12 TECH TOYS FOR TOTS
Young or old, everyone wants tech.
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 upPRICE: $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.
GIGGLES COMPUTER FUNTIME FOR BABY
AGES: 6 months to 2 yearsPRICE: $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.
KID TOUGH DIGITAL CAMERA
AGES: 3 and upPRICE: $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.
EYECLOPS NIGHT VISION GOGGLES
AGES: 8 and upPRICE: $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.
EASY LINKINTERNET LAUNCH PAD
AGES: 3 and upPRICE: $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.
VTECH VMOTION ACTIVE LEARNING SYSTEM
AGES: 3 to 7PRICE: $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.
KID TOUGH FP3 PLAYER
AGES: 3 and upPRICE: $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.
CLICKSTART MY FIRST COMPUTER
AGES: 3 to 6PRICE: $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.
U-COMMAND WALL-E ROBOT
AGES: 6 to 10PRICE: $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.
ELMO LIVE
AGES: 18 months to 5 yearsPRICE: $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.
MY REAL DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA
AGES: 3 and upPRICE: $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.
AGES: 3 and upPRICE: $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.
