Electronics can enhance a multitude of activities already incorporated into your child’s everyday life. If you are specifically looking for certain items, check out our picks for The 6 Best Laptops for Kids, The 8 Best Wearables for Kids, and The 8 Best Drones for Kids! Otherwise, read on to see the best electronic toys for kids. Once kids rip the Dash from the box, they’ll discover endless possibilities. They can teach the robot to sing, dance, and play—all through voice commands and the aid of corresponding apps. The Dash provides an open-ended platform to ensure that tech is introduced in a simple and accessible way. The idea is to build confidence through fun and, in this case, the Dash succeeds. Connecting to iOS and Android devices, there are four different apps that teach different coding skills. The apps assist with teaching kids the fundamentals of robotics and coding. Additionally, it helps to discover the robot’s sensors and sounds as well as teaching the robot how to play. Each app is the first step into what can be a lifetime of skills and eventually a career. This device has 4GB of memory, which should be sufficient for both schoolwork and media streaming, and at least 64GB of onboard storage. That’s not a lot, but Chromebooks tend to have limited storage on the assumption that users are relying on the cloud—the Duet actually comes with a one-year free trial of Google One for just this purpose. In our benchmark testing, it managed a respectable PCMark Work 2.0 score of 6,646. The downsides to this device are the same downsides for most 2-in-1 devices: the screen is small for a laptop (10.1 inches) and the port options are very limited. The Duet only has a single USB-C port, but this can be remedied with a good USB-C hub. The 2.4-inch TFT display pairs with a 1.92-megapixel camera for capturing shots, which can be stored within the 256MB of on-board memory. Our reviewer didn’t consider the photo quality anything special, but it’s still a decent starting point for kids since it handles white balance and focus reasonably well. Fortunately, there’s room for memory expansion with a microSD card that can be purchased separately. To help preserve battery life (four AA batteries), the kid-friendly camera automatically shuts off after three minutes of no usage. There are three different upgrade kits available to expand this set and keep your child building and learning the basics of electrical engineering. All of the parts in this set snap together without the need for tools or soldering, making it safe for kids as young as 8 to use either by themselves or with minimal supervision. Not only is this set great for playing with at home, but it’s also great for grade school teachers to use in the classroom for hands-on science lessons. The alphabet learning mode lets your child see and hear the letter while also learning a word that starts with that letter. Kids can also pretend to send emails to Leapfrog characters Scout and Violet in order to learn how to write basic sentences. There are even trivia and letter matching games that reinforce what your child learns. Parents can create a Leapfrog Learning Path for their children for custom email messages from Scout and Violet and to find more fun spelling lessons. The frame fits standard 8.5 x 11-inch paper, so your kids can use printer and notebook paper when they’re out of blank sheets. The frame also features a non-slip surface to keep patterns and paper in place for crisp lines. The tracing sheets have over 100 different images to help your kids learn to create comics, cartoons, and build scenes. Crayola offers even more patterns on their website that you can download and print for free. The hover disc works well with tile, laminate, hardwood, and even carpeted flooring, making it great for finished basements or playrooms. The hover disc features a soft foam bumper to protect your walls and furniture from dings and scratches from errant kicks. It also has multicolored LED lights for fun in the dark. The inflatable soccer ball that is included is great for taking the set outside when the weather is nice. The entire set is backed by a three-year warranty and a one-year money-back guarantee, so you can be sure almost any problem is covered by the company, hassle free. The watch also has 11 different games to play and challenges to complete using the built-in motion sensor. The built-in camera allows kids to take photos with friends and customize them with fun filters and frames. The microphone lets them add silly voice effects to recordings. The watch does not have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities, so parents can rest assured their children cannot download apps or access media without permission. The Smartwatch DX also has parental controls to lock games during school hours or homework time to keep kids focused. Jonno Hill has been writing for Lifewire since 2019. He specializes in photography and video, as well as PC hardware and gaming. Andy Zahn has been writing for Lifewire since 2019, covering a wide range of consumer tech including laptops, desktops, games, and more.
What to Look for in an Electronic Toy for Kids
Safety
The biggest feature set to look for when buying electronic toys for kids has to do with safety. Headphones should have volume limiters, tablets and computers should have great parental controls, fun toys like hoverboards should have the appropriate UL ratings, and so on. You should also take a look at our roundup of parental control routers to keep your entire network safe.
Built-in vs. replaceable batteries
When selecting an electronic gift for a kid, make sure to pay attention to what type of batteries it uses. If it’s an option, look for one that comes with a built-in, rechargeable battery so the child doesn’t have to ask an adult for new batteries all the time. Most toys use AA or coin cell batteries, while built-in batteries are lithium-ion.
Entertainment
Children don’t typically get excited when they hear about educational toys, but there are a ton of great electronic gifts that make learning fun. Look for toys, gadgets, and kits that promote creative thinking and motor skill development and help teach kids about the world in fun ways.
