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2018 Kids at Play Innovation Award Winners

By Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter, Reporter/ Analyst, New York, New York Leave a Comment Jan 10

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THE 2018 KAPI AWARD WINNERS ARE:

Selected each year, from hundreds of entries and new Tech products, designed for kids, ages birth to 14 years. The esteemed international judges review and debate the best of the best across multiple categories. This year’s winners include new-comers and veterans. See the list below and go to www.kapiawards.com for photos and more information, on each product.

  • Best App (Younger Children) Sago Mini World, Sago Mini It took a small Canadian team of designers, many of them parents themselves, to create this safe, vibrant home for the very first tech users. The unique subscription model is commercial free, and packed with updated things to discover.
  • Best App (Older Children) Messenger Kids, Facebook Many have tried but few have succeeded to fulfill a family’s desire to let their young children have access to messaging. After copious research and careful attention to privacy and permission, Facebook’s powerful Messenger Kids will open a much-needed line of communication between children and parents. We applaud this type of leadership.
  • Best Peripheral Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2, VTech Our judges agreed: the Kidizoom 2017 smartwatch bests the competition in the kid’s wearable category. There’s no GPS for tracking, but the two cameras, color touch screen, motion/step counter and suite of games make this affordable peripheral an ideal first watch for any child. And it tells time.
  • Best Content Distribution WOW in the World Podcast for Kids by Tinkercast on NPR “Where doe an astronaut poop?” NPR’s Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas have the answer to this, and many other important questions in this podcast specifically designed to delight kids (and their parents).
  • Best AR/VR Application Merge Cube, Merge VR VR and AR apps and toys were easy to find this year. Tools like Apple’s AR kit have created an endless stream of exciting new kids’ products. Merge VR rises to the top by giving children a concrete prop that they can hold in their hands. We’ve seen kids lining up to try it out.
  • Best Maker Product Circuit Cubes, Tenka Labs Simplistic fun that turns a consumer into a creator right out of the box. Unlike the other maker kits that were released this year, Circuit Cubes is designed to play well with other brands of toys, from stuffed animals to Tinker Toys to LEGOs.
  • Most Creative Beasts of Balance, Sensible Object Jurors loved this clever balancing act (literally) between physical, stackable building parts and AR. Warning — this game can get addicting.
  • Award for Innovation Lenovo Star Wars Jedi Challenge, Lenovo OK, let’s admit it. We all want to have our own lightsaber. Lenovo has created a combination headset, app, beacon and light saber that comes close to pulling you right into your own battle.
  • Best Physical/Digital Merger LEGO Boost, LEGO Build one of five variations of a robot (or concoct your own) with this LEGOs kit, program it using a simple block-oriented language, and then enjoy your play session with your new interactive creation. This clever leveraging of the LEGO brand offers kids a seamless way to code, build and play.
  • Best Thing that Flies Aura Drone with Glove Controller, KD Group We love it when a toy makes feel like you have magical powers. This drone comes with a glove that turns your hand into a motion controller. There are even haptic features so you can feel the power.
  • Emerging Pioneer Vikas Gupta, Wonder Workshop Vikas Gupta had a perfectly lovely life as the Head of Consumer Payments at Google, but his vision of creating playmate robots that would teach kids how to code was his passion. With Dot and Dash, a robotic duo, and the new Cue, that has emotional intelligence and personality, he’s taught countless kids about the joys of coding.

Honorable Mentions go to Elfkin for creating a personal robot that includes a voice-activated messaging system that’s safe for young children and Dynepic for iOkids, a woman, and veteran owned company, creating an aggregated safe entertainment environment for kids.

Reyne Rice, Judge & Presenter at CES 2018: Kids at Play Innovations (KAPI) Awards: January 10th, 2018. Las Vegas, Nevada

ABOUT: Sponsored by https://livingindigitaltimes.com/ and http://childrenstech.com/about

What are the KAPi Awards? The 9th Annual KAPi (Kids at Play Interactive) Awards celebrates excellence in children’s media, presenting awards to some of the most deserving people and products in the kids’ tech industry. The KAPi prize identifies children’s technology products that raise the bar for innovation and excellence during the past 12 months.

