by Reyne Rice, trend hunter, toy trend expert, industry analyst, and consultant
Smart tech for kids is no longer buzzword lingo. It has become a reality and has grown to encompass so much more than just technology added to toys to make them interesting or “tech-y.” Today, kids’ technology-enhanced products offer engaging and explorative play patterns that span a wide spectrum of categories. And while there are new technologies being used in these toys, the thrill is in the play experience, not in the technology itself. New technology enhances and extends play patterns way beyond how kids were playing in past decades. Plus, parents, older siblings, caregivers, and educators are all using new technology that companies are translating into toys and tech products for kids’ worldwide.
Here is a review of the top new segments that are emerging within the tech space, and some of the players that are leading the charge. Get excited, and get in on the fun. The best way to learn about new technology is to play right alongside kids as they use it.
GPS Tracking & Built-in GPS Technology Cars
Kids love their remote-control vehicles, whether they are ground or flight racers. Newer technologies enhance this classic play pattern with even more options. Anki Overdrive Supercars are high-tech, intelligent vehicles that have built-in computers and use visual sensors to stay on the modular track system, even when they reach top speeds. WowWee’s REVs use BeaconSense technology and artificial intelligence (AI), so kids can race two cars at a time—the kid can control one car while the AI drive powers the other. Carrera has taken slot car racing to new levels with wireless 2.4GHz controls, and exclusive Ferrari and Porsche model vehicles. At the recent Star Wars Celebration convention, Sphero’s newest Star Wars-themed Sphero BB-8 Droid was unveiled, for the highly anticipated fourth quarter release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. More details on the Droid will follow closer to the film’s release.
Examples of GPS Tracking and Built-in GPS Technology Cars:
- WowWee REV
- Sphero BB-8 Droid
- CarreraDigital 132 Hybrid Power Race Set
- Anki Overdrive modular racing
Wearable Tech
Lately, the Apple Watch has been the most highly promoted product in the adult wearable tech segment, and the GoPro camera has changed the way action sports are filmed. Kids want to role-play these options, too, but with real working technology. Toy manufacturers have created kid-sized and parent-affordable options to fulfill this need. Following the success of its Kidizoom Smartwatch, VTech extends its wearable segment with the Kidizoom Action Cam. Designed for kids ages 4 and up, it can be mounted to a skateboard or a helmet, or can be used underwater to capture kids’ active life moments.
The new wristband by Nabi, NabiGo, will launch this summer, offering a variety of activity tracking features designed just for kids. Moff Smartbands, introduced to the U.S. market at the North American International Toy Fair in February, are wristbands that use an app to activate sounds for an imaginative and fun role-play experience. Expect this segment to expand even more by the fall.
Examples of Wearable Tech:
- VTech Kidizoom Action Cam
- Nabi NabiGo fitness band
- Moff Smartbands
Drones and Robots
This segment of the business was one of the top five trends identified at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, and the trend continued across toy fair trade shows worldwide. There are now affordable options under $100 and more advanced models selling for $500 or more. Some smaller robots and drones are available for $50, such as the Ozobot and Silverlit models that fit in the palm of your hand. Most of the smaller, quicker, and sturdier drones also have 3-D and even 4-D camera capabilities.
Newer robots and drones have intelligence features built in, such as GPS tracking technology, internal gyroscopes, accelerometers, and motion- and gesture-sense technology. WowWee’s MiPosaur dinosaur uses BeaconSense tracking technology for a richer user experience, offering more varied value-added play. Kids can build and program Spin Master’s Meccanoid G15 KS robot, which stands almost 4 feet tall. The Sky Rover, from Auldey Toys, is an innovative voice-activated helicopter. The Zano drone, from Torquing UK, can be programmed to hold steady in flight to take selfies of groups or action shots of a sports enthusiast’s daring feats. Expect more news in this segment as the holiday season approaches.
Examples of Drones and Robots:
- Spin Master/Meccano Meccanoid G15KS Robot
- WowWee MipoSaur
- SilverLit SkyCopter
- Auldey Toys Sky Rover Voice Command Helicopter
- Zano drone (Torquing UK)
Maker Movement & 3-D Printing
Although Maker Fairs have been in the news for nearly a decade thanks to do-it-yourself (DIY) tech enthusiasts and hackers, they have gained in mainstream popularity with families and educators over the past few years. The focus is on tinkering, science, and technology, and there is a celebration of doers across all segments, embracing creativity and exploration. MakerBot, 3D Systems, and other major 3-D printer manufacturers have been working with toy and game manufacturers such as Mattel and Hasbro to bring their products to life, pairing 3-D expertise and toy expertise into incredible new licensed products for fans. Other manufacturers have chosen to create their own proprietary product lines to engage the hands-on maker. Jakks Pacific and Tech 4 Kids will each offer 3-D printing products for less than $100 this fall. ThinkFun, the classic brain games manufacturer, has a new line called Maker Studio. The Creativity Hub uses sketching and brainstorming to begin the creative thinking process with its new Extraordinaires Design Studio products.
