Educational iPad/Android app suite for toddlers

Product name: Baby Bus educational software suit (http://en.baby-bus.com/)

What is it?Baby bus is a suite of educational iPad/Android apps designed for children between the ages of 0-6 years. Most of the apps are very intuitive (developed by a 2,5 year old and his mother) and teaches your little one useful things like letters, shapes, names of fruits, vegetables and animals and numbers.

Why did it catch my attention?Anticipating a need to keep our then 11-month-old entertained during a 9 hour flight to California last summer, we were looking for apps that would work on his Android Pad, be intuitive enough for a boy of his age and captivating enough to keep him interested over time.

How old was my baby when I bought it?11 months old

What value does it add for us?It keeps him busy for longer than less interactive types of entertainment like movies while he learns something useful. It has triggered his interest in fruits and animals, and to some extent numbers. He actually (but unconsciously) also builds his “digital skills” while playing.

What does it replace?Books, movies, games, toys, walking up and down the aisle on a flight, train or bus…

How did my baby respond to it?He loved it from day 1. His absolute favorite so far is “baby learns fruits”, which at the basic level is a very simple but colorful game where the trick is to touch a twinkling fruit shape to make it move.

How much does it cost?It is actually free.

Can I see any drawbacks?Parents quickly get tired of the monotonous music and you might want to be careful not to let the Pad replace playing and human interaction too much.

Eco-friendly torch-toy!

Product name: Animal LED Ecotronic torch (http://www.mygreenerfamily.us/Ecotronic_Wind_Up_Farm_Animal_Torch_p/g32.htm)

What is it?An eco-friendly torch (shaped like a toy) that does not have a battery but uses the same principle as a bike dynamo to generate energy – you wind it up by squeezing it! It has a strap that makes it easy to hang on stroller hooks

Why did it catch my attention?For the same reason that it would catch children’s attention – it looks like a toy and it is fun to use! I came across it in an outdoor store on my street when I was looking for a small torch I could keep in the buggy to (a) make it easier to find things in pockets etc in the dark and (b) make other road-users aware of our existence on dark roads during autumn and winter

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was 4 months, but the need for this product is more related to the parents’ needs that the baby’s. I could also imagine this being a loved toy for older children (5-10 years old)

What value does it add for us?An example of when I was very glad to have it has been over the last 3 days since the light in out elevator has gone and we have literally been in the dark when trying to get up to our floor while avoiding an overloaded buggy to fall over!

What does it replace?Any torch that is handy to hang or store away in a buggy. It also complements, but does not entirely replace, buggy reflectors

How did my baby respond to it?He thinks it is a toy and loves the black & white pattern of the cow shape that I chose (it comes as bats, pandas, tigers, penguins, pigs, dogs, canaries and Father Christmas as well)

How much does it cost?Around £6 at Blacks

Can I see any drawbacks?You might get tired of winding it up before it illuminates and there is a 1:5 relation between winding time and illumination time that makes it hard work if you need to use the light for long periods of time

Sing, play & laugh with Gymbo the Clown

Product name: Gymboree and Gymbo the Clown (http://www.gymboreeclasses.com/)

What is it?Gymboree is a US-based franchise business that provides developmental play and music classes targeted at children from 0-5 years in 30 countries across the world. My son and I are currently following the Gymboree Play & Learn class for 0-6 month old babies close to where we live in West London

Why did it catch my attention?I love singing for my son and this looked like a pedagogical course that would be tailored to stimulating the development of his senses at each age

How old was my baby when I bought it?I first brought him along to a class when he was 5 weeks old, which was too early as he fell asleep half way through. We started attending regularly when he was 8-9 weeks, which is a much better age to start as the baby has energy enough to stay awake for longer periods

What value does it add for us?It is a nice thing to do together, the instructors are lovely and genuinely interested in children and I already think I can see how it has stimulated his interest in music as he sings along with the tunes in his own odd way. Gymbo the Clown (the official Gymboree mascot) is one of the most reliable toys when it comes to cheering up a grumpy little guy or making him laugh when needed, like during photo sessions as illustrated by the picture above

