The best tech toys for kids will make you wish you were 10 again

[Wireless News]

Finding the perfect gadget gifts for children is trickier than it looks. The children’s toy market is awash with over-priced junk destined to end up unloved and forgotten at the bottom of a toy box within days of being unwrapped. How do you find kid’s tech that’s inspiring and educational, but fun enough to keep-them coming back to it? We have just the right picks. Related : Best tablets for kids We’re not going to look at obvious categories like tablets or smartphones — we have separate roundups for those. This is about interesting and unusual gadgets that will hopefully delight your wee ones. This is the best tech for kids. We have included the suggested age from the manufacturer here, but we’ve found that as long as they’re supervised, younger kids will really enjoy most of these gadgets and toys, too. 8 years and up Sphero BB-8 app-enabled Droid ($150) Please enable Javascript to watch this video For any kids excited by Star Wars: The Force Awakens , what could be better than a branded BB-8 droid that can be remote controlled with an Android or iOS device? This super-cute robot rolls around in any direction, with his head floating magnetically on top. The companion app is packed with official Star Wars sound effects and a few different activities, such as the ability to record holographic messages, so you and your kids can have more fun with BB-8. The Star Wars tie-in does mean that the price is a little inflated for what this is, but most kids will love it.- Watch our first look video. Buy it now from: Amazon Apple Store-GameStop-Best Buy-Newegg Meccano Meccanoid G15 KS Personal Robot ($250) Please enable Javascript to watch this video What kid wouldn’t love to build their own 4-foot-tall robot that’s capable of mimicking them and responding to instructions? There are around 1,200 parts to this, including a brain, LED eyes, and eight motors. You can use an Android or iOS app with it, but it’s easier to teach the Meccanoid through direct manipulation. There are lots of voice commands you can use, and it can be reconfigured into something less humanoid, but be warned, it takes a long time to build. Buy it now from: Amazon-Walmart littleBits Electronics Gizmos & Gadgets Kit ($200) Please enable Javascript to watch this video Building their own gadgets can be enormously appealing for kids, but it’s a lot easier to dismantle something than it is to put it together. Fortunately, the LittleBits line of electronics provides them with all the materials they need to build their own devices. It’s easy to fit the different components together-using the-clear guides and a companion app, but there’s also room for their own ideas and tweaks. It’s a fun group activity that combines science and art. Read our hands on review here. Buy it now from: Amazon-Best Buy Anki Overdrive Battle and Race Robotic Supercars Starter Kit ($119) Please enable Javascript to watch this video How would you modernize slot-car race tracks? Anki Overdrive could be the answer. It’s like a cross between Scalextric and Mario Kart . Cars are controlled by an Android or iOS device, and you can race or battle each other. You can fit up to four cars on the track at once, but you don’t need company because the AI is impressively good. The track can be slotted together to create various different layouts, and you can add extra packs to extend it. Buy it now from: Amazon Next page: The best tech toys for kids ages 6 – 7 years and up 7 years and up Mattel View-Master Virtual Reality Starter Pack ($30) Virtual reality is starting to take off and it’s exciting. There are a few headsets that use your smartphone as the screen, but this is the first one we’ve seen that’s aimed at kids. It works with various smartphones, just like Google Cardboard, and there are a number of compatible VR apps and games for Android and iOS. In a nod to the view-masters of yesteryear, Mattel has also included reels that trigger different augmented-reality experiences. You can buy various $15 reel packs covering topics like space and wildlife. Buy it now from: Amazon Apple Store-Best Buy-Walmart Dino-Lite AM2111 handheld 0.3 MP digital microscope ($100) Please enable Javascript to watch this video It’s amazing what you can see with a microscope. Your kids will love collecting samples to examine, and even everyday objects can reveal surprises. This handheld microscope plugs into your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone — the software supports Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS — and shows from 10X up to 220X magnification. There are also four LEDs to illuminate your subject and a plastic stand you can slot it into. You can also use it to capture photographs or video. Buy it now from: Amazon 6 years and up Osmo Genius Kit Game System for iPad ($100) Please enable Javascript to watch this video This is an excellent accessory pack for your iPad that offers several fun and educational activities. There’s a stand, and the camera attachment enables your iPad to see the table in front of it. Your kids will be challenged to make different shapes, spell words, trace pictures, and play physics-based games. You can also buy additional packs. It’s expensive, but it’s also very well-designed, and kids love learning with it.- Read our full review here. Buy it now from: Amazon Apple Store-Best Buy Kano Computer Kit ($100) Please enable Javascript to watch this video This is a complete build-your-own computer kit bundled with all sorts of interesting software to inspire your kids to start programming, and make music or games. There are simple illustrated guides for them to follow, and it’s impressively accessible. It’s based around a Raspberry Pi 2, but you also get an orange keyboard, a mouse, some other bits and pieces, and a set of stencils and stickers to customize the look. The real fun begins when it’s built and they dig into the challenges to tell it what to do. Buy it now from: Amazon Next page: The best tech toys for kids ages 2 – 5 years and up 5 years and up Wonder Workshop Dash Robot Wonder Pack ($280) Please enable Javascript to watch this video This wee robot has real personality and hooks up to an Android or iOS device for all sorts of play and learning. At the shallow end, it’s a remote control robot that lights up and makes sounds, but if you dig-deeper, you can actually program routines into it with the accessible Blockly drag-and-drop coding app. It’s also compatible with Lego, and Wonder Workshop offers a static companion robot and a bunch of other extras if you want to expand on it. Read our full review here. Buy it now from: Amazon 2 years and up Kidz Gear Volume Limit Headphones ($20) Kids and adults don’t always see eye to eye, as any parent who has endured the musical tastes of a youngster for a long car trip can attest. The easy answer is headphones. The Kidz Gear wired headphones produce decent quality sound and they’re sturdy, adjustable, and available in seven different colors. They also have a limited maximum volume. These headphones could be just as much of a gift for the parents as they are for the child. Buy it now from: Amazon Apple Store We’ve reached the end of our top tech for kids roundup, but we’d love to hear your picks. Check back, because we’ll update this list with new gadgets when we find worthy entries!

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