Toys

Here’s Why Fisher-Price Beatbo Dance & Move Won “Toy of the Year”

We purchased the Fisher-Price Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo toy for Christmas and we wanted to tell you about it. This toy just won “toy of the year” for Toddlers and we couldn’t agree more.

A press of BeatBo’s tummy or any of the buttons on his feet activates fun songs, learning content and dance moves. This futuristic friend even allows mommy or baby to record a phrase, and he’ll remix it into his favorite song! His 3 modes – Dance ‘n Move, Learning & Games, and Customized Sing-Along – “grow” with baby to make him a fun, entertaining companion for years to come! And all the while, he’s introducing baby to letters, colors, counting, music, cause & effect and much more!

Fisher Price Beatbo

The girl loves her Fisher-Price #Beatbo #toyoftheyear #sweetieskidz

Posted by Sweeties Kidz on Saturday, February 13, 2016

A quick look at Fisher-Price BeatBo

Large, multi-color LED grid tummy
Fun “dancing” action gets his hips shaking and head nodding
Dance ‘n Move: Fun, energizing music encourages baby to move around
Learning & Games: Introduces baby to ABCs, colors, counting & more!
Requires four AA (LR6) alkaline batteries for operation.
On/Off Button is on the bottom
Available for purchase at Amazon.com

The two older kiddos (and well, Mom too) love the “Freeze Dance!” party the best. Beatbo moves and grooves, and when the music stops, you freeze, and so does Beatbo! It’s a quick, fun way to get silly with your little ones and get them moving and grooving too.

The toddler’s favorite function is the record function: “Say something, and I’ll sing it back!” says Beatbo. He records about 3 full seconds of audio, then remixes it back with some sound effects, voice enhancements, and dancing along. Layla loves screaming “mommy mommy mommy mommy” over and over for him to record. It’s actually pretty hilarious, I love hearing my name called a gazillion times a day (And I love sarcasm. Sarcasm’s my favorite).

Mr. Sweetie (aka Dad) often finds himself turning on Beatbo just to hear the little robot’s version of the ABC song, which sings the traditional alphabet with a fun, new beat. This song is Dad’s favorite; he plays it for the toddler, the kids, the dogs, and just by himself sometimes for fun. Don’t tell him I told you! 😉

Why You Need a Fisher-Price Smart Bear

We received the Fisher-Price Smart Toy Bear as a gift for Christmas. After reading some reviews we thought we would share our own review and experience to let you know how we liked it.

From Fisher-Price

Who knew Smart could be so cute? Meet the Fisher-Price Smart Toy Bear — an interactive learning friend with all the brains of a computer, without the screen. The more your child plays with Smart Toy, the more this remarkable furry friend adapts to create personalized adventures the two of them will love! Sounds like the start of a true friendship… one that will help your child grow socially and emotionally, too. And thanks to unlimited Wi-Fi content updates through the free app, the fun never ends! What makes Smart Toy so smart? Revolutionary technology! Smart Toy listens and adapts to your child to figure out their favorite activities. With the help of voice and image recognition, Smart Toy recognizes your child’s voice and his Smart Cards so your child can choose what they want to do! And remember, with unlimited Wi-Fi content updates, there’s something new to learn and do every day. NO PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA is transmitted by Smart Toy.

Our Fisher Price Smart Bear Experience

Anyone remember the Teddy Bear from the 80’s that you popped a cassette tape in and he told you stories and moved his mouth and eyes? Back then I thought he was pretty smart. Nowadays, cute talking bears have been replaced by other “smart” toys like tablets and video games that do all the thinking for your child and their sense of imagination is all but extinct, right??

Aha! Not anymore! Enter Fisher Price’s Smart Toy, an adorable, interactive friend who actually listens and adapts to your child to figure out their favorite activities. The Smart Toy is available as a super cute teddy bear with an adorable voice, a monkey, or a panda. With a small built in scanner much like a QR scanner for a smartphone, your Smart Toy scans individual “smart cards” that come with the toy that help he and your child pick new games, activities, even chores. Paired with the free parent control app, you the parent can chose what your child does with the Smart Toy as well (think activities like healthy snack time selection and tooth brushing.). I tested this out by leaving the bear alone in my daughters’ bedroom while they were playing an adventure story game with “Beary” (what my kiddos named him). From my command center on my app, I switched their activity to “clean up” time, and could hear Beary from the other room making clean up into a fun game…and get this…the girls actually got into it! I heard them laughing and running around the room, cleaning up and putting away toys and clothes. How amazing is that?? Mom and Beary for the WIN!

With the help of voice and image recognition, Smart Toy recognizes your child’s voice and his Smart Cards so your child can choose what they want to do. From the app, you can program the child’s name and your Smart Toy will address your child by name! And with unlimited wi-fi content updates, your Smart Toy will never run out of things to do with your child and their unlimited imaginations! But don’t worry, there is no personally identifiable information transmitted via wi-fi, and no visual or audio input to the toy that can be “hacked” by internet creeps with nothing but time on their hands. Totally safe! His hidden battery is rechargeable via included USB cable to your computer or charging block.

