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We all know how hard it is to get kids to do their homework, but how easy it is to get them to play with toys! Our Toy Insider Mom Laurie Schacht brought the very best of this “stealth learning” to Breakfast TV in Toronto! Click the photo above to see the video or take a look at our list below!

Tech4Kids.3DMaker3D Maker (Tech 4 Kids)

  • Kids can turn gel designs into 3D creations!
  • Trace your designs on a templace and insert into the Maker.
  • The gel becomes solid after enclosed exposure to LED light.
  • Kids can connect finished pieces together to build multi-dimensional structures.
  • The 3D Maker uses light of heat for kid-safe play.
  • The gel is available in multiple colors.
  • Ages: 8+
  • MSRP: $39.99

182300-Img1-prod_largeSpinning Lights Learning Hippo (VTech)

  • Have a blast with the Spinnign Lights Learning Hippo!
  • This first vocabulary builder uses moving lights with each of six fun activities for language development.
  • Kids can spin the lights around the alphabet circle to learn about letters, phonics, objects, animals, and more.
  • Preschoolers w ill learn their ABCs as they sing and watch the lights move along to the Alphabet Song.
  • In music mode, they can move the rolling ball to add five fun sound effects to 26 cheerful melodies.
  • This happy hippo and his adorable bird friend also teach kids to count to ten and feaures a fun quiz game.
  • Take a spin with this learning hippo for tons of fun!
  • Ages: 1-4
  • MSRP: $19.99

FatBrainToys.SmartyBlocksSmarty Blocks (Fat Brain Toys)

  • This set of 10 wooden blocks and 120 challenges boosts reading, spelling, and sequencing, math, logic, and visual spatial skills.
  • Can be used individually or as a game that can be played by individuals or groups.
  • The clever combination of block play and skill building will engage children at early levels.
  • Little oens will delight in the quick game play as they search for blocks to recreate patterns. As they mature, kids can tackle higher level challenges.
  • There are two levels of play for readers and non-readers alike.
  • Grows with your child: Start them off with a simple stacking puzzle and watch them advance through sequencing, reading, spelling, math, and logic cards.
  • Ages: 5+
  • MSRP: $28.95

pTRU1-21416009enh-z6Mighty Makers: Fun on the Ferris Wheel Building Set (K’NEX)

  • Ride all the rides with Emily and her bear, Cocoa, with the Fun on the Ferris Wheel Building Set.
  • Help Emily build her own amusement park with a Ferris Wheel, Pirate Ship ride, and boardwalk game.
  • Set includes 324 K’NEX parts and pieces, 2 figures — Emily and Cocoa –, Ferris Wheel seats, star snaps, and more!
  • Also features full color building instructions with ideas for three different mechanical engineering themed builds, and an exploration card which challenges builders to explore additional mechanical engineering concepts.
  • All K’NEX rods and connectors are made in the USA.
  • Suggested retail price is $34.99.
  • Ages 7+.

4064206_vex_robotics_hexcalator_ball_machine_jpeg (1)VEX Robotics Hexcalator Ball Machine (Hexbug)

  • Think all wheels are round? Think again!
  • This sophisticated machine was inspired by cutting edge medical devices and uses a hand crank to power 3 hexagonal indexing wheels to transport balls uphill while they are released onto the return ramp.
  • Once constructed, this machine will move the balls in a continuous loop at a rate of 1 ball per second.
  • Over 260 easy connect snap pieces.
  • Motorize your machine with a motor kit.
  • Collect and connect all of the VEX Robotics Ball Machines, or give your VEX Robotics Ball Machine a powerful boost with the VEX Robotics Motor Kit.
  • Ages: 8+
  • MSRP: $29.99

Thames.RCMARemote Control Machines: Animals (Thames & Kosmos)

  • Construct a whole zoo’s worth of remote-controlled animals with mechanical insides covered by colorful plastic “skins.”
  • The animals all move using different mechanisms, each one mimicking the movement of the real animal it represents.
  • A two-button remote control unit moves the small, lightweight motor forward in reverse, allowing models to move forward or backward.
  • Build an elephant that walks, a scorpion that crawls along, and a cute little penguin that waddles. Construct a rabbit that bounds forward, a crab that scurries sideways, and an orangutan that climbs hand over hand along a string. You can even build a couple of dinosaurs: a Tyrannosaurus rex that walks on two legs and a Pteranodon that “flies” along a cord. Learn about animal locomotion and biomechanics as you build each model. When you are done, use the same 100 building pieces to dream up your own mechanical animal creations! You can even mix up the animal skins in funny ways to make outrageous hybrid animals.
  • A full-color, 36-page step-by-step illustrated manual helps kids assemble all of the models and teaches them about the animals they are modeling and the way different animals move.
  • Age: 8+
  • MSRP: $49.95

KDInteractive.KurioSmartKurio Smart Windows Tablet (KD Interactive)

  • Kurio Smart, the tablet for students, is the first Windows device from KD Interactive.
  • This 2-in-1 tablet computer is designed with young scholars in mind, taking them from homework to play.
  • Combining the best of both productivity and fun, this sleek, lightweight and portable Windows tablet-and-laptop-in-one has a 9” touch screen and includes a detachable keyboard.
  • A great first computer and educational took, Kurio Smart is perfect for writing papers, reading e-books, studying, and safely browsing the web.
  • It is also packed with free educational and entertainment content, so it’s ready to go right out of the box.
  • Kurio Smart comes preloaded with more than 40 apps and games (a $200 value), having kids running, jumping, and even dancing.
  • Kids can take photos and videos, stream music and videos from Spotify, YouTube Kids, Netflix, Skype, and stay connected with kid-safe email. Parents can access hundreds of thousands of more apps through the Windows Store.
  • The Smart comes with powerful parental controls.
  • Initial units will ship with Windows 8.1 OS (users can easily upgrade to Windows 10) and a free year of Microsoft Office 365 Personal; units produced after September will come with Windows 10 and the new Microsoft Office Mobile apps.
  • Additional tech specs: Quad-core Intel Bay Trail-T processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 32GB of built-in storage, front- and rear-facing cameras, micro USB port and micro HDMI port, which allows Kurio Smart to be connected to a TV.
  • Ages: 6+
  • MSRP: $199.99

About the author

Maddie Michalik

Maddie Michalik

Maddie Michalik was the Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book from 2020-2022. She was also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider.

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