The New Rechargeable VTech Kidizoom® Smartwatch is Built for Much More Than Telling Time!

The VTech product, gift card, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by VTech.  All opinions expressed are my own.

It’s camera time! With the exciting interactive Kidizoom Smartwatch, kids can capture photos, add photo effects, record videos, and play built-in games for learning fun on the go. Complete with an easy-to-use 1.4” color touch screen, as well as more than 50 digital and analog clock displays, the multi-functional Kidizoom Smartwatch is perfect for kids learning to tell time. It also boasts a rechargeable battery, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch, voice recorder with funny voice changing effects, and parental game controls.

Kidizoom® Smartwatch features include:

• 1.4 inch color touch screen
• Camera for taking photos and recording videos
• Voice recorder with 5 voice changing effects
• Special effects including customized photo frames, color filters and distortion effects; fun video frames
• 4 fun games, included
• Kid-durable design to withstand drops and bumps
• Splash proof and sweat proof
• Alarm clock with fun tones and animation
• Timer and stopwatch in kid-friendly themes
• 50+ digital and traditional analog displays
• Rechargeable battery
• 4 vibrant colors: blue, pink, white and green
• Micro USB cable for data transfer and battery recharging
• Access to Learning Lodge app store to download more games and watch displays
• Recommended for ages 4 years and up
• MSRP: $59.99

We were sent a VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch to try out and we were instantly impressed. It’s made of high-quality rubber and plastic that is sure to stand up to use by any kid. It is very well laid out so it’s easy to use but still has many great features, and it’s small enough to fit even my tiny 7 ½ year old’s wrist. In addition to the touch screen, it has only 2 buttons so that even younger kids can navigate it easily. The choice between watch displays is a nice touch and Quinn has loved personalizing his clock daily. We also really like the camera feature plus the filters and frames you can use. The included four games are fun and engaging, though a little simple for Quinn. He still likes playing them though.

Quinn loves his unique Kidizoom Smartwatch. It’s great for the car, shopping, restaurants, or anywhere else. It’s small and simple and is no problem to wear around wherever kids like to go. I love that it is rechargeable too, so there’s no wasting of batteries. We love this watch and are happy to have it.


More about the VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch . . .


You can learn more about VTech on their website, VTechKids.com. You can also follow them on Twitter and on Facebook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

What Improvements the VTech® InnoTab 3 Learning App Tablet Offers Over Similar Tablets

Thank you to VTech for providing a complimentary InnoTab 3 product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize. All opinions expressed are my own.

We are always looking for new tools to help make learning fun in our home. I think we have owned just about every electronic gizmo in our pursuit. Although most have helped to some degree or another, none have been a single solution.

Recently we received a device that has gotten us a bit closer to our goal, the VTech InnoTab 3. The InnoTab 3 is a tablet/reader designed especially for kids. We have some competing products already, so I was curious to see what the InnoTab 3 could offer us that was an improvement.

The InnoTab 3 is good-looking and solidly built. Although I haven't tested this yet, it seems like it could survive some kid-height drops without issue.

The screen on the InnoTab 3 is bright and a bit larger than the competing tablets we have owned. The resolution is comparative to other models I have seen and certainly within my expectations for a tablet in this category. I should state that tablets made for kids simply do not have the same screen quality that regular tablets have, and that’s okay. This is the reason why a kid’s tablet is typically under $100 after all. The InnoTab 3 has a tilt sensor, something its full grown cousins have and is a nice touch. A tilt sensor opens up a whole new dimension for interactivity.

I will cut to the chase and state that the InnoTab 3 does not break the mold as far as tablets especially designed for kids are concerned, but it does raise the bar a bit. It is a little bit better in just about every way but does not add any new groundbreaking features. All the books, games, drawing apps, and more that I expect to find in a kid-friendly tablet are there, and are done pretty well.

