During the summer months, many parents worry about their children’s minds turning to sludge while they’re not in school. To keep your kids’ minds sharp on summer vacay and beyond, here are a selection of innovative kids’ toy brands and safe technology that serve as valuable parenting tools. It’s important for children to have access to toys that are both engaging and educational instead of playing video games all day long. These brands offer products designed to captivate and educate kids of all ages and interests.
TickTalk 5 is an excellent introduction for youngsters with a fun and engaging interface that encourages good habits and minimal distractions while teaching a healthy lifestyle with tech. A standalone and affordable 4G smartwatch phone for ages 3+, TickTalk 5 features 2-way voice calling, HD video calling, Talk-To-Text, customizable quick text responses, and voice messages. Premium features including free music, podcasts and stories powered by iHeartRadio Family*, activity tracking, and a five-megapixel selfie camera keep kids happy and give parents the peace of mind of staying in touch with them at a moment’s notice.
The TickTalk app keeps parents in the driver’s seat with location tracking, trusted contacts, emergency SOS alerts, and the ability to block unknown numbers all with end-to-end encryption. The brand is COPPA-certified and committed to children’s online safety and privacy. TickTalk 5 purchases include a pre-installed nano-SIM using TickTalk Wireless, an affordable, pay-as-you-go cellular plan starting at $9.99/month with no contracts or hidden fees. Watch this Video to learn more.
Available on myticktalk.com and Amazon
Helping adults and kids build essential human skills, Mind Brain Emotion offers playing cards with award-winning games + tools + tips! Born at the world-famous Harvard Innovation Labs at Harvard University, Mind Brain Emotion creates cleverly simple, immensely practical, and immediately actionable tools to help people become happier, calmer, and wiser. These skill-building cards and mental health tools run the gambit from Essential Coping Skills to Essential Interview skills. Created for and used by all ages, these decks of cards offer the advice kids and adults need to better their everyday lives and prepare for a brighter future. Mind Brain Emotion is a certified woman- and minority-owned small business.
Also available on Amazon.
Inspired Puzzles – Custom I AM Affirmations™ Kids Puzzles
I AM puzzles for boys and girls are made to empower and uplift. The puzzles teach your adorable ones everything to love about themselves while inspiring them always to do their best for personal growth and self-esteem. Featuring a customizable engraved name piece so you can add your child’s name unto the puzzle. Handmade to perfection, each piece and part of this puzzle is crafted with all the love and positivity every child needs to face anything in the world! Make this an interactive daily ritual by piecing together their positive affirmations. Make your puzzle bright and colorful by painting it with acrylic paint.
Recent recipient of the ‘2024 Top Summer Toy’ award from The Toy Insider– WordSnap, a brand-new word-building, puzzle game that doesn’t restrict your play with the confines of a gameboard! Octogonal soft-snap pieces let you craft words vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, creating a crossword puzzle-like grid. As you build words, unique patterns emerge, offering players unlimited scoring opportunities. Whether you are a seasoned wordsmith or a newcomer to word games, WordSnap promises a challenging, immersive experience that invites you to flex your vocabulary from multiple angles.
With its travel-friendly design and adaptable gameplay, you’re sure to have a fun time anywhere you go while playing solo, with a partner, or in a group! As we navigate a world where digital distractions are rampant, WordSnap offers a refreshing return to simple, engaging, and mentally stimulating entertainment, promising to keep your brain active, your family connected, and your evenings filled with joy!
Also available on: Target, SD Toyz, WordSnap, and Amazon
Help your children develop a sense of pitch and rhythm while having fun! Otamatone is a quirky, fun-to-play electronic musical toy with an eighth note-shaped body, adorable moving mouth, and silly, buzzy, amusingly off-key voice. It is a musical best-seller from Japan! Shaped as a friendly musical note, it is enjoyed by all age! This tool helps teach basic concepts of music theory, such as scales, intervals, and melodies, as they figure out how to play different songs and encourages creativity in musical expression! Express yourself and explore new musical possibilities – Watch this VIDEO to hear it in action. Otamatone is easy and FUN to play – press and/or slide fingers up and down the touch-sensitive stem to play different notes. You can also squeeze the Otamatone’s “face” to create a “wah” effect and shake the stem to add vibrato. Offering over 30 colorful designs, enjoy it as fun characters like Hello Kitty, Kirby, Lucky Cat, and Monchhichi, or select more traditional black or white varieties.
Available on hamee.com and Amazon