Examples of Maker Movement and 3-D Printing:
- Jakks Pacific 3D Character Creator
- Tech 4 Kids 3D Magic 3D Creation Maker
- ThinkFun Maker Studio
- The Creativity Hub Extraordinaires Design Studio
3-D & 4-D Products
With the adult tech world embracing the 3-D and 4-D trends through TVs, and GoPro cameras and drones available with on-the-go 3-D viewing capabilities, it is no surprise that kids’ products are now incorporating this continuously developing technology. Mattel transformed the newest ViewMaster re-launch with stunning 3-D technology, in partnership with Google, offering a more animated and surround-viewing experience. Qualcomm has worked with many manufacturers to bring products to life with its Vuforia platform. One of the newest alliance partnerships is with Qualcomm, Activision, and Crayola, bringing Skylanders characters to life with Color Alive drawing products. Many other manufacturers are working with Qualcomm to bring their products to life this fall as well.
Examples of 3-D and 4-D Products:
- VTech Kidizoom Action Camera
- Mattel and Google’s View-Master
- Qualcomm, Activision, and Crayola Color Alive
Crafts & Creativity
Even the usually less-connected craft category has added components of technology to its portfolio of products, embracing the DIY kid, who wants to be engaged through personalization of crafts and creativity, and then share, store, or capture their crafts online. Fashion Angels has extended its She-E-O-focused It’s My Biz range with more career business choices, a video how-to network, and an app for tracking sales, taking orders, and showcasing products and services with a smartphone. Wooky Entertainment has enhanced the collectibility factor of its Charmazing line of charm bracelets by adding a mobile app for kids to track charm collections, trade with friends, and connect with other fans on their way to becoming Charm-Masters. RoseArt has added new products at a variety of price ranges to its Graphic Skinz line of customizable art products. The vacuum chamber provides hundreds of options for customizing and creating unique art projects, and then offers an online gallery for kids to visit and be inspired to create new ideas, taking the urban vinyl style trend to new levels. The Crayola Color Alive Easy Animation Studio brings kids’ drawings to life in an app through the company’s Color Alive technology, and includes a motion-capture mannequin, so kids can easily create animated videos with their new creations.
Examples of Crafts & Creativity:
- Fashion Angels It’s My Biz app
- Wooky Entertainment Charmazing App
- RoseArt Graphic Skinz Chamber and kits
- Crayola Color Alive Easy Animation Studio
Toys That Talk
Although some controversy has been voiced over toys that use the Internet to deliver information to kids, these products push the boundaries of technology in new ways. Mattel’s Hello Barbie uses voice-recognition technology to talk with kids, remember details of conversations, and recall them in later conversations. ToyQuest’s My Friend Cayla uses technology to have real-time two-way conversations with kids and access a database to answer their questions. CloudPets are soft, cuddly friends that can send messages to and from a parent-approved list, speak directly to a child, and provide comfort and delight from parents, grandparents, or military family members, who may be in distant locations. ToyMail offers a similar theme, with messages sent via a cute animal-themed toy mailbox friend. Expect more products to emerge in this newer segment of the business in the coming months.
Examples of Toys That Talk:
- Mattel Hello Barbie, by Mattel
- Spiral Toys CloudPets (distributed by Jay@Play)
- ToyMail
With smart technology available across such a broad spectrum of toy categories, retailers will need to focus and decide which segments are the most lucrative options for their own business models. Carrying products that offer the best return for their customers and for their bottom line is a decision that is critical to ensuring that those products fly off shelves. With a variety of manufacturers and price point options, technology is a segment that is extremely appealing.
Reyne Rice is a toy industry consultant, trend hunter, and media spokesperson with 30 years of experience in marketing, researching, and analyzing the toy and game industry, children’s technology, entertainment and licensing, and the youth market. She is an international trade journalist and a frequent keynote speaker at conferences spanning Asia, Europe, and the U.S. Rice has owned her own consultancy, ToyTrends, since 2003, and can be reached at reyne@reynerice.com.
