Children are getting smarter. JustaBXgirl has been using a tablet since she was about 5 months old. I know, I’m one of those parents. Even still, she was swiping and listening to alphabet songs and learning to count before she could even speak. And I know that she is not the only one. It should only follow that toys are getting smarter too.
Last week I was blessed to attend the Kids & Family Tech Expo and get a peek at what I know will be on the top of many kids Holiday Wish Lists. My favorite three items that I didn’t want to wait until I posted my gift guides to share are:
Gululu Water Bottle
I’m sure some of you remember having a digital pet in the 90s. I remember my little brother used to throw mine and my friends into the toilet regularly and we would have to get new ones. The boy was ahead of his time because with the Gululu bottle you are pretty much raising a virtual pet by drinking water. No toilets necessary. Maybe my brother thought he was giving our virtual pets water to quench their thirst.
Either way with the Gululu water bottle you can track your child’s water intake using a corresponding app and your little will be more likely to drink their water because they get to “play” with their virtual friend. They also get to watch their virtual friend grow. We know given the choice most littles will choose juice or another beverage over water. I think this is a fun way to redirect them back to drinking what is best.
Honestly, I am the one using this in our home. JustaBXgirl is pretty good at drinking her needed water. Mama? Not as good. So, we have decided that mama needs the incentive more than she does. The price point on this is a bit higher than I’m normally comfortable sharing but we know that quality is worth paying for. And when you purchase this water bottle you are making a difference! How, you ask? Every water bottle sold gives a child in a developing country clean drinking water for life.
Dr. Panda Home Designer
You know how JustaBXgirl has had a tablet for since she was less than a year? She got her iPad around a year and a half. One of the first apps we downloaded was a Dr. Panda app. Currently, she has 3 or 4 Dr. Panda apps on her iPad and will be getting this one soon. This app which was recently released is perfect for littles. And it is so much more than just an app. It comes with 51 customizable and erasable flashcards that can be used to decorate the home. The way this app merges play and learning will be a treat for parents and children. We can’t wait to get our hands on it at home.
Tanoshi
A lot of our littles are very comfortable on a tablet or iPad. Yet, they lose some of that confidence when you put them on a computer. Tanoshi has developed a way to help them get acquainted with the computer by bringing a sense of familiarity to it. Think a My first Laptop for children ages 6 – 12. It is a 2-in-1 computer that parents can feel safe leaving their children alone with. There are parental supervision features built in along with age-appropriate apps. JustaBXgirl’s Abuela and I were discussing if this will be sitting under this year’s Christmas tree since JustaBXgirl has been spending more time on my computer.
There are so many great tech toys coming out for our littles to get their hands on but these were definitely my favorites from the show. If you’re looking for more tech toys for the littles and you keep an eye out for my tech gift guide coming soon.
