Digital Dad

Lego Lights

Some cool LED lights for your Lego creations (via BoingBoing). I wonder if we can get these into Bionicles?

More Kids and Money

 
I've written about Kids and Money before, and in response an astute reader sent in this item about a new piggy bank for kids:

Moonjar Classic Moneybox

Just like all classics, this durable retro-tin Moonjar Moneybox is timeless and inspires spending, saving and sharing for a lifetime! Comes with a family guide, passbook to track transactions and three moneyboxes. Each moneybox is fitted with a color-coordinated acrylic lid.

I like it because it's simple, cool looking and reinforces sharing. Buy it here.

My Hanukkah Gifts

It's been a busy time - guests through Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, plus work keeps cranking up.

Rather than go through my Digital Dad Holiday Gift Guide I thought I would just rattle off some of the stuff my family gave to me. Might be some good ideas in there for you for Christmas.

• Guitar Hero III - I'm a guitarist and was keen to get in on this. Quite fun and I got the hang of it quickly. The lyrics are what gives it a T rating, unfortunately.
• The Bronx Is Burning on DVD - an ESPN mini-series about the '77 Yankees. John Turturro is excellent.
• The Naked and the Dead by Norman  Mailer - a heavy duty paperback for long business trips.
• Born To Run - The Unseen Photos - a great coffee table book filled with out takes of the Born to Run photo sessions and lyrics from the definitive Springsteen album.
• I also bought my wife a Zune - 8Gb, Pink with a custom inscription on the back.

Toy Safety Is No Laughing Matter

Serious stuff, but using a funny viral video to get the message out.

NotinMyCart.org

As they quote:

• This year, more than 25 million toys have been recalled, many for dangerous lead paint.
• 80% of toys are made in China.
• The agency responsible for the safety of more than 15,000 products has only 15 inspectors at ports nationwide.
• The FDA inspects only about 1% of imported food.

Scary.

Beware of Barbie

Funny post over at Engadget on the new Barbie Fashion Fever, where kids are encouraged to spend endlessly with their credit card.

I have two daughters, one three year old and one about to turn six. They love their dolls (American Dolls are pretty cool) but like everything, there needs to be a balance. I am excited that my six year old is starting to play with Snap Circuits!

Teaching kids about money is important - how to be responsible about it, how to get it (work!), and what it means to not have it. My kids have been playing with a cash register for years - we put in a bunch of laminated bills and plastic coins (and a few coins from my trips abroad).

Much better than plastic. 

At the playground

We spent Sunday at a new park and playground with a good packed lunch (Whole Foods!). The kids had a great time and I am amazed at how long my 2.5 year old is content to just swing on that swing.

However, I witnessed something that really "grinds my gears." More than a few folks were checking their Blackberries and phones when they were there. What is up with that? If you're taking the time to be with your kids, and it's the weekend, how about putting away the gadgets? I left my phone in the car - no issues.

Really, just tune out and tune in to what matters.

Now That's Irony

We are still waiting for our power to come on five days after it went dark here in Bellevue. Everyone is safe but it's been an adventure,  a learning experience, and frankly just a pain in the behind.

One learning experience for my son was the concept of irony. Hanukkah started a day early for us on Thursday, as my Dad was in town. He had been waiting for the Lego Star Wars XBox game for months and had played the demo to the point of mastery.

As we opened presents he quickly found the game and opened it up. He played it for about thirty minutes with me and then the power went out.

Fortunately, he has been busy since then with Snap Circuits and a few books.

And now he knows what irony is!

Digital Dad Gifts for 2006

We're actually making reasonable progress on our Hannukah list this year. I spent a good part of the day with my two year old picking up some items for the rest of the family. Here is what is on my shopping list/wish list this year (and a few I am avoiding):

• Snap Circuits - basically a big breadboard with easy to connect electric circuit experiments. Cool!
• Money Jar Bank - simple jar that counts the coins as you put them in. There's also an ATM version but that seems unnecessarily complicated.
• Lego Star Wars II for XBox 360 - my son is completely infatuated with this. We downloaded the demo and it rocks.
• XBox Live Vision camera and XBox HD DVD drive - one for easy video chats with Grandpa and the other to watch HD movies (when do I have time to do that?). HD DVD drive is only $189 at Costco as of today.
• Soundbridge Radio - not sure if they even make this anymore but I need something like it for my bedroom or to take around the house (or patio).
• Roomba Dirt Dog - heavy duty!
• Nokia HF 6W car kit - simple Bluetooth speaker phone for your car. You just plug it into your cig lighter.
• Zune. 'Nuff said.

. . . and some gifts I will avoid:

• Marshmallow gun - It combines three great themes for kids - shooting, choking and candy. Nice.
• Computer-less email printer - really don't know where to start here.
• Push-free skateboard - the description says it all: "Unlike typical skateboards that require periodic pushing, . . ." how freakin' lazy are you?
• Anything involving Bratz.

Toddler Tech Toys

Here's a good post on how toddlers dig computer equipment. My 1 year old is very happy with her wireless keyboard.

Kickin' it old school

We went on vacation back east this summer just around my youngest daughter's first birthday (for those keeping score at home that's a six year-old boy, a three year-old girl and a one year-old girl).

One of the toys at the party was a Merlin. I remember this thing from the 70's - a mobile phone like object that played a sequence of tones in certain spaces, which you needed to remember and input in the right order.

The new Merlin is just like the old one - clunky pastics, goofy electronic voice, etc.

Cool!

But why hasn't anyone written this game for my mobile phone?