I like the fact that the attached camera rotates to become forward or rear-facing, it is a nice touch. The image quality, however, is much the same as all the other devices in this category that I have tried. To get a good picture, the cameras require a very bright room. With digital camera technology so common and basic these days, I am surprised we don’t see better cameras in these units.

The main menu is loaded with options right out of the box. I like the fact that there is plenty to do without adding anything to the device. There are 16 apps included. As always, if you want more, it is easy to plug the unit into your PC and install more apps via The Learning Lodge on Vtech’s website. The InnoTab 3 also accepts cartridges, so your ability to add content is fairly extensive, keeping the tablet interesting to your child indefinitely.

The biggest improvement in my opinion that the InnoTab 3 has over the competing tablets I have tried, is the touch screen's sensitivity. The InnoTab 3’s touch was responsive and has a decent accuracy to it, a large difference between the others I have tried. I can say from personal experience that your child will lose interest quickly if the touch is not accurate and responsive.

The biggest difference with the InnoTab 3 is the price, $69.99. The fact that Vtech was able to improve to one degree or another every aspect of a kid's tablet while also keeping the price extremely reasonable is the real story here. Is the Vtech InnoTab 3 the greatest thing to ever happen to kids electronics? Nope . . . but it’s very good, improves upon its peers in most areas, and is an exceptional price. I recommend the InnoTab 3 heartily to anybody who isn't ready to buy their kids a full-priced adult tablet yet.

You can purchase the VTech InnoTab 3 on VTechKids.com, Amazon.com, and most places where VTech toys are sold.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Nerf Infrared Night Vision Goggles and Camcorder (Review and Video)

Most kids, mine included, love night vision goggles, so the Nerf Infrared Night Vision Goggles and Camcorder is right up their alley. These super cool Nerf Goggles work both in the dark and light and let you see up to 10 feet in front of you, even when others can’t see. They also take video so you can capture your adventures on camera. Because they are goggles, they are even hands free so you can spy easily.


These goggles really do work very well. They are fun and not like anything my kids have ever owned before. They absolutely love stalking around in the dark and seeing things that regular eyes can’t. The camera takes good videos as well, which they think is fun. I was pleasantly surprised by them, I have to admit. I figured they would work, just not well, but they far exceeded my expectations. Like all Nerf products, they are made for kids and will hold up well over time, which is always a plus. I don’t think there’s any kid that I know who wouldn’t love these goggles.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

You can purchase the Nerf Infrared Night Vision Goggles on Amazon.com for $72.99 with free shipping.


Thank you to Nerf for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions are my own.

Award-Winning Aerial7 "Arcade" Children's Headphones Have Automatic Volume Reduction

In addition to earning the 2012 PTPA (Parent Tested, Parent Approved) Winner's Seal of Approval, Arcade headphones by Aerial7 are fun, stylish, and uniquely perfect for children. Made from durable materials and designed to keep fragile ears safe from high volumes, these headphones are sure to delight any child while keeping parents comforted in knowing their child can never have them turned up too loudly. Designed especially with children in mind, they have an adjustable, child-friendly headband and super comfy ear cushions to keep kids bopping away to their music for as long as they want.

My 10 year old son, Avery, got these headphones in the PAKMAN theme to use with his iPod and while doing things on the computer. He loved the look of them and boasted that no one would have headphones like his. He also agreed that they are very comfortable, a fact he likes very much. The sound on them is great as well, and gets loud enough to be heard in loud places, but not too loud to harm him.  Overall, these headphones are fun, trendy, cozy and we think they’re great.

You can purchase these Aerial7 products on their website, www.aerial7.com, as well as on Amazon.com and specialty music stores nationwide. These Arcade headphones retail for $35.


