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This past weekend, Toy Fair(Opens in a new window) 2018 landed practically in PCMag’s backyard at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. So of course, I had to go—my inner 8-year-old insisted. My mission: to track down tech toys.
Most toy companies have gotten much better at using technology to make toys more fun to play with—and to inspire kids to develop their STEM skills, and this year was no different. Here are our Toy Fair favorites.
1. Mattel Jurassic World Kamigami Robots
We had fun last year with the first batch of build-it-yourself Kamigami robots. This spring, Mattel will offer the Velociraptor “Blue” and Villain Dino dinosaur bots as a tie-in for the upcoming Jurassic World movie. Control each via a companion app on your smart device; its rudimentary block-coding feature lets you design your own movements, lights, and sounds. Each is $59.99, for ages 8 and up.
2. Fisher-Price Think & Learn Rocktopus
Kids ages 3 to 6 can learn about music with the Rocktopus, adding and combining instrument sounds and changing tempo and genre. For the STEM component, there’s a math mode as well as a game mode. It’ll ship this fall for $59.99.
3. KD Group & LocoRobo MyLoopy
The cute, palm-size MyLoopy(Opens in a new window) bot has eight sensors (light, tilt, motion, touch, temperature, proximity, gesture and sound) and AI that makes it interactive and trainable. Kids can use the companion app to code responses and behaviors. MyLoopy comes out this fall at $79.99 for ages 4 and up.
4. KD Interactive Aura Drone
Even though it’s a 2017 product, we had to include the very cool Aura Drone(Opens in a new window) for kids. It’s controlled intuitively via gestures, using a glove controller instead of joysticks.
5. Hexbug Ring Rover
Coming this spring, the Ring Rover ($24.99) gives your Hexbugs a new way to move around with two giant offset wheels. The Ring Rover Stunt Park kit ($39.99) includes ramps for death-defying stunts.
6. Vex Boxing Bots
Our booth guide described these VEX Battle Bots from Hexbug(Opens in a new window) as a cross between a Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robot and a Segway: They self-balance and box equally well. Control your bot with a smartphone and bash away on your opponent—you win when you knock the other bot’s head off. They’re expected to ship this fall at $149.99 each.
8. LittleBits Hall of Fame Kits
LittleBits is one of our favorite tech-toy makers, but its products can be pricey. In May, the company will release four Hall of Fame kits, each featuring one project, at a more accessible $39.99 each. The kits’ electronic components will work with those of any other LittleBits products.
9. 3Doodler Start STEM Series
The 3Doodler Start(Opens in a new window) is safe for young creators; the extruded material won’t get hot enough to burn small fingers, and neither will the pen itself. The Start STEM Series launches with the Hexbug Make Your Own Micro Robotics Kit, with which you can augment the little robotic bugs and make them your own. Look for this and a number of other STEM Series kits to arrive this May.
10. 3Doodler Inventor Maxwell Bogue
Bogue, a 3Doodler founder, is wearing a jacket that he made… with a 3Doodler. Why? Because he could. Also one of the inventors of the device, Bogue delights in creating surprising objects.
12. UBTech Jimu Robot Kits
UBTech’s Jimu Kits(Opens in a new window) offer a build-your-own-bot experience for kids ages 8 and older, who are encouraged to get creative and design new bots. They come with animated step-by-step instructions as well as drag-and-drop Blockly code kids can use to bring their creations to life. Prices range from $99 to $199.
14. Smart Sketcher Projector
Connect the Smart Sketcher(Opens in a new window) projector ($59.95) with your smart device, and its app beams images to paper with step-by-step instructions on drawing, including curriculum-based content. You can also project your own pictures and sketch away.
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