December 13, 2022

The Greatest New Smart Tech Gifts for Kids 2022

You probably know a kid who would love to receive a cool tech gift, but you might not know exactly where to start to make them happy. We’ve got more than 20 suggestions for the best tech gadgets and toys suitable for kids of all ages.

And what’s a great tech gift without the right internet? Fiber should be your choice for a smooth connection, reliable connectivity and a great holiday season.

Games, games, games

The ’90s are back in a big way, so why not give the kid in your life something you remember from your own childhood: an Original Tamagotchi. With dozens of colors and patterns to choose from, you’re sure to find one that suits.

If virtual reality (VR) seems more up their street, consider the Heromask VR headset. Suitable for kids ages 5–12, it includes fun games that teach math basics and also Spanish, French, Italian, German, English and Chinese. It’s really one of the best smart tech toys for youngsters you can get right now.

For older kids, the Meta Quest 2 VR headset is a serious upgrade. They can even use it to enter the Metaverse. If you want someone to be able to play “Minecraft” in VR, it’s the one to go with.

For some more hands-on fun, check out any of Osmo’s play-based learning games. They turn an iPad or Fire tablet into an interactive mixed-reality game. There are enough add-ons and reading, math and even coding games to be a gift they can pick up time and time again.

And, of course, it’s impossible not to mention the Nintendo Switch Lite. The best handheld games console, the Switch has dozens of games from “Mario Kart” to “Animal Crossing” that are suitable for kids of almost any age.

Tablets and smartwatches

The best tablet for kids is undoubtedly the Kindle Fire HD 8 Kids Pro. It comes bundled with a hard-wearing case and one year of Amazon Kids+, a subscription service crammed with kid-friendly games, books, movies and TV shows. It’s suitable for ages 6–12.

If your kid is a big reader, the Kindle Kids comes bundled with the same Kids+ subscription, so they can read on a more natural (and less distracting) screen. Perfect for the budding bookworm.

Smartwatches are a great smart device for kids who aren’t ready for their own smartphone. You could go with a great kid-focused option like the iTouch PlayZoom Smartwatch for Kids or the VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch, but to us, the Apple Watch SE is the best option. If you have an iPhone, you can control it using Apple’s Family Setup feature—and it allows your kid to stay in touch with you if needed when they’re not at home.

Cameras and speakers

For kids who are into photography, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 camera offers a great deal of fun—for them and the entire family. Its Polaroid-like instant photos look great, and they can liven up any family gathering.

If you want to gift a digital camera, both the VTech KidiZoom Creator Cam and PlayZoom Snapcam Duo are easy and fun to use with plenty of creative options for aspiring photographers and filmmakers.

If your child loves listening to music (or you just want to keep Peppa Pig a little quieter), then the Belkin SoundForm Mini is a great set of headphones designed for kids. With 30 hours of battery life and the volume limited to a child-friendly 85 decibels, it’s a perfect accompaniment to any adventure.

For more of a party vibe, check out the JBL JR Pop kids portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s waterproof, lights up and has five hours of battery life. Enough for any Disney singalong party.

Cool coding toys

Learning to code is not only educational, but with the right toy, super fun. Some of the best coding toys are:

All three will teach kids how to program a robot to move about, take action and otherwise do things in a simple way—providing coding experience they can build on as they get older.

A high-flying drone

Who doesn’t want to fly a drone? A lot of great ones are out there suitable for older kids. The Ryze Tello comes in three variants: the regular Tello, the code-able Tello EDU and, for the Marvel fan in your life, the Tello Iron Man Edition. All three have a camera, app and controller and plenty of safety features to stop them accidentally getting lost in the wind.

Ryze’s parent company, DJI, is the biggest name in drones. For kids who are really into flying, its entry-level model, the DJI Mini SE, can fly for longer and record much better video footage, but has a much higher price tag. It’s suitable for adults, but definitely can be enjoyed by teenagers.

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Product features and availability may have changed and are subject to change.