Here Come "Smart Toys"
(continued from page 1)
Learning Through Smart Play
From the complex to the simple, smart toys are available for
almost any age group and play pattern.
"There are layers to the smart toy and some are very simple,"
says Dr. Alfano. "For babies, press a button and get a vocal
response, for toddlers through first grade it may be simple reading,
number, shape and color teaching toys that guide a child to make
the correct response." Children's play and learning patterns
are animated from birth by toys that respond to them. For infants
to toddlers, learning begins with products that light up, make noise
or create music with the lightest baby's touch.
 |
|
Fisher-Price's
Musical Lights 'n Sounds Gym.
|
Musical Lights 'n Sounds Gym (Fisher-Price,
$30.00) provides infants a play experience wherein baby activates
the sounds and songs by gently tapping on hanging sun, stars or
moons. When activated a light display corresponds with the musical
sounds for some early cause and effect teaching.
Real world experiences can be brought into the home with smart toys
like Scannin' Talkin' Check-Out Center (Fisher-Price, $27.99). This
play center includes a conveyor belt that moves pretend grocery
items to the cashier to be weighed and rung-up. This familiar toy
teaches numbers, the ability to differentiate between items, counting
money and manners as the electronic voice says, "Thank you"
after each pretend purchase.
One of the premier educational toy developers, LeapFrog believes
in the "unlimited power that we all have to improve ourselves
and others through lifelong learning. Smart toys are intuitive and
fun products that bridge the gap between technology and toys,"
says Timothy M. Bender, vice president of sales, LeapFrog. "A
lot of toy manufacturers are forgetting the traditional toy play
patterns which have not changed. Today's 'smart toy' must include
traditional stimulus and play pattern elements. Technology should
not be used to replace play patterns, but enhance their play value.
When a product just has sound or light or numbers -- it is not necessarily
a smart product. You need to look at the education reward a child
gets through the fun play."
 |
|
"The
World's Most Intelligent Talking Globe," LeapFrog's Explorer.
|
One of the company's most exciting products,
LeapPad, uses LeapFrog's patented NearTouch technology to bring
paper books to life. NearTouch, used in many LeapFrog products,
allows the toy to respond to a child's inquiry, such as "What
word is this?" with no more than a touch of the "magic
pen." Popular storytelling icons like 100 Acre Wood's Winnie
the Pooh and Busy Town's Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm will be part
of the LeapPad Library that will also have original content books
to teach geography, science and music to children ages four and
up. As children read through the books placed onto the LeapPad they
can use the MagicPen to bring the words to life as LeapPad will
read the story or identify letters or words to which the child points.
Words are phonetically sounded out to promote reading development
while children are allowed to learn and interact at their own pace.
(LeapPad with 14 books $60.)
Touted by the company as "The World's Most Intelligent Talking
Globe," Explorer uses NearTouch technology to teach geography.
When children point at a country, continent or ocean, the MagicPen
Explorer identifies the area. Choose two points, and learn the distance
and flying time between them. Explorer also offers information on
an area's population, currency, music, time of day and more. Whole
families will enjoy playing Explorer's interactive games. When children
play by themselves, progressive helpful hints lead them to the correct
answer. (Ages six through adult by LeapFrog $100.)
