Video games that help the kids learn aren’t always fun, but a new compact console could see them get a work out while working things out.
Kids and video games don’t always mix, with so few designed for the little ones. It’s one of the reasons we’ve written about some of the games for kids on Apple Arcade, but we could always do with seeing more, especially if game makers can come up with ways to combine education and fun.
That category — edutainment — doesn’t always go well with the little ones. Titles can fall flat with kids, attempting to do one thing more than the other. Do you give kids fun, or do you give them education? Where’s the balance?
It’s probably more than the chore-tastic title that Bluey was, but an edutainment toy and electronics maker is going to give the category a different go with a new console of sorts made for kids.
Not quite a Nintendo Switch or even a Sony PlayStation, VTech’s “LeapMove” is a different sort of a games system.
Part of its edutainment LeapFrog brand of toys, it more reminds this journalist of the Kinect from back in the day, with an emphasis on encouraging kids to move, jumping and dancing in front of the TV to play games.
The concept arrives in a little cube that can be mounted in front of a TV or on top of one, and has games directly installed on the console. There are 25 to start with, covering areas such as dance, maths, spelling, rhyming, and sound and letter recognition, with the titles able to run without the internet and also with playtime limits if parents choose.
In terms of what the games are, VTech noted that the games may not have the characters kids expect just yet, but there are some coming, with Paw Patrol and Dora the Explorer titles coming next year.
So far, all games are single player and work with one child at a time, but multiplayer titles are in development, as well, with the extra titles set to cost between $7 and $15 per game when released.
“Passive screen time isn’t great for kids, so instead LeapMove gets children moving, turning every jump, twist, and twirl into a chance to learn,” said Maud Rocher, Marketing Director for VTech Electronics in Australia.
“It’s more than just play — it’s a fresh way to help kids grow and explore through movement,” she said.
In terms of availability, VTech’s LeapMove is available now across the country, priced at $129.95 in Australia.
