Keep an eye on kids' toys
Eric Benderoff
Chicago Tribune
February 11, 2008
We live during a
fascinating time, with innovative and interesting
digital tools released practically every day.
That includes items for the youngest consumers, the ones
most important to us, but also the ones most tempted by
the cool factor. (OK, some dads are easily tempted too.)
So what should a parent be thinking about when it comes
to choosing a technology-based toy for the kids? Is
there a way to tell if something is good or bad?
This is not an easy question among the clutter of items
available, from video games to caring for a virtual pet,
but there are things to keep in mind:
Will that toy engage a child? Will he or she create
something? Or is it a game that repeats the same basic
skill over and over, such as shooting ducks in a pond?
We've been playing with one tech toy lately in my house
that is nothing short of a huge hit -- and for the right
reasons.
The EyeClops Bionic Eye was one of the hottest-selling
toys this holiday season, so many people are familiar
with the $50 item made by Jakks Pacific. But they may
not have realized what makes this an engaging and, don't
tell the kids, educational toy.
"Why do you like it?" I asked my 4-year-old son after we
spent the good part of a wintry afternoon playing with
the EyeClops.
"Because it's really gross," he said.
A couple of the neighborhood boys ended up at our house
that icky day, too, both 8 and both enthralled with the
EyeClops' amazing powers of magnification. We used it on
everything we could: the carpet, coins, comic books, a
table, skin, action figures, our hair and Dad's
favorite, the squash stain on his shirt from a recent
feeding of the baby.
Gross, indeed.
The EyeClops is ingenious and simple. It is a magnifying
tool that looks like a giant eyeball you plug into a
TV's video input. Then place it on something -- a chin
with weekend stubble was another favorite -- and watch
the kids squeal with joy and disgust as the object,
magnified by a factor of 200, appears on the TV.
That's all it does and it works with just about any TV,
even the old low-def set we used. Can you imagine a
stubbly chin on a 60-inch flat screen? Ewwwww!
The EyeClops gets raves from educators because it
encourages kids to explore the universe around them.
"And it's a catalyst for social skills," said Warren
Buckleitner, who has doctorate in educational psychology
and is the editor of the monthly Children's Technology
Review.
"The kid says, 'Hey look at this,' and everyone in the
room looks and says, 'Wow,'" he said. "The kid has his
hands on the device, and that is a very powerful feeling
for them. Every pixel on the screen is in the control of
the child, not Viacom."
A report released in January on the educational
potential of digital media from the Joan Ganz Cooney
Center at Sesame Workshop found there is too much
emphasis in putting a child alone in front of a computer
screen.
"We don't want kids to be locked into a screen
relationship," David Dockterman, a professor at Harvard
University's Graduate School of Education, said in the
report. "How can media help encourage kids to have
conversations with each other and adults?"
The EyeClops encourages social interaction.
"Kids learn so much more when they are working with
others, including their parents," Buckleitner said.
He noted that video games aren't bad for kids -- he's a
big fan of the Nintendo Wii -- but parents need to
provide guidance.
Buckleitner pointed to Webkinz, a popular social Web
site for tweens. Younger kids often want to play because
they see an older sibling having fun.
But "Webkinz can be horribly frustrating for a
5-year-old," he said. The site has multiple menus and
windows that are open at once. "It can be too
complicated for them."
Parents need to help.
"Sit down with your kids," Buckleitner advised parents
who are introducing children to video games. "You want
your kids to have a good feeling from the game.
"You wouldn't have a kid ride a two-wheel bicycle for
the first time and just let them go. They will fall.
It's the same thing.
"Be an electronic advocate for your kid," he added.
If that means taking a fresh look at an old stain,
consider that good parenting.
- - -
Tips for buying digital toys
* Look for toys that help kids create and learn. For
older kids, try a video camera.
* Easy to control, use. Younger kids get easily
frustrated.
* Kids learn more if the toy encourages socializing.
* Try things in small doses. If one video game seems
beneficial, try another.
* Trust your gut. If you think something has little
learning value, don't buy it.