Thank you to Aerial7 for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Voice Rockrz Voice Altering Mic from First Act Discovery

My children are naturally . . . loud.  They enjoy being loud and seem to live for it.  They also love playing with musical instruments and pretending to be rock stars, so I knew the new Voice Rockrz Mic from First Act Discovery would be a musical toy that they would have lots of fun with.  In fact, I assumed that our oldest, our 7.5 year old son, who made an electric guitar video last fall, would have no problems rocking out with this toy microphone on video.  Well, he reluctantly agreed and then got stage fright, so I had to recruit our 4.5 year old daughter.  I played with our Voice Rockrz Mic and had a lot of fun belting out some of my favorite songs.  I would have done the video if there had been another adult around to tape it for me.

We received the Voice Rockrz Mic in blue, but it is also available in pink.  The blue set comes with the mic plus a skull bracelet (or a zipper bracelet) and a skull ring.  The pink set comes with a pink mic plus a skull bracelet and a flower ring.

At first, I was worried that our preschool-aged daughter would not be able to use the various functions, but she had no problems at all once I gave her a mini lesson:

• Press the "ON/OFF" button to turn the mic on and off.
• Press the "FX" button to hear a drumroll.  Then press it again to hear a crowd cheering.  This button simply alternates between these two sounds.
• Press the "MIC" button to reset the microphone back to just an amplifier.  You can use this button to clear out any voice changing effects before you choose another one.
• Tap the ring to the target on the back of the microphone to turn on the "HI-NOTE Effect", which changes your voice into a high pitched one.
• Tap the bracelet to the target on the back of the microphone to turn on the "ECHO-TASTIC Effect", which causes your voice to echo like you were on stage.
• Tap one Voice Rockrz jewelry item onto the target on the back of the microphone and then tap the other jewelry item to turn on the "ROBOT-RIFFIC Effect", which gives your voice a motorized robotic sound.

You can also plug an MP3 player into the mic so your child can sing along to songs by their favorite artists.  Unfortunately, the only MP3 player we had in the house was misplaced about a month ago, so we were not able to test out this feature.

Here is our daughter's singing debut video . . . 

She is singing "I Love Rock N Roll" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.  You will need to turn the volume on your computer all the way up.  Her voice was so tiny that the microphone only picked it up here and there (hence the subtitles).





The second I was done recording footage for the video, our oldest son ran around the house with the mic singing for a good hour or so.  All 3 children had a blast with it once they knew they did not have an audience.  I have to admit that both my husband and I had fun playing with this Voice Rockrz microphone, as well.  It makes my voice sound much less out of tune than it really is!

To learn more about this product, visit VoiceRockrz.com and Voice Rockrz on Facebook.  You can find this microphone, which retails for approximately $24.99,  at most major toy retailers, such as Amazon.com, Toys'R'Us, Target, Walmart, and more.

Thank you to First Act Discovery for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a Voice Rockrz Mic in Pink or Blue (Color choice is subject to availability).

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me what your favorite song is to sing out loud. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 10 extra entries, subscribe to the First Act Discovery Newsletter (bottom of left sidebar). Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did.

4)  For 1 extra entry, "Like" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here with the link to your Facebook profile.

5)  For 1 extra entry each, follow Voice Rockrz on Twitter and/or "Like" Voice Rockrz on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


6)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, September 12th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Back To School 2011: Hello Kitty Table Lamp by Sparkle Bee

Our 4.5 year old daughter is a huge fan of Hello Kitty!  She has everything from a Hello Kitty jacket to a Hello Kitty handbag.  One thing she did not have was a Hello Kitty lamp.  Well, Sparkle Bee from Marino Adriani, a popular brand of children's and teen's electronics, happened to announce that Hello Kitty and Paul Frank will be the focus of their product line for Fall 2011.

Although this lamp would have been perfect on my daughter's desk, it was more needed on her nightstand.  Her previous lamp was battery-operated, a result of my trying to eliminate the hazards of electrical cords when she was younger, was no longer necessary.  She was more than ready to upgrade to a big girl's lamp.

It is very apparent that this Hello Kitty Lamp is well-made and sturdy.  This lamp will not likely be accidentally knocked over by our children.  The pull-chain is actually only there for aesthetic reasons.  The lamp turns on and off with the push of a button, which is much more user-friendly for a child.

