10 Cool Gadgets for Kids Reviewed in 2024

Design

Cozmo comes pre-assembled and fully tested to work right out of the box and is capable of performing a variety of tasks. Pair your little one’s robot with the Cozmo app, a free download suitable with all Android and iOS devices, and you can start coding right away! The user interface on the app is simple and easy to understand, even for a total beginner. Simply drop blocks of code in a line and Cozmo will follow the direction to move, turn, spin, and even lift. Watch as it lifts and throws the three included cubes which can work as obstacles or props for your code. The challenges go up in skill level as your child discovers more of Cozmo’s personality, and may even spark an interest in a lifelong career path!

Educational Value

Software engineering is a rising field that is only expected to grow over the next decade. There is a huge demand in the job market for skilled coders to help create and maintain the next level of technology. In fact, in 2019 alone computer coders are projected to make upwards of $85,000 a year. Software coding is considered to be one of the fastest-growing and important job fields not only for now but also for the future so its no wonder that many toy companies are getting in on the ground floor to start training the next generation of engineers. Enter Anki Cozmo, A Fun and Educational Toy Robot for Kids. This delightful little robot has been designed to introduce coding in an easy to understand and simple-to-use format that is perfect for children.

Creativity

This adorable robot is too cute not to play with! Pre-assembled and charged, Cozmo is ready for his first command right out of the box. Very little adult supervision or setup is required in order for your child to start coding and playing right away. Spark your child’s creativity while they learn the basics of coding using the Cozmo app to program and control their robot’s action. The block-based coding style is easy enough for children as young as 8 to understand and use. This STEM-based toy has been designed to help introduce early engineering concepts, such as cause-and-effect relationships and strategic thinking that can stimulate cognitive development.

Design

The kit comes with a very detailed instruction guide on how to build up to 50 different electronic gadgets and gizmos using the various components of the Smart Circuits. With 10 smart modules providing a wide array of functions from microprocessing to LED lighting and a whole lot more, the Smart Circuits is one great way to let children create their own gizmos that light up, produce a variety of sounds, and more. The best part of it is that once these gadgets or games have been built, then your kid can start playing with them.

Educational Value

If a child loves to find out how something works this is an ideal gift for them. The Smart Circuits Games and Gadgets Electronics Lab provides a kid with a way to enjoy putting together their own unique gizmos. All the gadgets created will also light up and produce sound to add to the overall experience This SmartLab product is a great gift for any aspiring inventor to create their own toys to play with.

Creativity

In a world that runs on electronics, it is not really a surprise if kids have a very keen interest in how these things work. Sure, you can try to explain to the different concepts of capacitors, ohms, wattages, and volts as well as other concepts but everything will simply be a blur to them. A much better solution is to give them the Smart Circuits Games & Gadgets Electronics Lab. This is a kit that will not only introduce your child to the thrilling world of electronics but also help entice him or her to develop his or her own electrical ingenuity with the Smart Circuits’ six baseboards providing the framework for your kid’s creativity.

Design

This smartwatch has been designed with kids in mind, featuring games and activity challenges dedicated to promoting mental and physical health. It also includes over 50 unique clock face options to give your little one a variety of personalization options. With the incorporated camera and photo effects, your child can regale your family with personalized photos for weeks to come!

Educational Value

The VTech smartwatch provides a plethora of educational functions from the calculator which can introduce early addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills to the calendar to help your little one plan their day. The splash- and sweat-proof design provides extra durability for even the most rough-and-tumble kids. Easily rechargeable utilizing the included micro-USB cable, this wearable smart device is a portable way to help entertain and challenge your little one. It also encourages physical activity through the use of motion-sensing games and action challenges to keep your child exercising which can, in turn, promote better sleeping habits.

