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Connected Objects Kids/Babies

TROBO kids’ robot brings snuggling to science education

Once upon a time, a talking teddy bear named Teddy Ruxpin read gave children all over America nightmares and also read them stories through the use of cassette tapes plugged into its torso.

TROBO is the nerdy spiritual successor to Ruxpin in a lot of ways, albeit without the nightmare fuel and with the feature set one would expect in the Internet age. TROBO is a plush robot available in two styles, Edison (male-inspired) and Curie (female-inspired), assuring kids will want a TROBO no matter what kind of toys they like. TROBO reads stories that are focused on science, technology, math, and engineering, fostering a desire to learn and become more skilled in scientific pursuits at a young age. The stories are read aloud with an app used on a tablet or phone that allows kids to read along and also interact with the stories.

The interaction takes place directly, as children make their own avatars that look like them and share their name so TROBO speaks right at the young reader. Multiple stories will be available at launch, with additional TROBO stories being added to the app store over time to prevent content from getting stale or boring. Team TROBO is raising $60,000 for manufacturing and testing the toys, as well as creating more stories. Parents can get their kids a TROBO for $50 delivered in time for next year’s holidays: November 2015.

From the ground up, TROBO is designed to be a toy that children love and want to play with, while at the same time is a toy that inspires them to learn and understand the world around them. For parents and kids, that’s a complete win/win. Assuming, of course, that parents don’t have any leftover trauma from “playing” with Teddy Ruxpin.

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Organization Toys

Lenz Frenz wear your kids glasses, store them for safekeeping

LenzFrinzAlthough kids look adorable in glasses, sometimes they can have trouble keeping track of them. Sometimes kids can be nervous about having to wear their glasses, and the Lenz Frenz was designed to give kids a cuddly way to keep track of their eyewear while easing the adjustment to their augmented visage. The soft, plushy toy has a built-in case in the back of the toy, and it also has a design that allows your child’s glasses to be worn on the animal’s face when they’re not wearing them. This is a cute idea that would be great for kids. The creators  have a small size puppy available for $25 and the full-size bear for $45, with expected delivery in May 2014.

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Kids/Babies

Lullaby Light Up turns throw pillow into kid’s glow pillow

Light-up pillows have become a popular novelty item. The makers of the Lullaby Light Up Pillow recognize the gift value of their offering for the little ones up to age six. There’s no need to worry about the light keeping the little ones up  as the light turns off by itself after about 17 minutes. Offering a bit of background on how the children’s companion came to be, the testimonial-laden video features a background track with videos that compete somewhat with what the people are saying, but you get the gist. The project creators offer to send one of their glowing pillows to your door by May 2014 for $40 or bundled with a blankie for $50.