The toy is rated ages 3-8 by the manufacturer. My 2 year old loves to hold him but she doesn’t really understand the point of the cards and games yet, basically just likes pushing his bright glowing on/off switch on the pad of his foot. The 6 and 9 year olds though, LOVE Beary! They love his stories and especially his adventure games. The toy will have your child gather objects or props, like a blanket for use as a flying carpet, and come up with a crazy fun-filled adventure complete with sound effects that your children will love!

HOT New Family Friendly Gadgets, Robots & Toys for 2016

Want to know what the hottest new family-friendly gadgets, robots, and toys are? If you attend CES in January you will find out. CES or the Consumer Electronics Show is held each year in January in Las Vegas. CES is the launching ground for all of the new electronics, gadgets, drones, robots, computers, smart devices, digital cameras, smartphones, tablets, and tech toys that will come out in the next year. Here are some of the hot new Family Friendly Gadgets, Robots & Toys found at CES this year.

Portable robots are now a thing of the present and not something out of a Jetson’s cartoon. These small robots have been specifically designed to provide useful information, games, and support for the family. You will see more family-friendly robots this year than anything else this coming year.

New data fro Juniper Research has forecast that over 1 in 10 American households will own a consumer robot by the end of the decade, up from under 1 in 25 this year. At this early stage in the market, shipments are expected to be dominated by so-called ‘task’ oriented robots assigned to take over household chores, such as lawn mowing or vacuum cleaning.

Devices such as iRobot’s Roomba vacuum cleaner and Droplet Robotics’ Sprinkler offer tremendous value for the average household and are likely to usher in a new era of housekeeping.

The Buddy Robot

The Buddy Robot by French company, Blue Frog Robotics is an affordable companion robot that assists people in daily life tasks, lets them stay connected to loved ones, entertains children, serves as a home monitor, and helps seniors and less mobile people lead more independent lives. Because the BUDDY Robot is built on an open-source technology platform, developers across the world can easily collaborate to build hardware and software for it. Buddy’s brain is an integrated tablet with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth.

The Leka Robot

The Leka Robot provides sensory stimulation that can assist in learning and help autistic children. The Leka Robot is a motion-sensitive ball that can light up and roll around. Its makers are hoping to add a visual display and sounds to the robot too.

Connected Dart Game

Darts Connect is the world’s first smart dartboard that connects players from all over the globe for a real game of darts by connecting to an online platform. Darts Connect is unique for many reasons, one being that it has a camera that allows players to interact with opponents and detect when someone is cheating. Darts Connect links to your smart device via Wi-Fi and let’s you play a game of darts with anyone, anywhere in the world.

Fisher-Price Code-a-Pillar

The Fisher-Price Code-A-Pillar think it’s not too young to teach kids coding skills. Preschoolers should be introduced to problem solving skills and some day they may turn into great coders. When playing with the new Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar from Fisher-Price, kids will be exposed to the foundational skills of coding, like thinking skills, problem solving and sequencing. Each piece creates a sequence and each sequence decides how the toy rolls around the room.

Edwin the Duck Smart Toy

Edwin the Duck is the world’s first Smart Duck. It’s a learning toy with personality designed to be your child’s new best friend as they play, learn, sing and dream. Edwin is an animated character that your child holds in their hands and it your mobile device. Your child connects and interacts using rubber duck Edwin as their guide and controller. By tapping, turning, and tilting Edwin, your child will join him on one of his many adventures, and explore fun and challenging games designed for your child’s own development stage. Watch Edwin dance on the screen while he teaches your child to sing-along with some of his favorite original songs, and at bedtime enjoy custom sounds and an LED night light. Edwin is waterproof for tub and pool time while streaming music through BLUETOOTH® wireless technology.

https://youtu.be/Wg7wzxHKKsM

PIC Bendable Kids GoPro-Type Camera

Who needs boring Go Pro cameras when you have fun, bendable, twistable, cameras for kids? The Flex Cam PIC camera records video at 1080p with a 8MP camera and 16GB of storage space. PIC is a lifestyle action camcorder for kids. Bend it, it twist it, and attach it to anything you like. With one button you take photos. Press the button twice to take videos. PIC works underwater without an extra case shedding the bulk (30 minutes recording time, 1 meter).

Caseco Blu-Toque Bluetooth Knit Hat with Built-In Headset

The Caseco Blu-Toque Hat is the ultimate wearable device for enduring the winter in today’s mobile world. Take calls and listen to music right from this innovative winter hat. No more headphones, no more wires. Carefree and wire-free, this dual-layered beanie not only keeps you warm-it keeps you connected. Blu-Toque is universal – it works with any Bluetooth device. The Blu-Toque is the ultimate wearable device for enduring the harsh winter in today’s mobile world. Take calls and listen to music right from this innovative winter hat. No more headphones, no more wires. Carefree and wire-free, this dual-layered beanie not only keeps you warm-it keeps you connected.

