After parenting for 6 years, I’ve learned about various types of toys. At this point, I can tell you immediately whether or not my kids will play with a specific toy for more than a day, or if they will get bored of it within minutes after opening the box it came in. It’s gotten to the point that when people ask me what my kids want for their birthdays, I just want to tell them to save their money. We’ve donated our fair share of toys that went unloved.
The types of toys that keep my girls interested the longest are interactive toys. They are great at using their imagination, but want something that will keep them engaged and “play back” with them. It’s hard to come by smart toys, there aren’t many truly interactive toys out there, but when I heard about the new Fisher Price Smart Toy, I had a feeling this one would be a hit around here.
Starting off, our Smart Toy was ready to be played with immediately after taking it out of the box. We still charged it up a bit while we read over the instructions, but once we downloaded the app, we were good to go. The app worked best on our iPad, but is suitable for any Android or iOS devices. The girls decided to name their new friend Burnaby, which is one of the suggested names, but there is an extensive list of names you can choose from.
After telling Burnaby the girls’ names and ages, it was time to have some fun. Burnaby asked to be tossed in the air, go on adventures, and even tuned into my 6 year old’s creative interests by describing a scene and had her draw it. She asks to bring Burnaby with us on trips and to school, and has kept Burnaby close by every day since unboxing the Smart Toy.
Burnaby is ever changing – so there’s always a new adventure or activity. This keeps my girls from getting bored quickly. I can see Burnaby having a long interest-span in our household. From the start I had to tell my girls that Burnaby was mine and I was sharing him with them, this way they don’t fight. Burnaby is suitable for children ages 3-8, and this is displayed through the age-appropriate activities put in during setup. Burnaby remembers what my daughter tells him and adapts their game play accordingly. The app is free to download and provides unlimited updates so Smart Toy has fresh content and expansion cards that are included in the box, but can also be purchased separately for different themes.
This holiday season, consider the Fisher Price Smart Toy. There are two varieties available- a monkey and a bear. I personally love that Burnaby doesn’t have a screen, but can interact through a lens included in the toy’s nose. Don’t worry- there is no identifiable data transmitted through the Smart Toy. Fisher Price Smart Toy retails at $100 and can be purchased directly through Fisher Price or other toy retailers.