Kids use their imaginations while playing, which helps them to develop skills they need as adults. Many toys take away the need for imagination with fancy technology or touch screens. O-Rings are a simple way for children to enjoy playtime without all the bells and whistles. These rings vary in size, color, and density, allowing children to learn new things from each one while providing safety, comfort and many photo opportunities . Kids can climb, organize, imagine and create using the O-Rings. One small ring costs backers $49 or $360 for a full set estimated to deliver in December 2014. O-Rings hopes to raise $30,000 in a 46-day Indiegogo campaign.
Category: Kids/Babies
The Premise. Babies aren’t the best communicators. Parents can get a general idea of a baby’s mood, but beyond that, the reasons for that mood are hard to come by. Any insight a parent can have to stop the crying and fussing is extremely welcome.
The Product. Sleevely is a device that goes around a baby bottle and solves one of the mysteries of parenthood: has the baby eaten? By monitoring the amount of milk or formula in the bottle and when the contents are consumed, Sleevely reports to its app how much a child has eaten or if they’ve eaten at all. That data is all recorded so that parents can monitor their baby’s feeding throughout the day whether they’re at home, work, or anywhere else. With the correct data input to the app, Sleevely can even notify parents when a baby’s meal is going bad and needs to be replaced.
The Pitch. Inventors and cousins Ike Ofner and Dan Gilai have a lot of fun in their introductory video, and it’s hard to not to smile as the product is explained whether viewers are parents or not. For those that want to know the how more than the why, the campaign information discusses which bottles are compatible, how the Sleevely transmits information using Bluetooth, and how the patent pending sensors detect the amount of fluid in the bottle.Sleevely needs $85,000 to move from prototype to production.
The Perks. A Sleevely will set backers back $29, and parents-to-be can look forward to this product’s due date in December. Blue and pink variants are available at $39, Sleevely can be personalized with a baby’s name at $49, and a bodysuit is added in at the $60 level. A baby shower gift package that also includes a compatible bottle starts at $70. All perks beside the basic white model should arrive January 2015.
The Potential. At first glance, it’s hard to see what the market would be for a beer (formula?) koozie for a baby bottle, but once the app is brought into the picture, the Sleevely is a very attractive, affordable option for parents. Raising infants is an imprecise art that requires extreme care, so any product that can help take the guesswork out of the process is highly appreciated. It’s hard not to like the Sleevely or the people behind it, and the parenting market will probably eat the product up. Though the prototype is iOS-focused, future Android compatibility due by the product’s launch will be a welcome addition.
The Premise. Parents who want to keep track of their kids almost always resort to giving them cell phones nowadays. But a cell phone for a child is a lot of responsibility and risk. Kids are hard on phones and may even lose them as they go out to play and explore the world.
The Product. Tinitell, the smallest mobile phone ever created, is a cell phone that is worn on a child’s wrist. First of all, this device is water- and sand-proof, making it perfect for children. It comes in different colors equipped with GPS tracking, voice recognition, Bluetooth capabilities, a long battery life and call forwarding. This wrist-phone comes in many different fun colors and only has three buttons that operate it, making it simple enough for the smallest of children to use. The phone’s preferences and contact list are managed from the Tinitell iOS/Android app or website.
The Pitch. This Swedish product’s video shows a delightful scene which effectively displays how easily children can get lost while battling monsters. The children in the video use the device easily, reinforcing Tinitell’s asserted childlike simplicity. The rest of the campaign outlines each of the phone’s unique features as well as the back story of what inspired Tinitell. This tiny phone hopes to raise $100,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. Early backers can enjoy the Tinitell for only $99. The exclusive Kickstarter price is $129, while standard retail price is set at $179. Reward tiers climb from there to $5,000, offering the product in different colors and packages. Each level offering the product has an estimated delivery date of April 2015.
