It may sound like a contradiction, but there are some tech toys that actually help kids get up and moving. Time Warner Cable News’ Adam Balkin takes us to the International Toy Fair in this Fit Kids February Tech Talk report.
Walking around the New York North American International Toy Fair is an exercise in exercise, as it could keep any child busy walking endlessly for weeks on end. But since it’s not open to the public nor open for weeks on end, we decided to track down some toys with a tech twist that might get kids up and exercising at home. One of those products is the Tangle NightBall Flag Football Kit - $20 for the ball, flag sets are $8 apiece, light up gloves and suits are also in the works.
“The technology is a proprietary LED device, so it only goes off when it’s spinning,” says Tangle Creations’ Richard Zawitz. “It’s not on a timer. Typically LEDs are on a timer. When it spins, it goes off so as long as it’s spinning - you have an extremely bright, beautiful ball."
The Chrono Bomb set, out in June for $25, won’t necessarily cause your child to work up a sweat, but it will help their flexibility as they try to play spy and avoid the strings, also known as “lasers,” enroute to disabling a bomb.
“The string is connected to a sensor, which is connected to the bomb and if you accidentally touch the string as you're going through the maze, it’ll speed up the timer on the bomb and it’ll also make a cool little noise," says Patch Products’ Lisa Wuennemann.
Finally, some parents may worry that putting too much technology into toys takes away from imaginative play. Well, the Moff Band actually looks to combat that point of view.
“The Moff Band is a gyroscope and an accelerometer in an electronic device on your wrist and it’s paired via low Bluetooth to your iPhone to deliver the sounds of your imagination,” says Moff Band’s Nicky Azama.
The Moff Band costs $55, works with a free iOS app, and an Android version is in the works. Right now, it has 20 preset sounds, from swords to sports to even those that will allow you to cook virtually.