This year's tech toy offerings have something for everyone, whether you're a toddler or an adult who remains young at heart. We're loving all the classic kids toys that have been given a new technical twist, like guns with soft rubber bullets that can connect to online game servers and shape-matching puzzles for the iPad. Tech is also getting some personality, thanks to interactive and intelligent robotics. Here are our favorite tech toys of 2013.
Tek Recon by Tech 4 Kids is turning the entire world into a video game. At its core, the Tek Recon is a powerful and fun action blaster gun, shooting soft rubber rings up to 80 feet. But the Tek Recon also incorporates a feature-filled smartphone app, capable of supporting massive multiplayer games with gameplay mimicking the popular video game Halo.
More: Tek Recon Turns Real Life Into an Action Packed Video Game(VIDEO)
Romo by Romotive helps bring your iPhone or iPod Touch to life, complete with a quirky personality and various interactive capabilities. Download the free app and plug your device into the Romo base station and you’ll have a new robot friend who is ready to play and learn. We got a chance to try the Romo robot at the 2013 Toy Fair and had a blast with this little robot that was full of personality.
More: Romo Turns Your iPhone into a Playful Robot With A Ton of Personality (VIDEO)
LEGO is bringing robotic toys to a new level with the new Mindstorms EV3, a robot building kit that is designed to appeal to both the beginning tooler and the advanced hacker. The new Mindstorms EV3 won’t be available until the second half of 2013, but we were able to check out some of the supported out-of-the-box designs at the 2013 International Toy Fair.
More: LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Makes it Easy to Build Advanced Robots (VIDEO)
The Furby family is growing even larger. Hasbro has unveiled Furby Party Rockers at the International Toy Fair 2013, a smaller Furby companion. Unlike the full-sized Furby, which grows and learns through interaction, each Party Rocker comes with its own unique personality which is ready to interact with both kids and other Furby toys.
More: Tiny Furby Party Rockers Join the Furry Furby Family (VIDEO)
Tiggly allows kids to explore the world of shapes by melding the digital world with physical components. Aimed at toddlers, Tiggly brings modern digital life into the classic children’s game of matching shape blocks with their corresponding slots. There is a drawing app, a safari app and a matching game that helps kids develop motor skills and encourages critical thinking.
More: Tiggly Helps Toddlers Explore the World Through Shapes