Creativity

In 2019, smart devices are everywhere. From tablets to smartphones, your child has most likely been exposed to touch screens for the majority of their life. In fact, it's not surprising to find toddlers today who are unfamiliar with the more traditional computing methods such as a keyboard and mouse. With the expansion of these computing technologies also comes an increased concern about cyber safety. When it comes to our children, finding devices that will allow them to explore their world without making them a target for predators can be difficult, if not impossible, task. With the VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX, your child has the opportunity to take pictures, play games, and even perform motion-based tasks just like your FitBit...without the ability to access the Internet! Removing the Internet connectivity from the device gives your little one the freedom to be ‘"just like the big kids" while allowing you the peace of mind to know that they are not online communicating with unknown elements.

Design

This little gadget might look like a flying car from the Jetsons but is a powerhouse of coding knowledge that has been designed specifically to teach computer programming completely screen-free! Ozobot works by reading color combinations on either the provided activity tracks to tell it what to do. Your little one can also use the provided Color Coding Markers to draw their own tracks on any piece of blank white paper and begin learning how to make their robot perform dozens of different actions. This provides your child with the basis of all modern computer programming and helps prepare them for the future.

Educational Value

We live in a world run by computers, from your car to the cash register at your favorite morning coffee place. It’s not really surprising to hear that at any one time there are up to half a million software programming and coding jobs available within the US. That’s over 500,000 jobs waiting for someone with the right skills and technical know-how to step into, and this number is only projected to increase. STEM learning principles are at an all-time high in schools partly because of the need to foster interests in these types of sciences now in order for our children to be prepared for the job market that will await them in the next 10 to 15 years. Finding ways to teach your child to code has never been easier, with dozens of websites and online lessons available. The problem is that most of these apps and websites are designed for teens to adults and don’t provide appropriate tools to introduce coding concepts to a younger generation. Enter Ozobot, the Bit Coding Robot!

Creativity

The STEM learning concepts that this little robot promotes are nearly endless! It introduces the concept of basic computer programming through fun and interactive activities. Utilizing the markers to create new code is an excellent way to develop fine motor skills and stimulate cognitive development. It can pair with the OzoBlockly mobile app to provide even more coding-based games that are designed to be visual representations of coding making them suitable for pre-readers. Beyond the technical aspects, the bot also comes with a plethora of stickers, skins, and pop outs that allow your little one to customize and personalize their Ozobot and encourages creativity and imagination.

Design

This is not your average gizmo. The Sunnytech Stirling Steam Engine is also traditionally classified as an external combustion engine. The concept is simple, the different metal materials that make up the flywheel as its base absorb heat at different rates. This difference in the ambient temperature causes the wheel to spin around and around as if in perpetual motion!

Educational Value

This steampunk style science fair project come to life is easily set into motion using basic household objects. Simply pour a cup of hot water, set the engine on top and give it a quick spin with your finger. The temperature of the coffee versus the temperature of the air around the engine will provide all the energy it needs to continuously rotate. It also works great with coffee or hot chocolate! Even the difference between body heat, like your hand, and an air-conditioned room can be enough to set this whirligig off to the races!

Creativity

A Stirling engine is a heat engine that uses the concepts of compression and expansion of air for power, in this case, to turn an ornate flywheel. This engine model is like a living physics lesson for your child. Not only will it promote STEM learning by introducing concepts of thermodynamics and mechanical engineering but it will also help open up age-appropriate discussions about dozens of scientific concepts such as steam power, pressure, and other gas laws. Although this model does not require a full build in order to assemble, it does provide an opportunity to foster mechanical skills and encourage an interest in the sciences.

Design

The various configurations of plastic dice work like a puzzle without an endpoint, giving your child’s hands and peripheral brain functions an outlet when they can’t play.

Educational Value

This product can actually help your child maintain focus when they have to sit and listen. If you have a child who is always brimming with energy, they may actually need a way to burn through the excess and keep their mind partially occupied.

Creativity

This fidgeting, as it is sometimes termed, is actually a way for the mind of your child to maintain focus when they are required to keep still. The sturdy materials and complex design of this product will work wonders for your child’s fidgeting tendencies.

