When it comes to toys, it’s fair to say that things have changed quite a bit recently. Thirty years ago, you had dolls houses, and action figures. But these days, modern technology and the general growth of the economy mean that parents can be far more extravagant. Kids’ toys are almost otherworldly compared to what we all grew up with.
But which toys do I mean specifically? Glad you asked. Here’s a rundown of toys that kids can enjoy today but that simply wasn’t a thing thirty years ago.
Electric Skateboards
When we were growing up, we used to see kids on conventional manual skateboards. In fact, it was quite a popular pastime.
However, today, things have changed. While we don’t quite have hoverboards yet, parents can buy their kids electric skateboards that zip from A to B with hardly any effort required on their part.
Electric scooters are similar. These self propel using a button on the handlebars, making trips to the park easy.
Voice-Activated Toys
Can you imagine how much more fun you would have had growing up if you could talk to your toys when you were young? Well now, thanks to AI, that’s also a thing. Children can have full-blown conversations with Barney the dinosaur.
Voice activation is more than it seems because it gives kids a sense of agency. Many feel like they are really in control of their devices and can have full conversations with them. In fact, the trend is so strong that many parents are reminding their kids that their toys aren’t real and that they simply sound like people.
Flying Drones
Drones were available during the 1990s, but they had terrible batteries and didn’t fly. Instead, they crawled along the floor after being programmed for several minutes.
That, of course, has changed significantly with the development of the smartphone and lithium-ion battery. It’s not possible for a computer with a big camera to hover in the air for 30 minutes or more.
But taking amazing photos isn’t the end of the story. It turns out that there’s an interesting synergy between drones and VR. Kids are putting on their virtual reality headsets, connecting them to their drones via Bluetooth, and then flying them while watching the view from their devices. It’s like being on a rollercoaster but without the inertia.
Electric Kiddie Cars
Shops like Kidaroos are also providing parents with opportunities to buy their children self-powered electric kiddie cars. These are like old-fashioned dodgems, but they can go anywhere, any time, like a mobility scooter.
Don’t worry: these vehicles don’t have Tesla-like performance. The speeds kids can go are low. But they are a fun way to spend time in the park and they introduce children to the notion of driving, something that might be important as they get older.
Coding Robots
What about educational toys? Have they changed?
Well, the answer is “yes.” These days, coding robots are the hottest trend. These programmable machines introduce kids to the idea that they can control the movement of these machines and get them to do what they want them to do. LEGO and Sphero already have products on the market that do just that.
Compare that to thirty years ago when robots only existed in car factories. The idea that you can now give your kids robot toys that respond to their computerized inputs is incredible.
3D Printing Pens
But what about 3D printing, a technology that became a craze ten years ago? Well, it turns out you can get a toy form of that, too.
These come in the form of 3D pens. No, they’re not quite the same as a conventional 3D printer. But they are fun because they allow kids to sculpt toys in the air from plastic filaments with a three-dimensional structure.
The best way to think of it is drawing in the air instead of on a sheet of paper. Many children describe it as being a magic wand, allowing them to explore their unfettered creative genius.
VR Video Games
Finally, VR video games are perhaps the most futuristic kids’ toys, first imagined in the 1990s. Children these days can put on a pair of goggles, hook themselves up to a console, and play games in a fully immersive environment.
VR video games are expensive. But as most parents now know, the prices are coming down, and there are more options than ever before. Numerous platforms now support virtual reality, with conventional controllers also an option.
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