Tech Travel Toys Will Keep Kids Occupied
by Teri Rousseau
Wondering how you are going to keep the kids occupied on that 6-hour vacation road trip or airport experience? Portable, electronic gadgets can help. Many of these devices present favorite play experiences such as role-playing, brainteasers, arts and crafts, puzzles and even sports — without having to pack all the equipment or keep track of the tiny game pieces.
Some products can be expanded with the purchase of new cartridges or software to offer fresh content designed to appeal to different ages. Others are simply remakes of popular, classic games but with an exciting new twist. Some even accommodate multiple viewers or players so your kids can use the device together.
Through my role with Multimedia Consulting, a market research company specializing in children’s electronic toys, I play-tested (with kids and parents) a variety of new portable, electronic toys. Here are our top choices.
Barbie B-Bright Laptop by Oregon Scientific
Ages 3 to 7 years
Price Approx. $44.99
www.oregonscientific.com
Designed for preschoolers and kindergartners, this learning laptop is light and includes a carry handle. It provides 10 “super cool” games and activities. Age-appropriate lessons teach vocabulary, numbers, logic, memory, and computer skills. It even has a mini music composer. Large alphabet keys and a friendly game selector fit tiny fingers. One drawback is that this product does not support headphones.
Candy Land Adventure, Connect Four, Battleship and Boggle — Electronic Handheld Games by Hasbro
Ages 3 & up
Price $12.99 to $19.99
www.hasbro.com
Hasbro has given these classic games new life with electronic sounds, automatic scoring and a palm-sized, sleek design. Most include different skill levels and games , making them challenging for all ages. The games support multiple players. The LCD game screen is big enough to easily maneuver the electronic game pieces around. Each of these games is sold separately.
Watch N’Learn by Oregon Scientific
Ages 3 & up
Price Approx. $14.99
www.oregonscientific.com
This handy watch, designed for little wrists, is perfect to help pass the time, as well as teach time. The LCD screen features animation with a dual analog/digital time display. Fun sound effects engage children in the alphabet and how to tell time. It is a quick way to distract your young ones especially if waiting in inevitable lines
COLOR Pixter by Fisher-Price
Ages 4 years & up
Price Approx. $80
POCKET Pixter by Fisher-Price
Ages 5 years & up
Price Approx. $15
www.fisher-price.com
This product will engage the little, aspiring artist. If your child likes to draw, here is a way to do it without having to pack the crayons, magic markers, stickers, scissors and paper. The Pixter includes digital drawing tools, creative activities, sound, music and special effects. Kids can draw free form or choose a scene and then finish the picture. They can select colors, shapes and stamps. When they complete their masterpiece, they can even save and recall their drawings. Kids can also play games such as connect the dots, color by number and mazes. New cartridges add more fun and activities. Favorite Pixter software includes Barbie’s Fashion Show, SpongeBob SquarePants Color Aqua Adventure and Color Rescue Heroes Mission.
For a more affordable version of Pixter, try the POCKET Pixter. Kids can collect any of the six different styled POCKET Pixters, each with a unique hidden game. This product is not as robust as the COLOR Pixter, yet all POCKET Pixters come with the key drawing tools, sound effects and at least one game for plenty of fun.
LeapPad by Leapfrog
Ages 4 to 8 years
Price Approx. $39.99
www.leapfrog.com
The LeapPad, while not as compact as handheld gaming devices, is portable and particularly fun for young children. It is easy to use and helps teach language, reading, math, and geography and science skills. The child places a LeapPad book into the player and uses an attached stylus to touch images and words on the page, which responds with a silly sound effect, music, spoken words or a listening game. LeapPad comes with two interactive books, but its library includes more than 50 titles. Versions for even younger children include the LittleTouch LeapPad Learning System (ages 1-2 years) and My First LeapPad (ages 2-4 years).
Leapster by Leapfrog
Ages 4 to 8 years
Price Approx. $39.99
www.leapfrog.com
Looking for a portable gaming device that challenges children’s minds? The Leapster is a handheld, multimedia learning system. On it, children can play learning games, read electronic books, create works of art, and watch interactive videos. The product comes bundled with the “Learning With Leap” software. This cartridge contains six activities. My daughter’s personal favorites are Color Coral, a digital painting game, and Chicken Coop, an entertaining concentration game. New game cartridges can be purchased separately. However, because the Leapster is a relatively new product, its library of game cartridges is not as extensive as the Game Boy.
Game Boy Advance by Nintendo
Ages 7 years & up
Price Approx. $99
www.Nintendo.com
Dubbed the smallest video game console, this device offers endless hours of game play without having to be connected to a TV. Its small, clamshell design fits in a jacket pocket. The device includes a color LCD screen and easy to use controls. There are numerous game cartridges available for the Game Boy. Each cartridge is sold separately. Some of the best-reviewed Game Boy Advance games are Mario Bros. 3 by Nintendo, Froger by Majesco and Centipede by Majesco. Accessories must be purchased separately, including a carrying case and a headphone adapter, both useful for traveling.
VideoNow Player by Tiger Electronics
Ages 7 years & up
Price Approx. $49.99
www.hasbro.com
Significantly cheaper than portable DVD players, the VideoNow Personal Video Player lets kids insert a small circular disk, sold separately. The disks hold up to 30 minutes of favorites such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Fairly Odd Parents, and Day in the Life of Hilary Duff, to name a few. The player comes with a sampler disc of entertaining excerpts. At this point, the LCD screen only displays black and white images. That did not seem to bother our kid testers, who were excited to watch more TV. A color screen version of the player will be available this fall.
20Q by Radica
Ages 8 years & up
Price Approx. $9.99
www.radicagames.com
Just launched, the 20Q is a blue, futuristic-looking sphere. To play, the user thinks of something and then answers a series of 20 questions. The 20Q has “artificial intelligence” and seems to actually read your mind. If 20Q cannot identify what you’re thinking of within 20 questions, you win. What makes this game even more fun is its hip, sassy attitude. As you play, an electronic voice offers commentary such as “Does your mom know you think like that?” or “I’m thinking you can do better!” The product fits in a back pocket.
Teri Rousseau is a freelance writer and president of Multimedia Consulting LLC, a market research firm.