Best Electronic Toys for Kids This Season
by Leticia Barr of techsavvymama.com and Jeana Lee Tahnk
Shop The Story
Our picks for the coolest electronic toys for kids, toddlers and preschoolers.
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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For Preschoolers: Disney Pixar Cars 2 AppMATes
Appropriate for: Ages 4+
Kids love playing with Mom and Dad’s iPad, but throw Cars 2 figurines on top of that (literally) and you’re probably not getting your iPad back for a while. After downloading the free AppMATes app from iTunes, kids place the cars on the screen to use it as an interactive play mat for driving, games, tractor tipping in Radiator Springs and more—just be sure to have a protective screen guard on your iPad.
2 of 19 Image Credits: Amazon
For Big Kids: FIJIT Friends by Mattel
Appropriate for: Ages 6+ Your child may no longer need an imaginary friend with a FIJIT friend by her side. This is an electronic and interactive toy that recognizes voices, commands and musical beats. Not only does it react to external stimuli, FIJIT also comes pre-loaded with 150 built-in responses so your kids will have an instant “friend” to talk to, dance with and just have fun with!
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For Toddlers: Fisher-Price Kid Tough See Yourself Camera
Appropriate for: Ages 3+ Say cheese! Kids are hams when it comes to picture-taking. With the Fisher-Price Kid Tough See Yourself camera, they get the joys of being the photographer and the subject at the same time with the new swiveling lens feature. Kids simply turn the lens around and can ham it up all they want on camera for silly pictures—and video, too!
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For Big Kids: LEGO Walkie Talkies
Appropriate for: ages 7+ Walkie talkies are fun for kids of all ages. The cool Lego look of these will initially attract kids to them, but the functionality of being able to talk to each other for up to a mile away is what will keep kids enraptured. The design features a simple push-to-talk button which makes it easy for kids to say 10-4.
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For Big Kids: Loopz Game by Mattel
Appropriate for: Ages 5+ Loopz takes ‘Simon Says’ to a whole new level. Kids must watch for the pulsating light cues and music patterns and wave their hands in and out of the “loopz” in the same pattern. Once they get the hang of it, kids as young as five can enjoy mimicking the patterns and using their senses and memory at the same time.
6 of 19 Image Credits: Best Buy
For Big Kids: Xbox 360 with Kinect
Appropriate for: Ages 4+ The Xbox 360 with Kinect has revolutionized video gaming thanks to a sensor that works via facial and skeletal recognition. Kinect senses every movement as your body controls the games—in other words, you're the remote control! Even young kids get the hang of it quickly, making it something the entire family can do together.
7 of 19 Image Credits: Amazon
For Toddlers: Totally KooKoo ReTweets
Appropriate for: Ages 3+ Forget about Angry Birds, how about a “retweeting” bird that repeats everything your kid says. This animatronic plush toy flaps its wings, moves its beak and retweets whatever sounds, words and phrases it hears—in any language. ‘Totally KooKoo’ will be a hoot for your kids, even though it may drive you a little cuckoo.
8 of 19 Image Credits: Amazon
For Toddlers & Big Kids: Fisher-Price SMART CYCLE Racer Physical Learning Arcade System
Appropriate for: Ages 3-6 years If your little kid is going to play video games (and if they have an older sib, they’ll be asking sooner than you think) wouldn’t you rather have them play active and interactive ones that idly sitting on the couch? This Smart Cycle Racer is like exercise and play in one. Your kids will be having so much fun, they won’t even realize how much energy they’re expending on their racing adventures. Not only are kids exercising, but they’re also learning their letters, numbers and working on creativity, problem solving, matching activities and much more.
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For Toddlers: Baby Alive 1st for Me Moonlight Lullaby
Appropriate for: Ages 18 months+ Nurturing little mommies- and daddies-to-be will love this baby doll, who comes in a variety of skin tones and coos like the real thing. She comes tucked in her fleecy pink sleep sack, has an eye-catching light-up moon on her outfit, and plays a night-time lullaby when snuggled to sleep.
