We dropped off our dog to be boarded while we’re on vacation and my daughter was in tears. Â It’s traumatic. Â She needed something to distract her, and I remembered that I needed to review a toy. Â “Hey, baby, want to review a toy?” Â “Sniff, sniff, o-kay. Â What is it?” Â I said, “it’s a ball”. Â Then she saw it. Â It lit up and it moved. Â And it was a ball. Â She grabbed the iPad and then it was…
Wow!
Oh! Â
Wow! Â
Oh my goodness!
Giggles. Â
More giggles. Â
I’ll always remember the Barney song about how the best toy, ever, is a ball. Â You can have so much fun with a ball! Â It is open-ended play – you can play for hours. Â You can play by yourself or with others. Â Well the people at Sphero have taken that and run with it *smile*. Â This is the coolest ball you’ll ever see. Â Recommended for kids 8 years old and above, you control the movements (not just rolling along, but turning, flipping, and changing a rainbow of colors) with a smartphone or tablet.
Naming our Sphero. Perfect to engage and personalize!
Sphero is tough! Â One of the things my daughter noticed right away was that it is dog proof. Â We can’t wait for Maggie to see it, this is going to be fun. Â I’d imagine it would be crazy fun with a cat. Â Another thing Rosie was excited about, her eyes literally lit up, was that Sphero is waterproof. Â We can’t wait to get it in the pool!
Fun graphics
How does it work? Â Easy-peasey! Â It takes about 3 hours to fully charge when you first open the box. Â You download an app (there are over 30 different ones), pair it, and go. Â Pairing is very easy, similar to how you pair a wireless speaker or other bluetooth device.
We didn’t get into programming, but I read a bit about how the Sphero SPRK (Schools, Parents, Robots, Kids pronounced Spark) program is helping kids understand the basics of programming, robotics and math.  Teachers are not stopping at math, science, and programing, they’re also using Sphero as a tool to engage kids’ imagination in areas like critical thinking and storytelling. In Sphero, they have a connected toy that can grow with a child.  If you want to read about and learn more, visit GoSphero.com/Education for information.
We are going to be using Sphero as a way to stave off “Summer Brain Drain”.  I also haven’t tried this but Sphero can be picked up and used as a 3D mouse. Hold Sphero in your hand to control on-screen games like Nyan Cat Space Party or Exile.  My daughter did love playing with it in her hand.
What’s in the box? Â Each Sphero comes with a Quick Start guide, two ramps, a charging base, and information on how to download dozens of apps on iTunes and Google Play. Â Sphero is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
You can find Sphero at GoSphero.com for $129.99, but there is a deal now, through June 15th (think Father’s Day!) -Â a $99 Sphero 2.0 special.
Connect with Sphero here:
Oh my gosh I can see why this would be a lot of fun– I thought to myself educational?? ok– well after reading a little more I think this is great for any person not just kids– lol my husband is one of the BIG KIDS for sure he would have a great time with this because its so much more — thanks I am going to be looking for this. :-)