This Year’s Hottest Tech Toy: Sphero

That little guy is everywhere! Sphero, by Orbotix, is clearly the hottest tech toy for 2012 and the toy many will be looking to buy after the holidays should it not end up under your tree.

Websites, magazines and television shows are showcasing Sphero as THE tech toy this season.  That’s a lot of pressure for a little ball the size of an orange!  Essentially the Sphero is a toy that merges the fun and maneuvers of a remote-control car using a little ball and your smart phone instead.

I was excited to review this toy and it felt like it took forever for it to arrive – kind of like waiting to open a gift on Christmas morning ironically enough.  Set up was a breeze – it can’t get more simple than downloading an app and finding a home for the charger (or cradle as the Sphero site calls it).

The first thing you need to do, demonstrated in the video above with my 2 oldest (my toddler is the one giggling in the background), is test drive the Sphero and get a feel for how it rolls (“that’s how I roll…”) Sorry, couldn’t resist!  😉

Once you’ve got a feel for how to move it around objects, the possibilities really open up!  There are lots of free apps available right now in the iTunes store, to help you find even more ways to play with Sphero.  If you have a friend that has a Sphero (I’m waiting for after the holidays for this as I know there are a few under trees!), you can play tag!  How fun!  Another app that I wanted to try is Sharky The Beaver which makes your Sphero a virtual cupcake eating beaver (yes, really.)  I couldn’t download this one on my iPhone (it states the app may not be compatible with all devices and I guess this holds true) and have yet to try it on the iPad but it looks super fun.

The range is incredible – the Sphero can roll around our house, and because it’s pretty quiet, it can get into some sneaky situations surprising the kids in their bedroom or suddenly charging down the hallway at full speed when someone isn’t expecting it.  Oh the fun of carrying a load of laundry while the kids are playing with the Sphero.

While many have touted the Sphero as a high tech pet toy, I think they’re missing the point.  Sure, if you have a cat or dog the Sphero is likely to entertain the pet (and you) in the same way a laser pointer would.  But the Sphero wasn’t made for pets – it was made for humans to use, interact with, and learn ways to make the Sphero fun for them.

In our case, creating a maze of Lego that the Sphero then needs to navigate is a great activity for the kids that requires no additional app.  Having one sibling teach the other how to best move the Sphero around the house keeps the kids entertained and giggling.  And having a toddler screech when the Sphero chases her is far more entertaining than a cat any day.

The Sphero retails for $129.99 and you can find it at GoSphero.com as well as many other retailers across the US and Canada (SHOP.CA, Future Shop and Amazon.ca here in Canada).

One of my very lucky readers is going to win a Sphero ($129.99)!  To enter to win, just use the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway