When you have hyperactive kids, there are not many things that can keep them occupied for a long time. Besides smartphones and the Internet. Luckily, we found something that will interest them and with what they can play for hours. The name of this magical solution is – Stikbot by Zing. Your kids will still use their phones – but this time, that will be super fun!
Zing has come up with a great idea of combining a simple toy with the benefits of modern technology – and it’s a score! You can use Stikbots as a regular toy, or to create your own movie scenes. You’ll need Stikbot Studio app to do that, and it is available on Google Play and App Store, for every smartphone user.
Stikbots are colorful figurines, translucent or in solid color, made of plastic parts that move and turn. On the arms and legs, there are suction cups, which serve to stick the toy to almost every flat surface. I must say that the cups are quite stable, keeping in mind that these figures cost only a few dollars per single toy.
We got a #Stikbot Zanimation Studio Pets Set with two robotic figurines and a pet. Basically, this kit is something like a mini animation studio, containing a tripod which you’ll need for shooting. It also has a reversible green surface, which serves to recreate various scenes from the Stikbot Studio app.
The Stikbot set we got, offers a lot of fun in just $30 (those more expensive contain more parts), and I have to admit that I’m playing with the kids quite often. A suggestion to Zing – how about some girly details for Stikbots? I saw only ‘male’ figurines, with swords and other weapons, like in action figures.
On the market, you can also find Stikbot on sale, but also various sets containing different toys. I found multi-color figurines quite entertaining. We got two of them – non-transparent black-blue combination and translucent blue-red. Separately, you can buy stickers to dress your Stikbots or make them different facial expressions. I saw that Zing plans to launch a new, 3 feet tall Stikbot this summer!
Zing says that Stikbot figurines and sets are intended for kids 4+, but I think that it’s a better option for preschool and school children. Five-year-olds still don’t have enough patience and skills to make their own movies and get the most out of Stikbots. But kids 6 and up can ‘shine’ in their creativity. Also, I doubt that the youngest ones can understand the tutorials explaining how to make animations (which, by the way, are pretty good and detailed, if you can’t manage the app at first).
I know that most parents try so hard to ‘separate’ their kids of smartphones. Instead of wasting your nerves, encourage your toddlers to be creative. I truly believe that every kid would be thrilled to get one of the Stikbot thematic sets. With just a bit of imagination and using the app, they can create whatever they think of – from movie scenes to whole new and unique stories.