Design

Six different movement points allow the arm to pivot at the elbow and the wrist, rotate at the wrist, base, and shoulder, and allows the gripper ‘hand’ to open and close. The gripper hand can also be removed and utilized as a suction-based apparatus instead! Your child will have complete control over the movement and manipulation of the arm that they created, opening up boundless opportunities to foster an interest in the sciences and promote STEM learning strategies!

Educational Value

It’s very infrequent that we can include a product on our list that doesn’t require any batteries or even electricity of any kind. So many models and toys today require complex electronics or flashy lights to provide interactivity but the real science lessons come when you can move beyond such gimmicks. The OWI Hydraulic Arm Edge Kit does just that. This multi-positional robot arm runs on water power alone! Your child will be able to explore the concepts of hydro-mechanical energy while they assemble their fully articulated arm.

Creativity

This STEM building kit provides a hands-on approach to learning concepts such as engineering, and hydraulic power. Building the arm requires your child to follow a detailed set of instructions which can help promote problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The assembly itself utilizes many small parts such as screws and even cutting tubing which can help develop and strengthen fine motor skills. Once the arm has been completed, the real learning begins as the arm provided opportunities for age-appropriate discussions on everything from mechanical engineering to robotics, to pressure and suction. The instructions do use several technical terms that may require an older sibling or adult assistance and can create opportunities for familial bonding and positive adult-child interactions.

Design

As your child grows so do the features of this sleep training clock. The clock features sleep sounds that help your child get to sleep and stay asleep. All three of the sleep sounds are soothing and have been designed to help put your little one into a deep sleep that they need. The rim of the clock can also be changed to five different color selections. Each of the colors is soothing enough to help them sleep, but not too bright.

Educational Value

Learning to go to bed at a certain time without your parents having to tell you is something that kids learn as they mature. What this learn to sleep clock does it help them with learning how to manage their time before bed? The face of the clock starts a countdown before bedtime and lets them know when it is time to get into bed and get to sleep. This feature can also be used during the time for a timed activity. When children start to learn their schedule throughout the day it helps parents and children be more productive throughout the day and builds the social development skills that are needed.

Creativity

Constructed from kid safe and durable materials, but this sleep trainer will not let the kids down when it comes to a neat looking accessory for their bedroom. The digital face on this clock with the color changing rim gives it a look like an alarm clock that an adult would have but features all the things that kids need to have. Getting your kids to go to bed will never be so fun.

Design

This lamp uses acrylics which features similar properties to fiber optics. It's easy to use, has seven different color settings, and is energy saving. Plus it looks just like the Millennium Falcon! Kids and adults alike will love this new addition to their decor!

Educational Value

While this isn't a particularly hands-on gadget, it does still encourage curiosity and important scientific questions. You can use this to discuss light rays, how we perceive color, and how you can use electricity and engineering to create cool objects like this one!

Creativity

This lamp features a touch-pad light and seven different colors. It's easy for children to operate and they'll love getting to pick their favorite shade. It is equipped for over 50 hours of usage and contains a USB cord for charging.

Design

Break the ice, hear the whistle, and bust out with laughter. This easy to use classic sounds machine is a great feature for the kids. It displays 16 easy to push buttons on the front of the display. Each of the buttons when pressed makes a different classic sound; there is the pump action shotgun, the drum roll, the round of applause and so much more. It is best for kids that are over the age of six years old, but the simple machine is easy to use and is sure to start a few rolling rounds of laughter.

Educational Value

Placing the sound machine in your pocket and entering a social setting can make for some interesting reactions. The easy to reach and press buttons along with the small size makes this the perfect sound machine to help kids work on their social interaction skills. From the bursts of laughter to the wolf whistling this sounds machine is sure to start up some conversations in a crowd.

Creativity

Being silly is one thing, but taking a sound machine and playing it at that right moment turns a silly moment into something that everyone will remember. The 16 different sounds that can easily be created with this sound machine will have your kids ready to hit the buttons and waiting for the laughs at a moment’s notice.