Our resident tech mommy fills us in on the gadgets that will promote your child's growth and development.
Handheld Gaming Devices
Leapster 2, VTech V Smile
These are ideal for taking on long car rides or any sort of trip where the kids could use a little help staying occupied. Sure, there are plenty of educational games out there for the Nintendo DSi and PSP (such as Brain Quest and My Virtual Tutor) but VTech's V Smile Pocket and LeapFrog's Leapster 2 only have games with an educational aspect. The games have great characters your kids will love and are age and curriculum appropriate. Both of these systems even offer a way for parents to track progression without having to look over little shoulders. Plug the systems into a computer and get a complete readout of what your child has learned.
Reading Systems
Tag, Tag Junior, Hooked On Phonics
There are loads of reading tools out there, and I can attest that the good ones really work. My three year-old has become very interested in the Tag Junior, a smaller version of the Tag Reading System. Both work the same way: Little fingers point the hand-held deviceto various pictures and words on the page and kids listen along as audio plays, either reading the words or describing what the child is looking at. You can load your Junior with five titles at a time. Hooked on Phonics is also a great option for kids who show interest in learning to read at young ages. This system consists of several CDs, workbooks, flash cards and stickers that all work together to build up and reinforce reading skills. Of course, real books are still essential, and eBay has loads of book "lots" available at super affordable prices. Check out this listing for 46 Scooby and SpoungeBob books for about $20.
Tactile Toys
Dado, Bucky Balls
Tactile toys are very understated, yet they do wonders for a child's hand-eye coordination and confidence. The company FatBrain is my favorite for this category. It makes Dado Cubes, colorful, lightweight, multi-sized cubes that have small grooves which allow them to connect in hundreds of different shapes, and Bucky Balls, a toy made up up tiny metallic balls that are magnetically charged and can be contorted into many different shaped and designs.
Talking Globes, Telescopes and Animals
Talking Globe, Star Wars Talking Telescope, Scanopedia
There are many talking globes out there to choose from, but the concept is pretty much the same with all of them: Point to parts of the globe and audio tells you about the location you've selected, including its geology, population, history and other facts. Once you hear the information, you can choose to answer quizzes or play games with the info you've just learned. If the globe makes a good impression on your kids, then you should also check out the Star Wars Talking Telescope. I also like the Discovery Kids Scanopedia, which reads codes on toy animals and reveals all kinds of fun facts about the breed.
Cat Schwartz is eBay's Technology Expert.
