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Kids/Babies Wearables

Pomb is a wireless panic button for kids

Whether parents want to admit it or not, the world is a different place now. While older generations could play and go on adventures on their own, now a child’s safety is at risk of injury or predators.

The P.O.M.B. (Peace of Mind Bracelet) is a comfortable rubber bracelet that can be worn by a child as a safety measure or panic button. With just a tap, a notification will go to the registered parent’s phone and alert them that their child is having a problem. The fingerprint scanning technology will lock and unlock the device as well as disable the alerts for programmed friendly users. With $10,000, inventor Tasha Ann Dunlap can have her team of engineers finish production on the P.O.M.B. for parents and kids everywhere. At this time, no reward tiers include the finished product.

It may seem like a big responsibility for a child, but kids will quickly feel safer knowing that they can call their parents whenever there’s an emergency. It would be great if backers could get their hands on the first batch, but on a conceptual level it’s hard to argue with the P.O.M.B.’s mission statement.

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Kids/Babies

O.N.E Diaper uses modular parts to reduce the waste of disposables

For environmentally-conscious moms who see disposable diapers as one of the bigger threats to the world, O.N.E. Diaper offers an alternative to disposables. This product is touted as something that can grow with baby because of its unique system, and even last through more than one child. It is most suitable for babies between 10-35 pounds. While this may seem to be more environmentally friendly than the diapers that go into landfills, there is a lot of washing and need for fresh diapers (or parts) that are involved when one considers the frequency with which a baby’s diaper needs to be changed over the course of the day, which is pretty much hourly if not more so. In addition, moms that work outside the home may have some challenges convincing day care centers to use this product. Certainly, it would be easier for overflowing day care centers to simply toss a disposable diaper. Nevertheless, for $20, backers get one diaper with an expected delivery of March 2015. O.N.E. Diaper is looking to raise $28,000 by November 2, 2014 on Kickstarter.

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Food and Beverage Kids/Babies

Perfect Baby Bottle Maker brings the coffee pod concept to formula

For parents with newborn babies, quick and efficient bottle making is a must. Screaming babies are like a bomb that has gone off and a delicious, warm bottle is the only way to assuage them. However, making a formula bottle isn’t so easy to do quickly. Scooping, mixing and getting the temperature right can make for a lengthy preparation period while your baby screams and screams.

The Perfect Baby Bottle Maker aims to solve this very problem. Picture a Keurig machine, but for a younger crowd. Powdered formula is held in sealed cups. When ready, place these cups in the capsule and hit start. Perfect Baby Bottle Maker will mix the formula for you right into the bottle and will do so at a perfect 98.6°F temperature. This machine gives you several size options and features a filter for the water to pass through to ensure clean water. In addition, each capsule’s formula is first passed through a UV light to eliminate the possibility of bacteria. One will cost parents $85 on Kickstarter. This product has a campaign goal of $15,000.

When looking at this product, one thinks that it’s an amazing solution for moms and dads. Parents who have their hands full, literally, with their baby will rejoice at the convenience of the Perfect Baby Bottle Maker. However, this isn’t the first of its kind. The Baby Brezza operates in a similar manner, but has a large chamber for formula and doesn’t use the individual capsules. While this is certainly more convenient, this model goes for about twice the price of the Perfect Baby Bottle Maker. All in all, this product is innovative, easy to use and fairly cost-effective for new parents.

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Kids/Babies

Adi Stay-Put plate aims to keep food from the floor

AdiSmall children plus mealtime means that food will inevitably end up on the floor. How much food depends on the plate. That’s where Adi comes in. The suction cup on the bottom sticks to most any surface, and is designed in such a way that only parental fingers can release it. While this won’t completely eliminate the mess that falls from table to floor, the family dog may be willing to help out from time to time. After that, it’s about teaching older siblings how to use a mop or broom and dustpan – because that’s what older kids are for, right? Backers get one plate for $20, a potentially small improvement to mealtime sanity, and an expected delivery of March 2015.