Who selects the winners? Our panel of distinguished judges, representing all facets of the kids’ media business, engage in a series of conversations via phone and email to determine what the characteristics of good kids’ digital play should be and which nominated products are most deserving. http://kapiawards.com/faq-2/

Additional inquiries should be sent to:

Tonda Bunge Sellers, Producer
KAPi Awards
tonda@livingindigitaltimes.com
512-626-3334

Canadian Hot Holiday Toys Tour 2017 – Vancouver

By Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter, Reporter/ Analyst, New York, New York Leave a Comment Dec 4

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Thanks to Jason on the CTV Morning News, and Scott on the CTV News at Noon, in Vancouver, for sharing these fun and interactive Hot Holiday Toys with their viewers!  Happy Holidays!

2017 Holiday Toys Sneak Peek!

By Reyne Rice Leave a Comment Nov 6

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Here’s a sneak peak of some of the hottest November holiday toys!  Do you have questions?  Subscribe to my newsletter or send me an email!

2017 Back to School Essentials

By Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter, Reporter/ Analyst, New York, New York Leave a Comment Aug 18

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Check out the latest news for families and kids on back to school toys and supplies!

Black Friday Toys and Games 2015

By Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter, Reporter/ Analyst, New York, New York Leave a Comment Nov 1

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Originally posted on DailyLounge.com.

Black Friday weekend is quickly approaching and we have some great Holiday gifts for all the kids on your shopping list!

LEGO DUPLO Batman Adventure

This LEGO DUPLO Batman Adventure set is designed for young builders 2 – 5 years old. Kids can play with Batman™, Superman™ and Wonder Woman to save the day and create endless adventures with these iconic super-heroes. This set includes an easy-to-build opening bridge, Batman’s Batboat, Wonder Woman’s motorbike, and a cat. These Duplo bricks are over-sized and created to be fun and safe for small hands. As your little builder grows up, they will be able to use Duplos with other Lego sets as they are 100% compatible. Learn more here.

Activision Skylanders SuperChargers

Activision just launched Skylander SuperChargers introducing “vehicles-to-life” that are playable in the real world and virtually come to life in the video game. Now, kids can play in the air, under the sea or on land with NEW Super-Charged characters and vehicles, including race cars, jets, submarines and more!  ALL of the existing 300+ characters can be used in this new game and NOW, they all can drive! Get it here.

VTech Kidizoom Action Cam

Kids can capture digital photos or videos of their active lifestyle with the VTech Kidizoom Action Cam.  It is designed to be durable for kids as young as 4 years old, with different mounts to attach to their helmets, bikes, skateboards and scooters, plus a case that is waterproof up to 6 feet and will protect from splashes. An affordable way to introduce kids to photography. Parents or older siblings can help them download and share their images. Get it at VTechKids.com!

R.E.V. by Wowwee

R.E.V. are super-fast Robotic Enhanced Vehicles from WowWee that are app-enabled remote control battle cars. The starter pack includes 2 cars AND 2 ways to play: One player can play versus the Artificial Intelligence controlled drone car OR battle against their friends. Simply download the free app, connect your device to sync with the vehicle, and start playing right out of the box! These cars are super-fast AND do NOT require a special track or surface to race, or battle on. Play anywhere! Learn more here.

ArcKit Architectural Model Building Kit

For the Maker in your life, the ArcKit Architectural model building kit is a great hands-on way to teach practical STEM concepts with architectural design. The award-winning model kit comes with re-usable construction pieces like walls, windows, and floors. You can customize your design with printable adhesives like solar panels, wood textures, and terracotta tile. Easily put the set together using quick-click assembly and then re-construct something completely different. The sets include access to the digital materials library and the Sketch Up 3D Warehouse. Developed by a real architect in Ireland, Damien Murtagh, and available exclusively at Barnes & Noble this Holiday Season! Winner of multiple awards such as, The Parents Choice Gold Award, Irish Design 2015 Award, and the Red Dot Design Award! Learn more at ArcKit.com!

Black Friday Toys 2014

By Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter, Reporter/ Analyst, New York, New York Leave a Comment Nov 1

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Originally posted on DailyLounge.com.

Written and Produced By: Amelia Floyd

As we all know, Black Friday is right around the corner! Do you have kids on your holiday shopping lists? Sure you do! We have picked some of the best toys and tech for kids this holiday season to make shopping a little easier for you!

