Looking for the perfect holiday gifts for the tiny techies on your holiday shopping list? Toy Insider Senior Editor Marissa DiBartolo was a guest on Fox’s “Tech Smart” to talk about the most innovative new toys on the market. For more on the items featured in this segment, check out the product notes below, and for our complete rundown of the best gifts for the holidays, check out our complete holiday gift guide.
LUVABELLA/LUVABEAU (SPIN MASTER)
- Luvabella is a lovable, lifelike baby doll that comes in a variety of girl and boy doll options in different ethnicities.
- Children can care, nurture, and play with Luvabella and Luvabeau using the doll’s interactive accessories and pacifier.
- From feeding time with her spoon, play time with her Lamby, to nap time with her bottle, Luvabella will respond with natural reactions in a fraction of a second. Kids can watch her laugh, blink, purse her lips, and more.
- Feed her with her spoon and she’ll begin to chew and learn new food words.
- Luvabella features AI technology to learn as kids play with her, plus realistic facial expressions and sounds.
- Ages: 3+
- MSRP: $99.99
- Available: Amazon, Target, Toys “R” Us, Walmart
- Aura is a gesture-controlled drone that uses patented Gesturebotics technology powered by LocoRobo.
- The wearable glove controller will have users feeling like superheroes—the drone is controlled by hand motions made while wearing the glove.
- Kids can fly Aura up and down, forward and backward, and even perform tricks like a sideways flip.
- Aura puts the power in kids’ hands, removing the learning curve of using a joystick controller to pilot their flying robot.
- Automatic features like Auto Takeoff, Auto Hover, and Auto Landing offer ultimate control for the perfect first flight right out of the box.
- Built-in height and distance limiters keep the drone under your power, and make Aura perfectly suited for indoor use.
- Safety frame protects the drone from bumps and drops, and people from propellers.
- Ages: 6+
- MSRP: $99.99
- Available: Target, Toys “R” Us
DROPMIX MUSIC GAMING SYSTEM (HASBRO)
- DropMix lets you play music like never before! This fast-paced music mixing game gives you a new way to collect, discover, and combine favorite tracks. Compete with your friends (up to four players) and create unexpected song mixes! Keep the music pumping with three ways to play: freestyle, clash, and party.
- The DropMix Music Gaming System includes the DropMix board and 60 DropMix cards, and the free downloadable app controls the game. The included DropMix cards let you mix songs from top artists, including Bruno Mars, Childish Gambino, Disturbed, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Sam Hunt, Sia, The Weeknd, and more. Look for Discover Packs and Playlist Packs to expand the mix possibilities with more DropMix cards! (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)
- Ages: 16+
- MSRP: $99.99
- Available: Amazon, Best Buy, Toys “R” Us, Walmart
LEGO BOOST CREATIVE TOOLBOX (THE LEGO GROUP)
- The LEGO BOOST app guides children through a build-and-code experience in a series of game-like challenges.
- Kids can build and customize Vernie, their own personal talking robot friend, code its behavior, and complete fun activities with the included play mat.
- When kids speak to Vernie, it will respond with facial expressions that reflect its mood.
- Vernie can move in all directions at variable speed on its large tracts, see objects and colors, sense distance, grip and carry accessories, make hand gestures, and launch darts from its shoulder-mounted shooter.
- Vernie also senses and reacts to impacts and knows when you pick it up.
- Rebuild Vernie to create the M.T.R.4 (Multi-Tooled Rover 4), the Guitar4000, Frankie the Cat, or the AutoBuilder, all controlled via a tablet with the free downloadable app, which also includes digital LEGO features.
- Ages: 7 to 12
- MSRP: $159.99
- Available: Online at shop.lego.com and LEGO brand retail stores
