According to a study carried out by Back Market, more than one in two children has ordered a technological product at Christmas. And 7 out of 10 parents want to take the opportunity to give them one. But it’s important to never forget the edutainment dimension of the connected gift. And avoid spy toys and other potential cybersecurity issues.
The BFMTV editorial team made this selection completely independently. BFMTV may receive compensation when one of our readers makes a purchase through the links embedded in this article.
bugali
Without a screen, the Bugali console serves as a support for apparently classic books (about twenty available in the Gallimard Jeunesse, Bayard, Fleurus, etc. catalogues). But once in contact, it takes on another dimension. The speaker on the stand will allow the child to read the story, but also interact by clicking on the text, images, characters, etc.
The book experience is then enriched with dialogue, sounds, music and songs. The child can read the book in the direction he wants and enjoy additional interactions.
Price: 149.90 euros with two books to choose from – 129.90 euros for the Bugali console only – 14.90 euros per book – 29.90 euros for the headphones. For sale on the Bugali website.
The tonie box
Available in different colors, the Toniebox is a reading and discovery companion for children ages 3 and up. It comes in the form of a speaker cube and a figure of your choice. By placing the character on top of the box, the child can enjoy up to 90 minutes of personalized audio content, with an interactive audio adventure.
The box includes over 10 hours of free content. Everything is downloaded from the Mytonies website or the app. Each Tonie can be purchased individually and comes with its specific content, dedicated to certain associated heroes (Frozen, Spider-Man and his friends, Arsène Lupine, the Lion King, Brown Bear, Chase, Peppa Pig or even Paw Patrol) . The TonieBox has a 7-hour battery life and has a headphone jack.
Price: 89.99 euros per box with several figures – 14.99 euros per figure.
Kidizoom Max smart watch
If your child asks for a connected watch, there are now models with limited connections and functions that will please them as much as they will reassure their parents. The Kidizoom Smartwatch Max allows you to take photos and videos, record yourself, play games or do calculations. The watch menu offers filters and tricks to improve your photos, and different dials to make your watch more fun. It is also possible to connect headphones to enjoy your music.
The Kidizoom has activity challenges to encourage the child to move and even a connection to share games or images between two Vtech compatible watches using a QR Code. The brand provides ExploraPark, its secure app store to add games, apps and updates. And parents can take control to limit the time of use of the watch that does not benefit from any mobile connection system.
Price: 72.99 euros – Available in blue, black, pink and raspberry. From 6 years old.
Archos T96 Child
The Archos tablet is rugged (two silicone cases included) and secure to introduce kids to the joys of interactive screen and edutainment apps. It has a large 9.6-inch screen, a store of more than 1,000 applications to play, draw, learn, watch videos… and the Roolplay educational suite. The young user can also connect to the Internet using a specific secure browser, with an interface adapted to her age. Parents have full parental controls to set limits and permissions.
The Archos T96 Kid has a battery life of around 8 hours. It has 32 GB of storage, expandable via microSD card.
Price: 90 euros.
Osmo encoding
Osmo is a fairly simple concept that is based on a tablet (not included) to which we will attach a strange block of mirrors that will transform everything into an augmented reality experience. The child animates objects in front of the iPad that will be identified by the sensor and come to life on the screen to create virtual and very real interactions. Physical manipulation remains essential to encourage the child to think for themselves and understand.
By loading compatible applications to familiarize themselves with mathematics, writing, logic or even languages and spelling, the child has access to mini-games. She can learn to add numbers in bubbles that she will pop to reach a fixed total, find the missing letter to complete a word, make pizzas and sell them for role-playing games and calculations.
The Coding Box allows you to provide the basics of computer code to children by using small bricks to stack in front of you to see the result on the screen and know if your character is progressing.
Price: from 119 euros for the initial pack and 39 euros for additional thematic packs – From 3 to 12 years – Works with iPad and Amazon Fire tablets.
Source: BFM TV
