W.The long summer vacation at school is about to begin. You may need a little help to keep the kids entertained. From walkie-talkies and cameras to tablets, robotic toys to fitness trackers, here are some of the best kid-friendly tech to keep little (and not-so-tiny) kids occupied.
robot toy
Sphero Mini – about 50 pounds
Many high-tech toys are passing fads, but my longtime favorite has stood the test of time as a modern update to the joy of remote control. Sphero is a ball that can be operated with a smartphone or tablet.
The Mini Sphero Ball is great fun to drive and small enough that even excessive indoor excursions won’t break your furniture or scuff your paint. The Sphero Play app has games, and the Sphero Edu app is great at fostering creative learning.
Kids and older kids alike can learn to program, follow their example, let robots do everything, or even go deeper and write code in JavaScript. High-end versions such as the £190 BOLT also take the educational element to the next level.
tablet
Amazon Fire 7 Kids – about 110 pounds
If you don’t want to lend your precious fragile phone or iPad to your kids, Amazon’s virtually indestructible Kid’s Edition tablet is the perfect choice.
The cheapest and smallest Fire 7 has just been updated and is available in a variety of brightly colored cases with pop-out stands. We will replace it free of charge under warranty.
Run all the standard tablet functions like movies, apps, games, web browser if you want, and set locks, time limits and age filters with parental controls. There are options to restrict access to curated child-safe sites and videos, but you won’t be able to access the Google Play store, only Amazon’s app store.
The Kids Edition comes with a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ (£3 to £7 It’s a curated collection of texts and audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and educational apps for kids.
The larger 140-pound Fire HD 8 and 200-pound Fire HD 10 are also available in kids versions if you want something bigger. Alternatively, Amazon’s new Kids Pro tablet starts at £100 with extra features for school-age kids.
Alternatives include LeapFrog’s range of educational tablets suitable for younger children, and hand-me-down or refurbished iPads (starting at £150) in rugged cases that can be locked with parental controls.
camera
VTech Kidizoom Duo 5.0 – about 39 pounds
Before smartphones, standalone cameras were the way to visually record our lives.
The VTech Kidizoom Duo 5.0 is ‘my first digital camera’, made from sturdy plastic and easy to operate, and VTech believes it’s suitable for ages 3-9. It captures reasonable-quality 5MP photos of him, and you can even take selfies from behind, all displayed on the 2.4-inch screen.
An optical viewfinder helps line up shots that can be transformed with fun filters and effects. Also shoot video. Its child-centric nature may put off older kids, but all award-winning photographers have to start somewhere before smartphones take over.
It requires an SD card for storage and 4 AA batteries at a time that run out quickly, so buy rechargeable batteries to save money and the planet.
Older kids may prefer a rugged, waterproof action cam that captures video and photos. No-budget no-brand cams start at around £80, while used or refurbished models from big boys such as GoPro and DJI run around £100 and sell on eBay and elsewhere.
fitness tracker
Garmin Vivofit Jr3 – From around £55
Your child may not need encouragement to shed tears about the place, but if you want a gadget to “gamify” and reward their activity, and smartwatch-esque gadget to play with, the Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 is a winner for ages 4 and up.
Its watch-like shape comes in a variety of themes and designs, including various Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney characters, with custom watch faces to choose from. so you don’t have to worry about charging. Water resistance up to 50 meters means swimming is no problem.
Track your steps, activity and sleep with motivational messages. There are mini-games your child can play once they reach their goals, all controlled from your phone or tablet so you can keep an eye on your child’s data. Parents can also exchange rewards with you by setting goals, competing on her activity level, setting reminders for chores, and tasks that earn virtual coins. can.
Button operation instead of touch screen, the backlight does not stay on for a long time to save battery.
If you’re a user of Google’s Fitbit trackers yourself, the company’s Ace 3 (£50) means you can compete in activities, but you’ll need to recharge every seven days or so. Other inexpensive adult fitness trackers, such as the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 (around £29), may be suitable for older children.
transceiver
Motorola T42 Talkabout – About £35 for 3 people
Walkie-talkies are a great alternative to mobile phones, allowing children and older children to stay in touch without worrying about charges or broken screens.
There are plenty of kid-centric options available with different character themes, but the base unit usually works better.Motorola’s T42 Talkabout comes in a variety of colors and multipacks.
Setup is easy with a pairing button and multiple channel selection to find a clear channel. Even if you are far away, just push to talk. The 4km range quoted may be a bit ambitious, but should be suitable for distances of at least 500 meters in urban environments and much longer outdoors.
They use 3 AAA batteries each and last about 18 hours of talk time, or about 3-4 days with active use, so you may need a small army of rechargeable batteries.
It has belt clips and loops to hook onto carabiners (metal loops) etc. It’s pretty sturdy, so it should survive being launched across a room or two.
Nestling’s camouflage walkie-talkie (around £26) is also a popular choice, but there are plenty of options for under £30 on the main street.
