Gadget of the Month

Gadgets that young kids can use are always great. I also think there is something to the theory that young children should not consistently be on screens. In the end, just playing some typeof game on a screen is not always great for a child's developement, and that is where Osmo comes in. Osmo allows children to play with REAL objects they can touch and feel digitally. You use a device with it more as a way to guide a child's experiance. It is not what they are truly playing with. All of their games are also beginning to teach children critical thinking skills like problem solving and organization which can be very difficult with young children.

     At the moment you can purchase 2 different Osmo kits, and what is really nice is that when you purchase them you have everything you need to get started. It's not like some companies would do where you have to purchase every piece seperatley. The two kits are the starter kit which includes the base, tanagram, and numbers for $80, and the genius kit (which is band new) that includes all of the starter kits pieces as well as numbers. I actually have the starter kit which I love, but I want the numbers kit as soon as I can get it.
     The Osmo right now is built for Ipad, and you can use any Ipad other than Ipad 1. I know Android is in their future plans, but it is a more complex issue with Anroid tablets having cameras in different places on the device. My Galaxy Tab is a perfect example as I have the bigger version that has a camera in the center of the table while it is in landscape mose, while the smaller Galaxy Tabs have cameras in the middle of the tablet when it is in portrait mode. It makes building a functioning stand and orienting the camera very difficult. The camera is so important because that is how the app is reading what is in front of the Ipad. The little red piece that goes on top is a reflecting mirror.