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SECTOR GUIDE ELECTRONIC LEARNING
TOMY
Mr Colour Maker teaches kids about colour using electronics so there is no messy paint involved. The interactive toy teaches kids about colours with lights, colours, three modes and 50 sayings. Mr Colour Maker comes with three primary colour pots in blue, red and yellow, which toddlers can hold over Mr Colour Maker and then watch it light up
WORLDS APART
Combining the strength of interactive mats and the Waybuloo licences, Worlds Apart is introducing the Waybuloo Mara Interactive Trail. The trail is a multitalented, battery-operated toy that improves children’s key developmental skills, including numbers and balance. The trail features four interactive audio activities, each with its own button symbolised by one of the Pipling characters, with each Pipling introducing their own game mode. The games get
JULY 2010
020 8722 7300
in the correct colour. The toy is available from June. The mix-a-colour function allows kids to combine and discover how different colours are made. Hold the colours over Mr Colour Maker and it shouts out the right colour. The toy can also be set to Sing the Rainbow mode. Tomy is supporting the product with a TV advertising campaign from September.
0800 389 8591
progressively harder, the further down the trail kids go. The sounds featured encourage kids to engage in different activities, and the trail grows with the child in terms of the gradual increased ability required. There is an auto shut-off after two minutes, plus a physical on/off switch. Worlds Apart will be supporting the Nara Interactive Trail with substantial TV advertising this summer and also in the key Christmas period.
RE:CREATION Chatman is an artificially intelligent PC friend designed to make online chat, web surfing and gaming more creative. Chatman is a moving and talking character with animated LED mouth. It has an intuitive understanding of language, context and mood. Load the software, connect Chatman to a USB port and open a new dimension of activity as Chatman tells you all about what he can do as a toy, online or at www.mychatman.com. It has a range of features: Tell Chatman something and it will tell you how it feels about it; Let Chatman join you in online chats, where it will give its point of view about the conversation; Chatman is compatible with all major IM platforms including Facebook, MSN, Yahoo and AOL. Chatman has three personality options, with over 500 actions and 25 customisable moods. Kids can create new custom personalities by recording their own messages, sounds or chit-
MARTIN YAFFE
Tooltime Bob helps pre-schoolers to learn about Bob’s favourite tools and activities. When a tool is placed in its hand, Tooltime Bob responds by saying what the tool is and how it is used on-site and makes sound effects matching the tool. Interaction with the product can also help to encourage and develop children’s fine motor skills. Load Up Muck can recognise the contents of each of its ten pallets when they are individually placed in its rear bucket. Bob’s voice can also be heard from Muck’s cab, asking for different loads to be added. Muck then confirms
0118 973 6222 chats. Chit-chats can also be shared online and download all new personalities, features and applications at www.mychatman.com. Using the ‘I want to’ function, Chatman will help find and do the things online, including games, research and find images. The character can also remember important dates with a built-in programmable calendar.
01706 717800
if the correct load has been placed in his bucket. Load Up Muck has several play modes, which help kids learn shapes, colours and numbers. Talking Bob calls out phrases about his trusty Machine Team and helps kids turn left, right, up and down. Move Bob’s arms up or down and it will say a phrase relating to that movement. Twist his head to the left or right to hear it call out more movement-related phrases. The toy features 15 movementactivated phrases and extra sounds which can be activated by Bob’s buckle.