What does it replace?There are several different music classes in various price ranges available on the market – this is probably one of the priciest options. The substitute for Gymbo the Clown would be any toy or entertainment system designed for making babies laugh

How did my baby respond to it?The first time we went to a Gymboree class he fell asleep half way through, but since then he has started to enjoy it. The reason I bought Gymbo the Clown was that I noticed during one class how his whole face shone up when looking at his smiley face

How much does it cost?In the UK it is around £50 a month (4 classes)

Can I see any drawbacks?The price might put some parents off

Flexible reflector stickers for buggy safety on dark roads

Product name: Wagalum Buggy Reflectors (http://www.safetots.co.uk/)

What is it?A set of ten reflector stickers to help make your buggy visible in the dark

Why did it catch my attention?Having had a rather scary walk home on my un-lit street a dark evening in November, I realised that we needed reflectors to make car-drivers aware that there was a little vulnerable child crossing the street so that they paid more attention

How old was my baby when I bought it?3,5 months, but the need for this product is more dependent on season than the baby’s age

What value does it add for us?It helps make us visible to other street-users to increase our safety in the dark

What does it replace?There are several other reflector products on the market, but what caught my attention with these ones was the flexibility as they are stickers

How did my baby respond to it?He does not have a clue that they exist!

How much does it cost?£9,99 in the UK

Can I see any drawbacks?You need to think through where you place them on the buggy to maximize visibility and safety

Clever 'flex & slide' dummy holder

Product name: Tommee Tippee Winnie the Pooh Printed Soother Holders (www.tommeetippee.com)

What is it?A dummy holder with a very clever flex and slide connector and Velcro that makes it easy to attach the dummy to a baby carrier, a pram or baby’s or the mother’s clothes. I also use it to attach other things, like toys in the pram and on the ‘over-head-structure’ above his playmat

Why did it catch my attention?For the reason that dummies keep disappearing and dropping on dodgy floors

How old was my baby when I bought it?It was bought before he was born but is suitable from the moment you have the need to attach a dummy or other things somewhere

What value does it add for us?
It provides a smooth way of attaching all kinds of things in places you need them

What does it replace?There are a lot of different patents for dummy holders on the market, but I find this to be the smartest one. It also replaces using strings or cords to attach toys and other things in places where you need them to be

How did my baby respond to it?The only part of it he cares about are the pictures of Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore which keeps him entertained for example when we are out walking with him in the baby carrier

How much does it cost?£5 for two at Amazon UK

Can I see any drawbacks?
According to Tommee Tippee’s homepage it seems to have gone out of their product range to be replaced by something more techy but less pretty. When using the dummy holder it is important to make sure to attach it in a way so that the baby can’t accidentally strangle himself with the cord

Flexible outdoors outfit from Spöket Laban

Product name: Spöket Laban overall (http://www.spoketlaban.com/)

What is it? A fleece overall with double zippers on the front, a removable hood and two built-in reflectors

Why did it catch my attention? I went home to my son’s grandparents in Scandinavia and needed an outfit for him that would both be practical to take on and off and keep him warm in chilly autumn weather

How old was my baby when I bought it? 2,5 months

What value does it add for us? It saves time by being very quick to take on and off and it keeps him warm without being too thick and with the removable hood it can easily be adapted to different conditions. From a safety perspective I also love that this piece of clothes has built-in reflectors (which is of course more important for a child who can walk than for a very young baby). I find it so smooth to use that this was the piece of clothes I told the babysitter the other night to put on him in case there would be a fire alarm and they needed to get out from the appartment very quickly

What does it replace? The other overalls I have found in stores here seem more clumsy since they typically close with buttons or only one zipper

How did my baby respond to it? He seems to feel very comfortable in it, both in the baby carrier (with the hood on) and in the buggy (without the hood) and protests less than with other outdoor clothes when I take it on/off as it is a smoother experience for him

How much does it cost? SEK 400 on the Spöket Laban webstore

Can I see any drawbacks? It is not a drawback with the product itself, but in hindsight I would recommend buying one that is a few sizes too large for your baby to allow for a thick layer of clothes underneath (depends on season of course). The webstore is only available in Swedish, which must be a blocker for reaching international customers