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Automotive Kids/Babies

SafetyBib takes a low-tech approach to backseat baby reminding

SafetyBibThis idea was most likely borrowed from the handicapped placard. SafetyBib is designed with parents of small children in mind. It hangs from a vehicle’s rearview mirror to remind the driver that a sleeping baby is in the backseat. But even if mom or dad is so distracted that the SafetyBib gets missed by them, the other side is brightly colored so that the public can be alerted to check for a baby in the car. While this idea is nice in theory, it’s questionable as to whether the general public would notice much less take action even if they did happen to see the tag. This is a lower tech and more affordable method than the similar Babeep. Backers can test it out for themselves for $5 with an expected delivery of December 2014.

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Kids/Babies Tablet Accessories

Pick up on colorful cues with Mozbii interactive stylus

The Premise. Sometimes our connected devices act as everything from babysitters to educational teachers when our children use them. The long-lasting impact of early life in front of a screen is still unknown, but for now it seems the pros safely outweigh the cons.

The Product. Mozbii is a color-selecting stylus designed with children in mind. Shaped like a lollipop and easy to hold, the stylus is crafted partially out of medical grade silica-gel and has a flexible neck. It was created to give children a new way to interact with their surroundings while they play with their tablets. Simply press Mozbii to any object in your vicinity to duplicate its color, wait for an LED light to indicate the color has been picked up, and draw with that color on several compatible apps on your tablet. There are minimal buttons, the charger port is magnetic for easier time plugging in, and the battery can last up to 10 days between charges. With a 16-bit color sensor it can recognize more than 65,000 different colors in the spectrum.

The Pitch. The original campaign video is bright and engaging, and shows how children can easily use Mozbii to “collect” and learn about different colors in their environment. The newer video featured is more of a simple demonstration by an adult who chooses colors from many objects on a table, and even includes his tee shirt and hair to paint a picture on the coloring book app. Other tidbits from the campaign page include a sneak peek at limited edition colors, product development timelines, and details to be seen in later software versions. The project is looking to fund their goal of $30,000 in 30 days.

The Perks.  Early birds who pledge $64 will receive one of the first Mozbii styluses in orange or pink. For a pledge of $15 more, you can select from one of six Mozbii colors and will even get a carrying case. Become a VIP with a pledge of $10,000 or more, which will secure you six Mozbiis, six carrying cases, a day with UFRO founder in Taipei (travel /accommodations not included), and an exclusive factory tour. You will also be one of the first to access the developer’s kit.

The Potential. The product concept is certainly unique and refreshing and has a lot of potential among parents who see value in tablets as educational tools. This technology allows children to be more aware of their environments while also incorporating the tablets that they use every day. With that said, there is much more potential for Mozbii to become a teaching tool for tots still learning about colors than what is being initially presented. The product may see more success in later versions, where the emphasis is a better hybrid of learning and fun.

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Kids/Babies Toys

DayRocket shoots up into air, gives fireworks a day off

DayRocketDuring the summer, people love to watch fun lights explode in their backyards whether it’s a firework or Roman candle. Most, however, must wait until night to enjoy these activities. The DayRocket is a fun alternative for those looking to blow something up, safely. Simply load a firecracker into the chamber, place the rocket cap on top and light. It’ll shoot up into the air and is fun for kids to catch. While certainly not as exciting as fireworks, it appears to be an entertaining and safe daytime activity for kids. One goes for $25 and DayRocket hopes to raise $13,500 on Kickstarter.

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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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Food and Beverage Kids/Babies

Ezpz aims to reduce mealtime stress by containing mess

EzpzMany parents compare mealtimes with their small children to feeding time at the zoo. Bowls plates and cups get knocked off the table and food ends up on the floor, much to the delight of the family dog. But mom and dad aren’t so thrilled. Ezpz placemats are made of silicone and have a special suction feature that keeps them stuck to the table so food stays put. There are lot of plusses with this product. It’s dishwasher safe, microwaveable, and stackable to name just a few. Expected delivery for those who want to splurge on this item is December 2014.

Categories
Health and Wellness Kids/Babies

SandStroller lets kids surf sand while you sweat

SandStrollerA human-powered beach sled, SandStroller offers health conscious parents an opportunity to take their child for a jog…on the beach. The sled-style gadget allows junior to have a seat, and if old enough, chant, “Faster, faster!” with a price of $300, parents may work up a sweat even without using it. It’s scheduled to arrive in time for alternative Santa transportation in warmer climates in December 2014.