This lamp can take up to a 60 watt standard light bulb, but can also be used with compact fluorescent bulbs.  The lampshade is lovely when lit up and gives off a warm light.  I also love that the lamp bears a chrome Hello Kitty insignia on the front, which adds to the perceived value of this lamp, should you be considering it for a gift.

Sparkle Bee offers many other children's electronics products, such as clock radios, telephones, boomboxes, and more.  Visit SparkleBee.com and Sparkle Bee on Facebook to view their latest products.


Thank you to Sparkle Bee for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Back to School 2011: SpongeBob Alarm Clock Radio

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a Silly Monkey Story about our 7 year old son and his new SpongeBob Alarm Clock Radio from Sakar International.  He actually received this clock radio about a month ago to review.  I thought it was perfect timing because he really needs to start using an alarm clock to wake him up on school days.

Like with any electronics item, our son feels like such a big boy to own one.  He is a huge SpongeBob fan and this is quite a novel alarm clock.  The fact that the top of SpongeBob's head is the snooze button will make this clock a hit with any fan.  It pops up when the alarm goes off and can easily be pushed down again to activate the snooze function.

This alarm clock is very much designed for a child.  The body of the clock is soft on its top and 4 sides.  There is no tuner dial for the radio, but rather just a scan button.  Most of the buttons are on the top of the clock radio and very few are on the sides.  Our son is very tech-literate, but even if your child is not, this clock is very user-friendly.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Our son's thoughts about this SpongeBob Clock Radio . . . 

"I like it because I wanted an alarm clock that has a radio.  It's cool that it has a bunch of ways to wake you up.  Another reason why I like it is because it's squishy and, if it falls down, it won't get hurt.  I like the snooze button because it stands out in the middle of the alarm clock.  I like it because it shows the top half of his head and I like his eyelashes."

As a parent, I think this would make a good first clock radio for a child.  It even has iPod connectivity for slightly older children, college students, and adults.  There are a few different alarm choices, such as Seagulls, Foghorns, and more.  Personally, I prefer using the radio for the alarm because it is less "alarming" and repetitive.

You can find this SpongeBob Clock Radio at major retailers of Nickelodeon products, such as Toys "R" Us and Amazon.com.

Thank you to Sakar International for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

A portion of this review was written by:

Holiday 2010 Review: Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Recorder

One thing our nearly 7 year old son has been anticipating for many months is the release of the LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Recorder attachment. This little gadget plugs into the bottom of your existing Leapster Explorer and enables the device to be used as a digital camera for kids. For just $24.99, this attachment not only turns the Leapster Explorer into a camera, but it also can record video, as well.

From what I have experienced in the past with children's digital cameras, my expectations about the photo quality produced by this product were not high. Although I do think that this camera would work best outdoors or with very bright indoor lighting, I was pleasantly surprised by both the photo and video quality. You can see a brief demonstration in the video below . . .

The ability to take photos and record videos is only part of this gadget's appeal. The software that accompanies it is all self-contained. Your child can draw with the Leapster Explorer pen right on the touch screen to add elements to photos. Other special effects capabilities are stretching and stamping on photos, as well as adding themes and turning someone from a photo into a character within learning games.

With the attachment, the Leapster Explorer can hold up to 1000 photos. Our photos and video were taken with moderate indoor lighting. I found that the photo quality produced was much more clear and less grainy than the other children's digital cameras we have owned in the past. The video camera function does not seem to keep up well with quick movement, but other than that, I was pretty happy with the video quality for a children's toy.

If you are gifting a Leapster Explorer to a child this holiday or your child already owns one, then I highly recommend that you consider adding this camera attachment to his or her gifts. It significantly added to the value and the enjoyment of the Leapster Explorer for my son. We have owned other children's digital cameras that have disappointed both him and myself in the past. They ended up sitting collecting dust. That will not be the case with the Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Recorder.

