Kids need to play and build with toys in order to learn some important spatial basics about the world around them. Many toys provide these lessons, but do so on a mini scale. Assembly allows children to build with tools that are life-size. It comprises of long wooden sticks that attach with special connectors, giving kids the chance to build structures, forts, or even time capsules in large sizes. For $149, backers will receive 26 connectors and 65 red oak sticks for delivery in November 2014. Assembly hopes to raise $60,000 in a 35-day Kickstarter campaign.
Category: Toys
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Prime Swords fires up kids’ creativity
Dragon-fire swords, Ice swords, Raven swords, oh my! King Arthur and his knights would be envious of such sleek weapons – if they weren’t actually just foam toys. Nevertheless, Prime Swords have plenty of potential to encourage creative play. Since the parts to these unique items of imaginary fencing are interchangeable, kids can create their own sword to match their exclusive storyline. For $30, backers get one sword (multiple swords available with larger donation) and an expected delivery of November 2014.
The Premise. Tablets and online games have captured children’s imaginations so much so that kids don’t seem to have fun off screen anymore. It’s difficult for parents to get their children to explore the three-dimensional world while competing with digital wonders.
The Product. Osmo is a unique gaming system that combines the entertainment of an onscreen game with the interaction of physical objects. With three different game choices, kids can hook up Osmo to a recent iPad and play onscreen and off at the same time. The games included focus on tangram puzzles and patterns, drawing shapes, and word scrambles. The accompanying base attachment clips over the iPad’s camera and uses Artificial Intelligence and a built-in mirror to allow the iPad to reflect the child’s movements onscreen in real time. In simpler terms, the iPad shows the child moving the shapes, for example, on its screen and uses this information to determine if the child is on the right track.
The Pitch. Osmo’s simple video shows one, two, and then a bunch of kids flocking to play with the product. The children ooh and ahh at the game and seeing the product in action will elicit the same reaction from viewers. Pictures of children playing with the device in a myriad of ways pepper the rest of the campaign. Testimonials from educators and parents as well as logos from a number of respectable news sources give the product some authority. In addition, Osmo’s campaign exists on its own website as opposed to on a crowd-funding site. For this reason, they have no public goal set on their site. They will be accepting pre-orders for backers until June 22nd.
The Perks. Osmo’s site offers only one reward. For 50% off of the retail price of $99, backers will receive the Osmo kit for only $49 with the base attachment, and Words and Tangram games (iPad not included, obviously). The creators expect to ship by late summer 2014.
The Potential. To put it quite simply, Osmo is really cool. It’s the type of game that would be glimpsed at in a movie set in the future. Not only is it rare that a product for children combines the physical with the digital, but it also uses games that help kids’ minds to learn and grow. The retail price seems extremely reasonable and the pre-order price is an absolute steal. Osmo also lets kids play together, using several two-player modes, cutting down on the type of social isolation that screen games usually cause. All in all, Osmo will enjoy great success on the market, creating fun for children and parents alike.
For those who aren’t content to just lay around on the beach, Beach Chess offers the option to have some mental stimulation while baking in the sun. And one can still take in the…um…sites as one’s opponent contemplates their next move. The six chess pieces are embossed on each side of a plastic cube (one black and one white for two player fun) and the sand becomes the chess board. As long as the game isn’t being played too closely to the water, this could attract the attention of some interesting people. For $25, backers get the complete product with an expected delivery of July 2014.
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.
Sometimes a greeting card just can’t get the job done. It’s nice for the recipient to be reminded of the message long after the card has gotten lost. Expressaló offers a gift with a greeting. These cute little creatures come in boxes with such Hallmarkian tropes as “I don’t know how… But I want to say SORRY!” and “I would give you my heart… But it’s already YOURS!” with a little creature inside. One love-expressing Expressaló goes for an early $12 or regular $16 donation on Kickstarter. Expressaló hopes to raise $20,000 in a 40-day campaign.
Premise. If videos of babies on tablets teach us anything, it’s that mass adoption of electronics knows no age limits. While digital pets have grown more sophisticated since Tamagotchi days, it’s not easy keeping up with today’s twelve-year-old.
