Gadgets & Toys for Kids Big & Small

Voice-Activated R2-D2 Droid from Star Wars

How would you like your own little R2-D2 droid chasing you through the hallways of your battle-cruiser... er, I mean house?

This motorized replica responds to more than 40 voice commands, and plays games like tag using an infra-red sensor to find people.

R2-D2 has lights, a swiveling dome top, and sounds that mimic the real thing.

Lego Mindstorms NXT Robotic Building System

This all-new Lego Mindstorms pack has a new NXT Intelligent Brick with a 32-bit microprocessor and more memory. The kit features 3 servo motors with built-in rotation sensors for precise control, and over 500 Lego Technic elements. The computer software features intuitive drag-and-drop programming.

Levitron Omega Levitating Spinning Top

The American Association of Physics Teachers called the original Levitron "the best new science toy in a generation." This, the latest version, is so much more than a spinning top. As it spins (using only your finger-power, no batteries are required), it levitates above a magnetic pad, high enough for you to pass your hand under it, and is great fun for kids and adults alike.

Next-Generation Robosapien Robot

This is the next evolution of the Robosapien, capable of autonomous behavior and equipped with interactive sensors to recognize objects and respond to sounds. It can be programmed to execute more than 60 different movements, including dancing, exploring, lifting items, or bowling (ball and pins included).

It responds to touch and sound with advanced sensors like a camera that detects skin tone (hold out your hand, and the robot knows to shake it) and object color (the robot collects blue objects when handed them).

The robot avoids obstacles intelligently as it walks, and sonic sensors detect sharp noises, responding with a hearty Hey, there! and turning to face the sound.

It can bend and pick up small objects on command, using its precision-gripping, articulated fingers, and then it can throw the object to you.

The robot has true-to-life bi-pedal walking gaits and realistic double-axis head turns.

It can use its sonic and infrared sensors to guard an area (sounding an alarm when motion or sound is detected) and to interact with other Robosapiens.

The Push-Free Skateboard

What if you could ride a skateboard without having to push? Here's one that is propelled forward by the principle of leverage from Newton's laws of motion, in which a fulcrum point underneath the skateboard allows you to raise and lower the board in a seesaw motion, causing the spring-loaded gearbox to rotate the wheels.

Advanced Acrobatic Robot

This is an advanced programmable robot that can walk, run, kick, stand on one leg, turn cartwheels, and dance right out of the box. The mechanical humanoid is controlled by 16 powerful digital servomoters, built specifically for this robot, that allow the robot to perform numerous acrobatic maneuvers previously beyond the capabilities of most commercially available robots.

Tilt-Steering Electric Ride-On Racer

So, your neighbor bought his kid one of those battery-powered ride-on jeeps? BORING! Here is an electric car that lets riders up to 150 lbs. shift their body weight in either direction to tilt the front axle and wheels for pinpoint steering. With a 24 volt electric motor, your kid will be burning up the tarmac at up to 8 1/2 mph.

The Remote Control Night Vision Spy Car

I can't tell you how many times I've thought "What if I could mount a video-camera on the front of an RC car and drive it around while seeing what the camera sees". Ok, I'll tell you - quite a few, because I'm an RC junkie.

This remote control car not only lets you see what the car sees, it does it with a night-vision camera that sends images wirelessly to a remote headset with an eyepiece and LCD, allowing you to see what the car sees in the dark! Kids will absolutely love this. If they can ever pry it away from dad, that is.

RoboRaptor, the Robot Dinosaur

RoboRaptor, not only the hottest toy this Christmas, but winner of numerous "Toy of the Year" awards, can be controlled either with the included wireless remote, or he can roam free in autonomous mode. Multiple sensors in the 32" dinosaur let him react to sound, movement, and touch.

ATM Bank

Helps young people manage money the way adults do – with an Automated Teller Machine (ATM)! This realistic device accepts real bills and coins and dispenses them – just like a real ATM.

Arcade Legends Full Size Game System

Asteroids®. Centipede®. Missile Command®. Tempest®. More than 30 classic games return to life in this full size upright console that recalls nostalgic days spent in an arcade mastering the challenges of video games that were the forerunners of today’s digital imagery.

Robosapien Robot

Designed by a former NASA scientist to be easy to operate (unlike previous generations of robots with complex instructions), the robot’s 67 preprogrammed movements can be quickly commanded by the included remote.

Portable Ice Rink

When temperatures drop below 32° F, this portable unit turns any backyard into an ice rink for parties, skating or hockey practice. It is very easy to assemble; no tools are required. Rink is ready to use after two to three consecutive days of freezing temperatures. Design accommodates backyards with unlevel terrain and landscaping obstacles. Average ice thickness is 2 1/2 inches. Instructional video and vinyl repair kit included. (Zamboni not included.)

Window Walking Robotic Bugs

Amusing and entertaining critters, these robotic bugs defy gravity as they ascend a vertical incline. When they hit a barrier, they remain undaunted. They simply reverse themselves and travel in the opposite direction. The bugs will take to any clean, dry surface (e.g., glass)traversing horizontally, vertically or diagonally. ("Honey, would you like me to clean a few windows for you?")

Computerized Star Identifier

A team of engineers and astronomers spent 2 years developing this navigator, which is the only computerized device of its kind that identifies stars simply by pointing at them. The innovative tracking system also delineates constellations, planets and other heavenly bodies. Simply input the nearest city, which the computer translates into longitude and latitude. Next, enter the date. Then, point the navigator at a star cluster and the screen duplicates what you see and identifies it. (If you see a UFO, however, you're on your own.)

Safe Hydrogen-Powered Rocket

This rocket blasts an amazing 200 feet in the air using hydrogen fuel that children can safely create themselves. Because hydrogen fuel burns cleanly and leaves only water as its byproduct, it is considered the fuel of the future - making this rocket a unique and innovative departure from traditional hobby models. Simply mix tap water with the included crystals. One batch of tap-water fuel can power blast-offs for an entire day. Numerous safety mechanisms ensure that the rocket can only be launched vertically, that the ignition button must be held a full 15 feet away, and that ignition won’t occur without all parts properly fitted. After launch, the sturdy ABS plastic rocket drifts gently back to earth on spinning helicopter blades.

Fuel Cell Car and Experiment Kit

Winner of the 2002 Silver Award from the Parents Choice Foundation, this experiment kit gives kids a fun, hands-on way to discover fuel cells, one of the most significant technologies of the 21st Century. It involves 30 distinct experiments, including a car that uses solar power and a fuel cell to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis, and then runs on the resulting energy. Kit contains all necessary parts and tools, and a lab manual. (Car insurance not included but it's cheap.)

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