Virtual Reality Toy for Kids – My pick

Every holiday season parents try to figure out the hot toys for the holidays. And what toys their kids will really use and enjoy in the coming year, and which toys will fall by the wayside. And that is one reason I’m so excited to tell you about the first toy that will be featured in our holiday Gift Guide this year. It can be experienced in so many ways, and every time your child plays with it – they can learn new things. It’s truly fabulous!

The Utopia 360° 4D+ Augmented and Virtual Reality bundles are unlike any toy your child will have had! And best of all? They will not cost you an arm and a leg!

Here are the details…

Our family tried out the Utopia 360° 4D+ Augmented and Virtual Reality bundles in all 3 subject areas, and enjoyed them all thoroughly! You can see a screen shot below of an elephant from “Animal Zoo.” If I put the correct food card next to him, he’ll eat! I can spin him around 36o degrees, and he will move! Here he is chillin in my kitchen! Kids can hold the animals in the palm of their hand just by placing the flashcard there.

Each bundle has special features that can be watched using the VR headset or just using your smartphone. For instance “Space Exploration” allows kids to control space rovers. My daughter loved discovering new features. Facts would pop up when she looked at her “Dinosaur Experience” cards! And she got to feel what standing next to a dinosaur would have been like when she used her headset on the same set!

What Subjects are Available?

• Animal Zoo (multilingual): Learn the alphabet, animal names, sounds and spelling. Features an interaction mode, allowing you to match food cards with the animals to feed them. This is the way to go for younger kids. Recommended for ages 5+
• Space Exploration: Explore planets, space objects and historic missions. Includes a virtual 360° tour of the International Space Station, solar system and the ability to drive rovers with on-screen controls. Recommended for ages 7+. This one was my daughters favorite bundle!
• Dinosaur Experience: Bring the extinct dinosaurs back to life while learning about the origins and size of each creature, seeing their skeletons and using the drive-mode to navigate. Includes a virtual 360° tour of prehistoric times. Incredible graphics! Recommended for ages 7+

Here is a short video of my daughter trying out the VR headset for the first time…

What makes this a hot toy for the Holiday Season?

These STEM-based learning products for kids 5+ make learning a fun – and totally interactive experience. They are a great way to get kids excited about learning.

Utopia 360° 4D+ Augmented and Virtual Reality bundles are fun, innovative and provide a sensory experience that makes learning about each theme a thrilling experience. Each themed bundle (Animal Zoo, Space Exploration, and Dinosaur Experience) includes a VR headset and a deck of augmented reality flashcards that retail for approximately $39.99 per system. So unlike many other Virtual Reality products, these are priced incredibly reasonably. Allowing family’s to get all three if they like.

And once they try one, they are definitely going to want the others!

Bottom Line:

In my opinion, the best part of this concept is that kids can’t wait to have fun with the 4D, and they think of it as a game! But parents know it’s an educational tool as well. So you don’t feel bad about them playing with it. It also appeals to many different kinds of children. Whether the child has a visual, kinesthetic or auditory learning style – these bundles implement all three and more!

Where can you Buy it?

These 4D+ bundles are already in Barnes and Noble, but will be launching in Brookstone, Staples and Walmart in time for the holiday season. They are also available on www.utopia360vr.com.

Thanks to ReTrak and Utopia 360 for providing the product to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

About Shannon Schmid

Shannon traded in her sensible NYC TV producer shoes (they were best for taking the subway), for a pair of Texas Cowboy boots when she married her best friend! He's at fault for making this Yankee a Texan! Shannon writes about all things that make a house a home. Her chief blogging inspiration is being the proud & slightly neurotic mom of a preschool age daughter.

You can find Shannon on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and her new favorite place to hang out, Google+.