Product. Drops are real-life stuffed animal characters, each with a different name and very unique fun facts to accompany it. Using an app and augmented reality technology, Drops become digital pets that kids can interact with from an app on their smartphones or tablets. Regular sized Drops are plush and can fit in the palm of your hand, so they’re “easy to sneak into class” – a very attractive trait for the average middle-schooler.
Pitch. A witty and charming pitch video features inventor Lenay Dunn explaining that she was inspired to create Drops as a child when she’d imagine her stuffed animals were really alive. She envisions Drops becoming this generation’s digital pet, joining the ranks of Tamagotchi, Furby and Gigapet. So far there are seven drop characters, many additionally available in “super size” – about the size of a basketball. Among the more creatively named Drops is Meowseph, who has whiskers and also, parents that compromised on combining “Meow” and “Joseph” when naming him. The campaign is looking to raise $80,000 in a flexible funding over 30 days which will go toward creating an initial concept for Drops. Specifically, the augmented reality pieces including design and animation will be worked on, and once Drops has a solid proof of concept they will go to investors to raise the remainder of the money needed to “drop” Drops in the market.
Perks. For $9 plus $2 shipping within US, you can back Drops and receive your choice of Firework, Vampy, Dropula, PB & Drop, or Mewoseph. For $12, you can choose to be surprised or you can reserve Corny. For a $15 pledge, you may reserve a Diamond Drop. Drop perks continue on up to a $10,000 donation which allows your voice to be used as one of Drops’ final “noises”, plus you will help name and design. If $10,000 is too steep, consider donating $2,500 for the “DROPelganger” package – get Drops for you and two friends with your name, likeness, personality and voice – best-named perk ever.
Potential. While the pitch video references Furby as a toy of the past, the 2013 holiday season proved that this little guy has upped his game. Today’s Furby Boom toys come in all patterns and colors and work with an app where kids collect, hatch and raise their Furblings. Unlike Drops, there is an electronic element in that Furby requires batteries and has a certain amount of responses it can provide. Still, depending on start-up costs, Drops has the potential to be much cheaper than Furby and can provide a very similar experience. Drops’ inability to speak back or make noises may not even be seen as a disadvantage to kids, as you can argue they are mostly going to be engaged in the activities possible within the app.
Some people like to stare at an aquarium of fish while they brainstorm, but the maker of ForeverSpin prefers a spinning top. Mirrored, brushed, and gold plated are apparently ideal when bored, stressed, anxious, as a gift to a child, or just for some spinning competition fun. But for those who consider themselves to be deep thinkers, visionaries, and / or champions with some extra cash and an interest in finding out if tops really do enhance brainstorming sessions, there are the options of copper, aluminum, and titanium. Backers can choose their favorite element beginning at $19. Expected delivery is June 2014. For those who prefer blended elements that command a prettier penny, The Lambda campaign offers a brass-aluminum top with a ruby bottom that’s been known to whirl for up to 10 minutes.
Kaleidoscopes have been a favorite toy for visuals buffs for many years. Now, the market has the SlideOScope to offer. It’s a similar device that distorts images, but it works with printed images that you can choose or completely on its own to make abstract images. The SlideOScope works by sliding the parts apart, much like an old-fashioned spyglass. It also doesn’t have to be close to your face to use, so several people can enjoy this toy at once. This product will cost backers $45 with an estimated delivery date of October 2014. SlideOScope hopes to raise $25,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
For those who have some time to kill, here is an item that might bring some amusement for a while. The Lambda Top is a unique toy for the child in everyone. The body is made of brass and aluminum, but the tip is a perfectly smooth sphere that’s made of ruby. Its measurements and the ruby sphere tip enhance its spinning action, making it remain in motion for significantly longer than even the most impressive BeyBlade. The Lambda Top creator’s unofficial record is a 10-minute spin, and he posted the video on his campaign site. He offers backers a challenge to make theirs spin longer, record it on video, and submit it through the campaign site. Lambda tops out at $65 with an expected delivery of September 2014.