Merge Virtual Reality Goggles

The Merge Virtual Reality Goggles allow you to experience virtual reality using the device you’ve already got in your pocket – your smartphone! You can play games, fly into space, explore an unknown world, or watch a concert from your living room just by downloading apps. Sculpted of soft, lightweight foam that fits comfortably to the contours of every face, the goggles are durable enough to be tossed into a backpack, taken on the go, and shared among friends. Other features include adjustable lenses, anti-fog ventilation channels, audio ports, camera access for augmented reality, and an optional top strap for added comfort.

LEGO Education WeDo Kits

Designed for children grades 2-5, LEGO WeDo kits are learning solutions that bring together technology, curriculum and hands-on work, and is aligned with key educational standards and learning objectives. WeDo 2.0 features wireless technology, a built-in documentation tool along with assessment rubrics, and a design library full of ideas and inspiration for creating solutions to projects. In addition, the Core Set features a programmable SmartHub, enhanced motors and sensors and an all-new line up of LEGO® elements.

How to Use the Melissa and Doug Weaving Loom

We purchased the Melissa and Doug Weaving Loom as a gift for the girls for Christmas. They love doing crafts and keeping their hands busy. Melissa and Doug make quality toys and crafts so this was a no-brainer purchase. It was also affordable at just around $25 or less with free shipping on Amazon.com. Make sure you read the instructions carefully so you don’t miss anything or your weaving project may not come out as planned.

The first thing you want to do is take everything out of the box and put the legs on the frame. A small hex wrench is included in the box and it takes just a minute or two to fasten the legs onto the weaving frame.

The first project we made was one of the paper pictures. The Melissa and Doug Weaving Loom comes complete with everything you need to make 3 paper pictures and up to two yarn projects. The paper pictures are super neat. Melissa and Doug has taken a high quality, color image and cut it into long strips. The kids then take the strips and weave them into a new creation they can hang on the wall.

The first step is to take the white string that comes in the box and create the base on the loom. Start by tying one end of the string to the top right. We put our through the hole and secured it there. That hole is where the dowel rod would go but for this paper project we didn’t find it necessary. It is definitely necessary to use the dowel when you work on the yarn weaving projects.

Pull the string tight and wind it up and down and around until the whole width of the loom is covered with the white string. Make sure to pull the string tight for the best result. This is something an adult might need to do.

The photo strips are numbered to make it easy. For an additional lesson, have younger children line up the strips in order by number

You can start from left to right or right to left, it doesn’t matter. Slide the first strip through the string guides on the loom, making sure to go back and forth. It may take some practice and an adult will want to watch to make sure the pattern doesn’t get off. The strips are easy to remove if it does and just start over.

Use your fingers to press each row down after it has been woven through or use the large wooden needle that is provided.

It’s fun to watch as the pattern takes shape.

When all paper strips have been woven onto the loom it will look something like this.

The back should look like this.

Make sure you adjust the paper pieces so the design comes out even. We used masking tape on the back before we took it off of the weaving loom to keep it all in place.

Once you are ready to remove the picture, untie the beginning and end of the string and then carefully remove the loops. It should look like this. Once we untied the strings we didn’t knot them. We ended up taping them to the back with masking tape.

The last step is to do something with all of those loops. Turn the picture face down and use regular tape, packing tape, or masking tape to cover the loops. Just lay the loops down on the back and put the tape over top. We used several rows of tape to finish off our woven photo picture. Now the kids have a colorful piece of art to hang on their wall. You could even frame it if you like.

CLICK HERE to see how to use the Melissa and Doug weaving loom to create a yarn project.

What will you make with your Melissa and Doug Weaving Loom?

The 2015 Amazon Holiday Toy List

If you’re already wondering what the hots toys will be this holiday season, Amazon is giving you a heads start with their Holiday Toy List. The 2015 Amazon Toy List has more than 1,000 of the season’s newest and best toys and puts them in one place for an easy shopping experience. Classic brands such as Disney, Fisher Price and Hasbro are featured in this year’s toy selection.

Amazon.com predicts this year’s trending toys will range from classic retro toys to the latest robots, building sets and spaceship toys tied into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and movies like Star Wars.

Amazon is making shopping even more convenient by breaking down its massive list of toys into a variety of categories. You can also organize your list by age, brand name, price range, and star rating

Mom Picks
Kid Picks
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
Movie Favorites

Amazon Shoppers can expect daily deals from the 2015 Amazon Holiday Toy list as well as the ability to create and share gift wish list to make sure everyone in the family keeps up with the holiday list changes.

Unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping is available with Amazon Prime and Prime Free Same-Day delivery is also available in metro areas again this year.