB cable.
Sponsored Content
EYECLOPS NIGHT VISION GOGGLES
AGES: 8 and up
PRICE: $80 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: http://www.eyeclops.com
These durable infrared night-vision goggles are made especially for kids and allow them to see up to 50 feet in total darkness. The game of hide-and-seek will never be the same.
For younger kids, the Eyeclops Bionic Eye is another cool gadget. The handheld device magnifies objects up to 200 times original size and displays it on your TV screen. Perfect for budding scientists.
Sponsored Content
EASY LINKINTERNET LAUNCH PAD
AGES: 3 and up
PRICE: $20 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: www.fisher-price.com
This kid-friendly console creates a safe Web-surfing experience for youngsters. It plugs into your home computer and provides one-key access to SesameStreet.com, PBSKids.org and other sites. Kids can play online games but can't access the rest of the Web. Launch Pad won't prevent peanut butter smudges on your mouse, though.
Sponsored Content
VTECH VMOTION ACTIVE LEARNING SYSTEM
AGES: 3 to 7
PRICE: $70 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: http://www.vtechkids.com
This educational video game system is patterned after the popular Nintendo Wii: Kids use a wireless controller to move around on screen.
The games (sold separately) are toddler-friendly, teaching concepts about numbers, letters and shapes for young kids and math, science and vocabulary for older ones.
Sponsored Content
KID TOUGH FP3 PLAYER
AGES: 3 and up
PRICE: $50 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: www.fisher-price.com
Your preschooler may be too young for an iPod, but this digital music player is built for young hands. It has big buttons, a backlit LCD, and holds up to 30 songs or 15 stories. Kids listen through headphones so you don't have to. And you can copy tunes from CDs to the FP3 Player, or download them from the Fisher-Price Store.
For the baby on your list, PlaySkool makes an MP3 player sans headphones called Made For Me ($80). It has a sturdy handle for toddlers to grasp and a remote control for parents.
Sponsored Content
CLICKSTART MY FIRST COMPUTER
AGES: 3 to 6
PRICE: $50 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: www.leapfrog.com/clickstart
Want your preschooler to learn about computers? This colorful kid's PC includes a wireless keyboard, child-sized mouse, and a console that connects to your TV. The four games teach basic computer literacy and educational skills.
Sponsored Content
U-COMMAND WALL-E ROBOT
AGES: 6 to 10
PRICE: $65 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: http://www.disneyshopping.com
Who wouldn't love their own robot? Kids use the programmable remote to bring the star of Pixar's summer blockbuster to life with movements, sound, voice and lighting effects.
Sponsored Content
ELMO LIVE
AGES: 18 months to 5 years
PRICE: $60 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: www.fisher-price.com
Last year, Elmo, Cookie Monster and Ernie T.M.X. took toy stores by storm. Now Elmo is back and more life-like than ever.
His mouth moves and his head bobs when he talks, so you feel like you're watching a live puppet show. He even stands up or crosses his legs while he tells stories and jokes.
Sponsored Content
MY REAL DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA
AGES: 3 and up
PRICE: $100 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: http://www.littletikes.com
Your kid can record and edit videos and pictures with this sturdy video camera, made just for little ones. It has 1.3 pixel resolution, 64 MB of memory and an SD expansion slot to add more memory. It's also waterproof.
Sponsored Content
STAR STATION ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
AGES: 3 and up
PRICE: $60 (Find the best deal)
MORE INFO: http://www.fisher-price.com
Take kids' karaoke to another level. Using the two wireless microphones, your budding rock stars can sing along to their favorite songs, and watch themselves on your TV screen. Music cartridges are sold separately, and cost between $10 and $20.
Sponsored Content
-
Quiz: How Much Do You Really Know About Taxes on Social Security Benefits?Quiz Social Security benefits often come with confusing IRS tax rules that can trip up financially savvy retirees and near-retirees.
-
Are You Ready for 65? The Medicare Initial Enrollment Period QuizQuiz Turning 65 soon? Test your basic knowledge of Medicare's Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) rules in our quick quiz.
-
3 Ways to Stretch the 2026 Social Security COLA For Your BudgetThree steps retirees can take to stretch the Social Security COLA to fit their budgets.
-
When Tech is Too MuchOur Kiplinger Retirement Report editor, David Crook, sounds off on the everyday annoyances of technology.
-
I Let AI Read Privacy Policies for Me. Here's What I LearnedA reporter uses AI to review privacy policies, in an effort to better protect herself from fraud and scams.
-
What Is AI? Artificial Intelligence 101Artificial intelligence has sparked huge excitement among investors and businesses, but what exactly does the term mean?
-
What to Do With Your Tax Refund: 6 Ways to Bring GrowthUse your 2024 tax refund to boost short-term or long-term financial goals by putting it in one of these six places.
-
What Does Medicare Not Cover? Eight Things You Should KnowMedicare Part A and Part B leave gaps in your healthcare coverage. But Medicare Advantage has problems, too.
-
15 Reasons You'll Regret an RV in RetirementMaking Your Money Last Here's why you might regret an RV in retirement. RV-savvy retirees talk about the downsides of spending retirement in a motorhome, travel trailer, fifth wheel, or other recreational vehicle.
-
The Six Best Places to Retire in New Englandplaces to live Thinking about a move to New England for retirement? Here are the best places to land for quality of life, affordability and other criteria.
-
The 10 Cheapest Countries to VisitWe find the 10 cheapest countries to visit around the world. Forget inflation and set your sights on your next vacation.