The Potential. Tinitell seems like a good solution for keeping track of your kiddies while they go out and explore. This is not the only product out there, however. The hereO GPS watch tracks children but has a shorter battery life and no call function. Similarly, FiLIP offers the same peace of mind to parents in a wristband package with calling abilities, but only allows five numbers on the contact list. On the other hand, or wrist, FiLIP offers an emergency response system that Tinitell would do well to add. Unlike FiLIP, however, which is currently tied to AT&T in the U.S., Tinitell allows you to add your own SIM for more carrier and coverage flexibility. All in all, Tinitell is a clever device at the right price, but could definitely elaborate on its original design to result in an even better product.
The Premise. Children or recovering medical patients tend to stick with smoother foods, like purees and sauces. The only problem with eating these is that they can be really messy and are definitely not portable. Food manufacturers offer foods that come in these pouches, but are always disposable. This can result in a solution that’s less ecologically friendly and offers less choice.
The Product. The Sili Squeeze is a silicone food pouch designed for smoother foods. The removable lid makes it easy to wash the pouch and dispense food into it. The spout has a cover on it to prevent messes. This product comes in several different colors and one other variation called the Sili Squeeze with Eeze which is a more free-flowing version.
The Pitch. For a relatively wet product, the campaign video is a little dry, but does go into some cool details about how the Sili Squeeze is (accidentally) great for medical patients and special needs children. The campaign also shows prototypes and pictures of some adorable kids using the products. Sili Squeeze is aiming to raise $25,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. The 2 oz. Sili Squeeze goes for an early price of $15. A 4 oz. version costs $19 and a 6 oz. only $20. Other tiers offer different combination packs of these pouches with an estimated delivery date of July 2014. Reward tiers go up to $100.
The Potential. The pouch is perhaps the least appreciated food receptacle. As mentioned in the campaign video, food manufacturers offer disposable pouches, but these can be quite expensive. Similar products, like the Squooshi Reusable Food Pouch offer food pouches in the same way, but are geared only towards children and customer reviews show that they’re hard to clean. The Sili Squeeze offers a unique and portable way to eat pureed foods over and over again. Its added benefit of accessibility to toddlers, hospital patients and special needs children makes it all the more versatile.
Getting kids to wash their hands can be a chore. Water that’s too hot can make them reluctant to want to cleanse. Whaleywasher is a faucet attachment that allows parents to preset temperatures, water flow and dispenses soap for their kids. It was designed to make washing up easier for kids so that they don’t splash water or burn themselves. This attachment also extends the faucet forward and down so that kids can reach the water. One Whaleywasher costs dirty backers $25 with an estimated delivery date of September 2014. Whaley needs $20,000 to reach the mass market in its 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Premise. Stuffed animals are a staple for any child’s box of toys. Most, however, are limited in the interaction that they have with children, showing them how to cuddle but not much else.
The Product. Powered by iPad, DiDi is an interactive teddy bear system. Using an app, an iPad, and special touch toys, DiDi teaches kids the fundamentals of eating healthily, brushing their teeth as well as the fundamentals of reading. The iPad fits right into the body of the bear so that kids can use the touch screen to play or cuddle with DiDi without the iPad at night.
The Pitch. The DiDi video shows a little girl playing with her bear and all the different ways that the bear can be used. The rest of the campaign shows the myriad of accessories that the bear comes with how they help kids with their reading skills. DiDi is shooting for $25,000 in 30 days on Kickstarter.
The Perks. The limited reward tiers offer early backers the DiDi package for only $25. This includes the teddy bear, Magic Touch toys and another stuffed bunny. The regular price is also $25 but doesn’t include the extra toy. Each teddy bear comes with the app needed to power it. Estimated delivery date is currently set at August 2014.