To learn more about this product, visit Shop.LeapFrog.com, where you can purchase this and other LeapFrog products. You can also find this item on Amazon.com, where it is eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping.

Thank you to LeapFrog for providing us with a complimentary product sample to base this review upon.

Giveaway & Review: New VTech Kids V.Reader (Exclusively at Target) [CLOSED]

My 6 year old son is a proficient reader and I hope that his 3 year old siblings will follow in his footsteps. They do not seem to have the thirst for reading as their big brother did when he was their age. That is why I want to take advantage of whatever tools are available to me . . . whether it is classic nursery rhymes or the latest in kid technology.

The new Vtech V.Reader, which is an animated e-Reading System for children ages 3 to 7, would fall into the latter category. It was released on June 21st, 2010 exclusively in Target stores and on Target.com for $59.99. They will not be available at other retailers until August. My oldest was delighted to find out we would be receiving one to test and to report about back to our readers.

The V.Reader Reading System allows your child to listen to a story, while the pictures come to life, or to play reading games. The V.Reader comes with one cartridge to get you started. Additional cartridges retail for $19.99. You will also have the ability to download additional stories to your child's V.Reader. This feature will be coming soon and, from what I understand, some of the stories will be free to download.

What comes in the box?

• The V.Reader (which comes in blue or pink)
• One story game cartridge
• USB cable
• A cleaning cloth for the touch screen

This system requires 4 AA batteries, which are not included in the box. Although I cannot find the information about the V.Reader's storage capacity, I do know that you can expand its memory with an SD card.

The V.Reader is about the size of a standard children's book. The screen is about 3-3/4"x2-1/8" not including the touch pad. This is plenty of room to show the full-color animation as well as an easy-to-read font for each story.

The unit is fairly lightweight, which I am pleased about. It only measures just slightly over an inch thick with the cover shut, so your child can hold it to read without his or her arms getting tired so easily.

The design of the V.Reader is very well thought out. When the cover is closed, only the speaker and the page turning arrows are exposed. This helps to protect the touch screen when it is not in use. I love that the volume button is right on the front right of the unit. It is out of the way for when a child is holding the unit with his or her hands, but is easily accessible. I also love that there is a "bookmark" button to keep your child's place in a story, should he or she need to take a break. Like with many other computer or electronic learning games, you can track your child's progress online and print reward certificates to give them a pat on the back.

Although the stylus is self-storing, I was a little concerned that it was not attached. It is unlikely that my 6 year old would lose it, but the odds are pretty high that it would go missing in the hands of our 3 year old twins.

One thing that would make the V.Reader a better value is if it could hold more than one child's information at a time. Currently, it will remember one child's name and avatar.

Although our son just graduated from kindergarten, he actually reads on a 1st grade level or higher. As a result, he is on the edge of being too advanced for this toy. In the story and game cartridge "Shrek's Vacation" for ages 5 to 7, one of the activities is to learn about adverbs. Now I know my son is not an expert on the parts of speech, but I have introduced them to him in the past. He told me flat out that the games were too easy for him. This particular game did not have different difficulty levels, but the "What's That Noise" cartridge, which came in the box, did have three levels to choose from. I am hoping that most of the future titles will have this feature.

Our 3 year old twins are actually just below the starting level for this toy. They are just trying to master learning the alphabet and have only touched upon any phonics. They enjoy the story portion of the V.Reader, but are not yet able to play the games.

Currently, you can purchase the VTech V.Reader at your local Target store or on Target.com . This item actually qualifies for their free shipping promotion at the moment. In August, you will be able to find the V.Reader at most major retailers of VTech toys. You can also look forward to 11 different titles for game cartridges and over 100 ebooks to download coming soon.

Thank you to VTech for sending us a sample V.Reader free of charge to base this review upon.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a VTech V.Reader (a $59.99 value).

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me where your child would most likely use this portable animated V.Reader system this summer. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND VteckKids.com/V.Reader/ . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow VTechToys on Twitter and/or "Like" VTech Toys on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!