As any parent probably knows, children of all ages can’t get enough of the iPhone and iPad. Buy certain educational toys can hardness the power of those devices and help make your children smarter. Below, we’ve gathered the best educational toys that can help any child learn, play, and develop.
Kids Can Use All 26 Letters to Learn the Alphabet and More on an iPad
Designed for kids 3-6, Marbotic's Smart Letters are a great way to help children start building critical language skills. Providing all 26 letters, they can be used in three free apps. The wooden letters are gentle on a tablet's screen and don't require any connection via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. They also don't need to charged.
- The letters can be used with three, free apps.
- Wooden letters are designed to be gentle on the tablet's screen.
- No charging or wireless signal required to play.
An App-Enabled Race Car Packed with Technology
Take home that Piston Cup championship with this toy from Sphero. The Ultimate Lightning McQueen is all about racing. And just like the movie version, Sphero’s version is packed with a number of animatronic features – including eye and body movements – that help his personality shine through. While the price not be for everyone, the Ultimate Lightning McQueen is fun app-enabled toy full of personality and perfect for kids, and fans of the "Cars" franchise of all ages.
- Can race at up to 6MPH for up to 40 minutes on a single charge.
- Watch the original "Cars" and see the toy respond to what's happening on the screen.
- Use the app to race, play mini-games, and more.
Let Kids Send and Receive Voice Messages
Want to communicate with your kids but you're not interested in giving them a smartphone or tablet? No problem! The Toymail Talkie is one of those educational toys that makes it super easy for kids as young as 3 years old to communicate with friends and family.
- Send messages using the free Toymail app for IOS, Android, Kindle. Connect Talkie-to-Talkie, too!
- Create your “Trusted circle” to stay in touch with parents, grandparents and friends
- Expand Talkie by unlocking cloud features like bedtime mode to help get and keep kids in bed!
- Send and share the sweet & hilarious messages you receive via direct sharing or on social media.
Taking a Classic Toy Into the Digital Age
Play-Doh is universally loved by kids as the dough is fun to play with and allows them to even get their hands dirty without getting into trouble. This fun kit allows kids to take their creations almost anywhere on their iPhone or iPad.
- Character stampers creations unlock special personalities and worlds.
- Creations can be saved in the app and accessed at anytime.
- Using any iPhone with 3D Touch, kids can alter the same of their creations.
A Fun, Interactive Star Wars Themed Robot You Can Control
Connect BB-8 to the app and watch your Droid come to life. Drive BB-8 by sliding your finger on the driving pad, send him on patrol to investigate your surroundings, record and view holographic messages, and more. It's super cool.
- Bluetooth Smart connection allowing Gyroscopic propulsion to a 30m range
- Induction charging stand providing 60 minute battery life
- Compatible with the Force Band for control via gestures
A Fun, Programable Robot that Responds to Gestures and Commands
Coder MiP is the new, programmable version of the world’s favorite balancing robot. Control your robot's actions and reactions with simple drag-and-drop commands, using the brand new app on your BLE tablet or smartphone. Play fun games and drive Coder MiP over his ramp while he balances multiple items on his tray. Coder MiP communicates through motion, sounds, and LED lights in his eyes and chest. His sensors allow him to navigate his surroundings and respond to hand gestures.
- Simple Drag and drop commands let you customize coder mip's actions/reactions
- Create if-then statements and play games using the coder mip app on your Smart device
- Drive coder mip around and over his ramp while he balances multiple items on his matching tray
- Cool new see-through design with red wheels and accents
Rock out and Learn About the Science of Sound
Don't you wish you were a kid again? Consider the new BoseBuild Speaker Cube kit. From the iconic audio manufacturer, it allows children to make their own Bluetooth speaker customizable with different colors and covers. Designed for ages 8 and up, the kit contains everything you need for the build – with the exception of an iOS device, scissors, and tape.
- Comes with almost everything you need to build a real Bose Bluetooth speakers.
- Backed by a two-year warranty.
- Can be personalized with different lights and covers.
The Most User-Friendly Desktop 3D Printer
3-D printing opens up a world of possibilities for children. All they need is their imagination. This reasonably priced printer is easy-to-use and features Wi-Fi making it even easier to send over objects to be printed.
- Ready out of the box: Comes with 1 free spool of filament and all the tools you'll need
- Wi-Fi enabled: Select, customize and print wirelessly from your phone, tablet or desktop computer
- Quiet and safe: UL certified for safety and comes with clear cover to protect your prints
- Prints with PLA, a biodegradable material available in an array of colors
A Great Way for Kids to Learn About Finances, Math, and More
This learning game can turn almost any iPad into a way for kids to learn important entrepreneurship skills while having fun at the same time. That's a perfect combination.
- Teaches financial literacy, emotional intelligence, and applied math.
- A fun way to combine real-world and digital play.
- Who doesn’t love pizza, even the play variety?
A challenging battle game for any age
Blast your way to fun with this great starter that allows up to four different players to battle it out with unique tanks. And there's no need to worry about kids getting bored with the set as the play gets is designed to get harder as players progress.
- Feature multiplayer or team vs. team action.
- Up to four different users can play at once.
- Multiple game modes require different strategies.
An App-Enabled Bluetooth Guitar Pick for Creating Music
AirJamz is an app-enabled bluetooth guitar pick that has everyone making music. Simply power up, connect to the AirJamz Music app on your mobile device and strum, shake or move with the AirJamz. Your motion is sensed and instantly turned into music and sounds in the app. Now your moves make music!
- Anyone can experience the thrill of playing music.
- It’s easy, it’s fun. Download, connect and instantly rock with more than 25 songs.
- 100+ instruments & sounds. Play guitar, drums, synths, lasers, and cool SFX.
- It's social, show off with Snapchat and Instagram and play with up to four players.
A Robot With Personality
The Cozmo is a real-life toy robot like you've never seen before. Rember Short Circuit or maybe Wall-E? Think of this as a toy version of those amazing robots you love.
- New games and other upgrades are unlocked as you play more.
- Can recognize specific faces and even your own dog or cat.
- Cozmo's personality evolves as you continue to play and interact with it.
- An SDK is available to educators, researchers, and more to help expand the robot's capabilities.
Encouraging Kids to Communicate and Learn
This adorable puppy is much more than just your run-of-the-mill stuffed animal. Any one of the five different Bluebee Pals can connect to any Bluetooth-enabled device like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The best feature is that it the interactive mouth will lip synch with all educational apps, and even music. It can even interact while acting as a handsfree speaker for phone calls. It allows younger kids to express themselves while learning at the same time.
- Designed for younger children.
- Can lip synch to any app that has sound, even in a foreign language.
- Five different animals to select from.
Use Robot Blocks to Build Thousands of Different Robots
Cubelets are robot blocks that combine to build thousands of thought-provoking robots. They're proven to engage different types of learners, fostering confidence, imagination, and a love of learning that will help prepare them to become better thinkers. Building robots has never been easier or more rewarding!
- A fun and innovative way to teach kids about robot building.
- No wrong way to build.
- No programming knowledge required.
- Easy for builders as young as 4-years-old.
