From Old-School to Cutting-Edge: Gadgets & Gifts for Tech-y Kids

Re-imagine play time, without relying too much on a screen. These toys will help you do it!

By Kipp Jarecke-Cheng November 13, 2014

Your kids fingers swipe faster than you can say, abracadabra. Put the magic back into technology this holiday season for even the most digitally-savvy mini-techie. From nifty gaming systems to robotics to electronic kits, your kids will flip for these gifts. Flip through the gallery to make those tiny smiles 100 watts bigger.

The Dino That Can Actually Answer Questions

Barney and Friends is so 20th century. Cognitoys Dino is where it’s at for 21st century dinosaur fans. Kids ages five to nine can interact with this intelligent, connected dino through stories, games, jokes and other educational play. Powered by IBM Watson, a.k.a., the machine-learning artificial intelligence platform that can answer virtually any question in natural language, Cognitoys Dino is cloud-connected and wifi-enabled, which means new content is automatically updated, allowing this smart toy to grow smarter over time—just like kids do. While other “smart” toys rely on set, pre-programmed responses, Cognitoys Dino actually listens to kids and adapts with age-appropriate responses, whether the Dino is answering kids’ questions, telling bedtime stories or sharing knock-knock jokes. Parents will need to use the free Cognitoys App—available for iOS and Android—for initial setup, but once it’s connected to wifi, the Dino no longer requires the use of a smartphone for playtime.

Available at Amazon, $99.99.