Have a Good Life

Show Notes
The power of experience for adults in teaching
- The holidays are rushing towards us
- Welcome to the Debby Downer holiday gift review!
- It may be a challenging shopping season
- Still significant post-pandemic supply chain issues
- What are the hot tech toys for 2021?
- Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet
- The latest and greatest kid-centric Amazon Fire gives kids more freedom to explore via a digital store where kids can request apps (pending parental approval). They can also make video and voice calls and play all their favorite age-appropriate games.
- Google Stadia
- Stadia is a blast. Let’s start there. Once you’re set up, having the ability to play anywhere you want, is pretty great. The games are fun, well-rendered, hook you quickly, and we had really good experiences in terms of resolution on our TV and frankly our Chrome browser too. The entire set up for Google Stadia is $99 — and that includes one month free access to games, with pricing $9.99 a month after that. This is a fun option for families (especially parents) particularly as a budget entertainment option at home — and a great treat for the holidays.
- Nintendo Switch
- Nearly every child (and many adults!) have the Nintendo Switch on their holiday list. This on-the-go-slash-household device is great for keeping kids entertained with family-friendly games and also makes for a fun family game night. It’s also one of the tech gifts you’ll want to keep for yourself.
- Osmo Math Wizard & the Magical Workshop
- Osmo Math Wizard & the Magical Workshop makes learning fun and interactive, providing a smart way to use screen time. While Osmo offers a range of programming for all ages, this one in particular caters to those six to eight, teaching addition and subtraction via hands-on play. In order to use it, an Osmo Base for iPad or Fire Tablet and an iPad or Fire Tablet are required.
- Play.date
- Handheld game console with a crank designed by a software company called Panic
- What are factors that parents should consider?
- Should you opt out of the shopping splurge altogether?
- Used or refurbished?
- Experiences instead of things? Family outings or trips?
- Subscription boxes?
- Remarkably few safety guides at this time of year
- Take the time research any toys that you are considering purchasing
- What types of connectivity does the toy have?
- What can your child do online with the toy?
- Who can they communicate with
- What data might be or is collected from your child?
- Check out our earlier podcast, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
“https://www.cybertraps.com/2021/09/21/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-childrens-online-privacy-protection-act-coppa-cybertraps–78/”
- Is your child ready for a more advanced tech toy or gadget?
- Pay attention to age ratings
- Err on the side of waiting
- How much screen time has your child had over the past year+? Is more a good idea?
- Have you discussed rules regarding the use of new toys or gadgets with your spouse? Are you ready to discuss those rules (and enforce) them with your child?
- Consider toys that are interactive, emphasize physical skills, and family interaction
- Tech gifts and gaming devices can certainly be a family activity, if you are actually interacting while you play
- There are no supply chain issues for your time and interaction with your child
- Resources
- #2021–11–07 How to Buy Nothing New This Holiday Gifting Season
“https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/07/opinion/culture/holiday-gift-shopping-secondhand.html”
- #2021–11–05 59 Best Gifts for Kids 2021
“https://www.rd.com/list/gifts-for-kids/”
- #2021–11–04 Here are the hottest toys of the 2021 holiday season, according to Amazon
“https://www.cbsnews.com/essentials/amazon-hottest-toys-holiday-season–2021/”
- #2021–11–03 PARENTS Names The Best Toys Of 2021
“https://finance.yahoo.com/news/parents-names-best-toys–2021–142600120.html”
- #2021–10–25 The Best Subscription Boxes for Kids
“https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-subscription-boxes-for-kids”
- #2021–10–20 The Ultimate Holiday Tech Gift Guide for Parents 2021
“https://www.gearbrain.com/high-tech-gifts-guide-parents–2493419810.html”
- #2021–10–15 The Hottest Tech Toys for Kids
“https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-hottest-tech-toys-for-kids”
- #2021–09–23 These Are the Hottest Toys for the Holidays, According to The Toy Insider
“https://tinybeans.com/toy-insider-hot-toys/”

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