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For Toddlers: Sesame Fly with Elmo Ride-On
Appropriate for: Ages 12 months+ This colorful toy lets young aviators be Elmo's co-pilot. Features include a light-up propeller that spins but won't injure little fingers, buttons and switches galore, cool sound effects and—yes!—adjustable volume controls.
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For Toddlers: Fisher Price Stack 'n Surprise Blocks Songs 'n Smiles Sillytown
Appropriate for: Ages 6 months+ Stacking, sliding music and lights provide endless entertainment as young ones use developing motor skills to move block people around Sillytown. Children learn cause and effect by pushing levers and spinning rollers to make blocks tumble. A convenient built-in storage area rewards cleanup thanks to a musical lid.
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For Preschoolers: Play Visions LEGO City Lights Dynamo Torch Flashlight
Appropriate for: Ages 4+ Handy for shadow puppets and blackouts alike, this eco-friendly kid-powered LEGO flashlight ensures there will always be light. Crank the arm to power the LED light that emits from moveable legs to illuminate in one or two directions.
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For Preschoolers: Little Mommy Walk 'N Giggle Doll
Appropriate for: Ages 3+ Encourage the nurturing nature of a preschooler—especially one about to be an older sibling—with an interactive doll that stands from a seated position to walk all by herself, wiggles and giggles when tickled and also plays Peek-A-Boo. Attentive little mommies and daddies will practice developing language skills by engaging in conversation with the doll, who makes requests just like a real child (but with no whining).
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For Preschoolers: Dinosaur Train Interactive Buddy the Dinosaur
Appropriate for: Ages 3+ Buddy from the popular PBS show Dinosaur Train comes alive to share dino factoids with budding paleontologists, engaging with other dinosaurs from the series when in close proximity. The fully poseable T-Rex sneezes, stomps and chomps with his dino buddies for an interactive dinosaur playdate.
15 of 19 Image Credits: Crayola Store
For Preschoolers: Crayola Digital Camera Scrapbooking Kit
Appropriate for: Ages 4+ Young scrapbookers will love having everything they need in one place to create impressive-looking memory pages. The kit includes a kid-friendly digital camera plus all the software, a camera case, photo editing CD and a variety of scrapbook supplies.
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For Big Kids: SanDisk Fuze+ MP3 Player
Appropriate for: Ages 6+ SanDisk's Fuze+ is a small lightweight portable media player with 8GB of flash storage to fill with music, videos, photos and podcasts. The intuitive interface is navigated using the touch sensitive area under the screen, and through the left/right arrows, play and pause buttons. With a low price half that of other popular MP3 players, and a larger screen, the SanDisk Fuze+ is an excellent value.
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For Big Kids: PaperJamz Guitar
Appropriate for: Ages 8+ Paper Jamz instruments are thin, battery-operated guitars that use Active Graphics(TM) Technology, enabling kids to play just by touching the surface. The touch-sensitive surface required far less coordination to form chords than the real thing, but more experienced musicians would certainly enjoy going Jimi Hendrix on the flat surface too. The six unique guitars and six corresponding drum sets (sold separately) each feature three hit songs to play along with, or you can switch to freestyle mode.
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For Big Kids: SpyNet Video Watch
Appropriate for: Ages 8+ Spies in training can perfect their espionage skills with this high-tech watch that captures audio and full-color video, takes photographs and features a built-in lie detector. Connect it to the computer via USB for easy uploading and downloading of evidence.
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For Big Kids: EZ Bake Oven
Appropriate for: Ages 8+ Remember this one? This old-school toy allows kids to make tasty snacks like cakes, brownies and cookies that cook up thanks to a 100-watt light bulb (not included). The oven comes with 3 different mixes, 2 baking pans, 2 utensils, a pan pusher, 2 warming cups and recipes/instructions to create mini culinary masterpieces.
