Summer fun with the 3M Mobile Projector #3MSummerFun

Have you ever had a party that lasted longer than you expected and you ended up with a bunch of kids who were beyond bored? This happens on a weekly basis. Whether we are home or at a friends or relatives house, the kids are playing great for a few hours and before you know it they are cranky, tired, and start to get on each other’s nerves. It’s easy to say “let’s send them upstairs to watch a movie” but then there is no one to watch them while the parents stay outside. My cousin had a fun idea to get a projector from her job to watch movies outside, but those old projectors are so big and bulky, who really wants to lug one of those around?

This past weekend we hosted my toddler’s third birthday party. Everyone on our list showed up, so that meant we had about 30 adults and 20 kids. I should add: 20 kids loaded on cupcakes, cake, cookies, and candy. As the day started to wind down and most of the kids left, a handful of guests stayed with their kids. Once the tantrums started, I remembered I had a mini projector that easily connected to my cell phone. I was able to connect to my digital copy dvds and play a movie for the kids- outside, showing on the side of our house. It was actually really cool and everyone had a great time enjoying the cool breeze and a Disney movie!

The fun little device I’m talking about is the 3M Mobile Projector. It is not much bigger than my iPhone and packs a punch for performance. I didn’t expect it to be as clear and high quality as a school projector but I was wrong. The only trick to setting up the projector is positioning it so that it doesn’t fall over. Otherwise, set up is a breeze! You simply plug it into a power source and then connect it to your iPhone or iPad and turn on your movie. You can even play some games on the big screen! There were a few apps that didn’t work with the projector, but as its main purpose is for movies, it worked perfectly for those!

This weekend we are planning on hitting up the beach with a few cousins and the kids. We are bringing along the 3M Mobile projector as well so that once the kids are worn out from swimming, they can sit back in the tent and relax while watching a movie. The projector works on any surface, so we can use the outside of a large cooler to act as a screen. It’s amazing how portable and useful this little device is!

Here are some quick facts on the 3M Mobile Projector:

• Connects to Apple®iOS devices*, including iPod®, iPad® and iPhone®
• Outputs a mirrored image of the iPad® 2 screen (with additional cable) to project  games, apps or anything on your screen **
• Projects up-to an 80-inch still or moving image onto virtually any flat surface
• Up to two-hour battery life allows for easy viewing of television programs, fulllength movies, videos and still photos
• Uses Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) technology for superb image quality
• LED light source offers 20,000 hour lamp life, so no need to worry about replacement bulbs

You can find out more by visiting 3M Mobile Projectors on Facebook and Twitter.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of 3M and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.