LITTLE ROCK, AR – As the hot summer days roll in it gets harder to keep your kids off the couch and up and active. But if you want your children growing their brains over the break you may want to check out some tricky new toys that will keep their minds and bodies active all summer long.
Whether they’re six or sixteen, if you want your kids learning over summer, it helps to be sneaky and make sure that toy you offer up appears more fun than educational.
Take crayon physics, for example, an app which requires certain science skills to be mastered as the child moves up in levels.
Even younger kids can up the IQ, says Toy Insider mom Laurie Schacht with the Leap Pad and it’s new e-books.
“Their progress is actually assessed as they go through different activities and different games and the books will auto adjust to their level,” said Schacht.
If you’re worried about too much computer time, the Kurio tablet comes loaded with controls that limit access, minutes and can be set for up to eight different people.
A new option that may amaze your kids: augmented reality like in the new Animal Planet game.
“They can watch a 3-D version of behavior of in the habitat,” said Schacht. “Then, they can go in the library. They can get all kind of facts about the animal.”
“I learned that the Bengal Tiger can be three to five feet tall and they can weigh up to 300 pounds,” said 12-year-old Mackenzie Stulack.
Getting the kids up and moving matters to moms, too.
“She doesn’t want me just sitting inside and being bored all day,” said 13-year-old Lauren Pope.
“An active body leads to an active mind,” said Schacht.
These toys vary in price from a couple dollars, like the Crayon Physics app, to a couple hundred dollars for the Kurio.
Whether they’re six or sixteen, if you want your kids learning over summer, it helps to be sneaky and make sure that toy you offer up appears more fun than educational.
Take crayon physics, for example, an app which requires certain science skills to be mastered as the child moves up in levels.
Even younger kids can up the IQ, says Toy Insider mom Laurie Schacht with the Leap Pad and it’s new e-books.
“Their progress is actually assessed as they go through different activities and different games and the books will auto adjust to their level,” said Schacht.
If you’re worried about too much computer time, the Kurio tablet comes loaded with controls that limit access, minutes and can be set for up to eight different people.
A new option that may amaze your kids: augmented reality like in the new Animal Planet game.
“They can watch a 3-D version of behavior of in the habitat,” said Schacht. “Then, they can go in the library. They can get all kind of facts about the animal.”
“I learned that the Bengal Tiger can be three to five feet tall and they can weigh up to 300 pounds,” said 12-year-old Mackenzie Stulack.
Getting the kids up and moving matters to moms, too.
“She doesn’t want me just sitting inside and being bored all day,” said 13-year-old Lauren Pope.
“An active body leads to an active mind,” said Schacht.
These toys vary in price from a couple dollars, like the Crayon Physics app, to a couple hundred dollars for the Kurio.