LEGO Friends Jungle Rescue Base

The popular LEGO Friends collection takes kids on an adventure into the jungle with the LEGO Friends Jungle Rescue Base. This deluxe set includes living quarters, a boat, zip line, slide, 2 mini figures and 4 animals. They combine building, imagination and storytelling adventures for hours of fun! Compatible with sets from the jungle series, or even existing LEGO pieces, based on the freinds from Heartlake City. Available at the LEGO shop.

VTech Bronco the RC Triceratops

For younger kids, VTech has Bronco the RC Triceratops, their first remote control dino, a new addition to their Switch & Go Turbo line. See how it easily transforms from a fierce dinosaur to a sleek race car with the push of a button! Using the remote, you can move it around and charge the turbo boost lever to give it a burst of speed! Learn dino facts and hear wild sound effects too! Get it at VtechKids.com!

Moff Band

Get your kids off the couch and active with the Moff Band, a smart wearable toy! Powered by motion sensors and kids’ creativity, everyday objects can be made into a toy – a stick becomes a knight’s sword, a banana turns into a laser, the broom is an air guitar, and a whisk becomes a magic wand – and their imagination is the only thing a kid needs to play. With regular free app updates, there are always new sounds and activities so kids will never get bored. Simple to set up and easy to play with, grab 2 bands and kids can play together for even more fun! Watch a video and learn more about this awesome toy here. 

Tiggly Counts

Kids love playing with tablets, and from the makers of Tiggly Shapes, we introduce Tiggly Counts. It is the first hands-on math toy that interacts with your tablet to make learning math fun! By physically moving the Tiggly Counts pieces, children can see, touch and connect with the math concepts. It comes with three award winning apps that help teach counting, addition and number lines in a fun and engaging way. Perfect for children aged 3 and up. Learn more and order yours here.

Black Friday for Kids 2013

By Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter, Reporter/ Analyst, New York, New York Leave a Comment Nov 1

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Originally posted on DailyLounge.com.

Written and Produced By: Amelia Floyd

Reyne Rice is showcasing the absolute must-haves this holiday season. From tablets to dinos, you’re sure to find the perfect gift for any kid. Check out our list below, get your lists ready and gear up for Black Friday!!

Kurio 7S

Here’s a tablet for everyone! The Kurio 7S is a real Android 4.2 Wi-Fi enabled family tablet with all the features kids want! (And the parental controls mom & dad love.) Create up to eight profiles and manage internet access, set daily time limits and select age-appropriate games. It even comes pre-loaded with over 60 family-friendly apps, like Angry Birds! Learn more about the Kurio 7S here.

LEGO Winter Village Market

Just in time for the holidays, LEGO is releasing their Winter Village Market! Continuing with their popular collectible Winter Village series, the Winter Village Market comes with a rotating carousel and over 1200 pieces. It also includes nine mini figures to really make this Winter Village Market come to life. Check it out here.

Skylanders – SWAP Force

The award-winning, top-selling Skylanders franchise have just released the much anticipated new title, SWAP Force. With 16 new swapable figures, players can mix & match the top and bottom halves of their figures to create more than 250 unique characters. What’s even better is that all 100+ characters from the previous two Skylanders games can now be played in the new version. PLUS, they are cross-platform compatible which allows you to play them on almost all of the gaming systems, including the PS4 and Xbox One. Learn more about SWAP Force here. 

Xbox One

This needs no introduction. The HIGHLY anticipated Xbox One has been released and is better than ever! It’s an all-in-one game and entertainment system that brings your TV, movies, games, music and apps together. It has some of the best games including, Forza Motorsport 5, the family-friendly Zoo Tycoon, Ryse: Son of Rome, and more. Plug your cable box right into it and use your voice as your remote to find your favorite shows. The Skype app allows you to use the included Kinect camera to video chat with your friends & family … right there on your big screen. There is so much more to say about the Xbox One, why don’t you check it out for yourself, here.

VTech Switch & Go Dinos

Kids love dinosaurs and vehicles. Wouldn’t it be neat if there was a toy that combined the two? Yeah, we think so too. Well, we’re in luck … VTech has released the super popular Switch & Go Dinos! Allow us to introduce you to one of the Dinos now. Jagger, the T-Rex, has new voice recognition technology that recognizes and responds to 20 different voice commands. He easily transforms from a fierce T-Rex into a cool construction vehicle with movable crane. Awesome. Want more fun? This guy comes with over 90 realistic dinosaur sounds and phrases that teach some interesting dinosaur facts. Learn more here.

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