The Potential. We’ve seen a lot of these super teddy bears lately. The ZiBear is similarly powered by a device, though it isn’t directly connected to the bear. The ZiBear lets parents program what they want the bear to say. DiDi is interesting in that the touch screen is directly on the bear, giving kids the added visual aspect of the toy. It is also specifically a reading tool, which is a perfect way to get kids to learn how to read by incorporating their reading into playtime. One crawback to DiDi, though, is that only kids in iPad households can use the toy. However, the cost of the bear, app, and related accessories is relatively low which partially makes up for needing an iPad to use it. All in all, DiDi seems like a fun learning tool for kids and will certainly be entertaining as well as educational.
Parents dreams of that triumphant moment when their child learns how to ride a bicycle on their own, but sometimes ignore the consequences. By being able to bike themselves, children are now able to travel at faster speeds and in potentially dangerous traffic. The MiniBrake is a small, remote-controlled brake that attaches to a bike’s rear wheel and stops the bicycle when the parent chooses. With a range of 50 meters, parents don’t have to chase after children, and if the bike travels beyond that range, the brake automatically engages, urging the child to return to a safer location. Parents can get a MiniBrake for $80, available in June 2014.
The Premise. Getting kids to brush their teeth might as well be pulling teeth. Whether it’s because they just don’t want to or because of the association with an approaching bedtime, enforcing good dental hygiene often becomes an intense battle of wits and perseverance.
The Product. Parents can now rejoice with the arrival of the gaming toothbrush, or Grush. This children’s toothbrush is chock full of motion sensors and accelerometers, designed to work in tandem with any Android and iOS devices to turn brushing teeth into a fun game. With multiple games to choose from, young brushers can chase monsters out of their teeth, conduct an orchestra, or groom cute animals while really fighting the true enemy: plaque. The brush has replaceable heads so that money can be saved when it’s time to change out the toothbrush, and the Grush also records data on how children are brushing their teeth. That data can be used by parents to know how children are taking care of their chompers and to show to the family dentist so he or she has a clear picture of the child’s brushing habits as well.
The Pitch. Grush co-Founders Ethan Daniel Schur and Dr. Yong-Jing Wang give a quick demonstration of the Grush and what it can do for everyone in the family, including the dentist. Outside the video, Grush gives a solid breakdown of what to expect from the games and how the device works. Grush wants to raise $50,000 to develop both the platform’s software and hardware.
The Perks. Parents can get a Grush Brush with 2 replacement heads, access to all of the games and the cloud storage for brushing data for at the early discount of just $30. Parents with multiple children can get a double pack for $115, while developers who want to create new features for Grush can get a developer kit for $360. The Grush system is expected to launch in March 2015.
The Potential. The Grush isn’t about to make children stop asking for an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4, but really kids just want to interact with the world and have fun. These two principles are what the Grush is about from the user perspective, so kids won’t mind that they’re brushing their teeth at the same time. However, as with any new toothbrush, one concern is the availability of replacement brush heads. Pediatric dentists will probably keep a handful of these at the ready to deal with their most stubborn customers, while parents will gladly pay up just to not have to argue with kids on a nightly basis. However, as with any new toothbrush, one concern is the availability of replacement brush heads.
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Taking the kids out for a walk is good for both them and you. But as summer approaches and the temperature rises, heat and humidity can make for a cranky and unpleasant outing in a stroller. That’s where Geleeo comes in handy. The gel pad doesn’t need any prior freezing (which is good because it would be difficult to fit in many freezers), fits into pretty much any stroller, and keeps little ones cool while you show them around the neighborhood. For $60, backers get one cooling pad with an expected delivery of May 2014.
A fever is never something to be ignored, and for children they can be especially dangerous. With that kind of importance in mind, the iTherm armband was designed to keep an eye on a sick child without disturbing anybody’s sleep patterns. With the iTherm, parents can set their phone to watch for temperature outliers and send an alert to wake them up if a child reaches that temperature. This way, prompt care can be given and little risk is taken while providing maximum rest. Parents who want to stay in the know during fevers can get an iTherm for $34, arriving in September 2014.