In the New York Times, May 2, 2013, in the Gadgetwise column, “Baby Toys Get an App Extension,” author Warren Buckleitner reviews a new toy and gives a great idea on adaptation of what may already be in the house for baby:
As more of the very young reach for their parents’ smart phones, toy companies are responding with motion-sensing, app-infused toys like the Fisher-Price Apptivity Gym ($35, www.fisher-price.com).
Here’s how this particular toy works. After you download one of the free Apptivity apps and adjust the timer and music settings, you snap your phone or iPod Touch into a child-proof container attached to the plastic “gym” on which the child plays. If you search iTunes for “Apptivity” you can find several free apps, including B `n W High Contrast in which interesting animals peek from the sides of the screen with large faces. You can speed things along with any bump or a random touch of the screen.
The dirty little secret is that the free apps work perfectly well on their own, with no toy. In fact, a resourceful parent might attach an old iPod Touch onto the side of a playpen with Velcro. But Fisher-Price is banking on the idea that its toys extend the screen interface, and that the motion-sensing graphics make things more engaging. The Apptivity Gym doesn’t fit larger iPhone 5 devices, and it’s worth noting that when your device is removed, say, for a phone call, a low-tech mirror steps in.
The Apptivity Gym is $25.33 at Amazon. Click here to purchase.
Remember to search ITunes for the free apps under “Apptivity.”
This grandma’s mantra is that parents hate electronics and grandparents love them. Why? Because children love them. Even babies love them. Grandma’s joy is to bring joy to grandchildren. Calm baby is a DVD I found and used with my first grandchild nearly ten years ago. It is still great to quiet a fussy baby. Available at Amazon for $13.71, click here.
I graduated to YouTube and sesame songs to quiet and entertain babies, especially involving Elmo. Yes, technology is Grandma’s friend. And anything new, especially free apps for baby, is a
Joy,
Mema
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