Being a child of the 80′s, there is no denying that technology has evolved and expanded since my days growing up. It amazes me that we have gone from beepers to cell phones, computers to laptops, and now we have skinny tablets to take care of all our needs. At three years old Toodie has mastered using technology to play games, learn, and interact. These days books are not the only source of learning. There are advanced computer programs and apps to help our children expand their knowledge in numbers, letters, and identifying animals. Since my daughter is very device savvy, I was eager to introduce her to the Cypher Kids Augmented Reality Cards.
Cypher Entertainment has created the 3D Interactive Cards that not only bring learning to life but also make it exciting! The cards are available in three educational categories: Wild Animal Adventures, Letters, & Numbers. They are targeted for children ages 3 and up, providing a 3D experience without the use of any glasses! You can use the cards with most Apple devices including the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation), and the iPad. The app that corresponds with each deck of cards can be found free to download within the Apple Itunes Store. Shortly after browsing for the Cypher Kid’s app, we headed to our nearby Target to get a closer look at the interactive cards.
Once we arrived in the electronics section it was easy to find the aisle displaying App Accessories for Apple gadgets. The boxes of cards were displayed on the top row and all three options were available to choose from. I thought Toodie would have a hard time picking which set she would like but she immediately went for the Wild Animal Adventures pack. That’s my girl, the animal lover! Each set is sold for $29.99 plus tax. You can see more photos of our shopping trip in my Google+ album here.
Each individual box also has a QR code on the back which can be scanned to take you to the direct download for the matching app. We took all of the 18 cards out of the box and laid them out so Toodie could get familiar with the animals. Once she chose which one she would like to learn about, we turned the card over to be scanned by the iPad. Ideally the card should be laying flat on a surface so the camera can pick up the required information. Within a few seconds the card comes to life and a 3D image pops up. You get to learn about the animals and their habitats while watching them roam around the screen.
The Wild Animal Adventure Deck has two different options when you first access the app, exploration and snapshots. Exploration gives an inside look at where the animal lives while listening to prompts that allow your child to interact with the picture. After listening to a short description about the penguin, you can click the photo and watch them dive into the water! Snapshots shows you what the animal looks like by placing its photo right on the card. You can move the card around to look from different angles. This is such a cool feature! The animals look and sound so realistic. I was impressed with the accuracy and attention to detail.
Soon after buying the animal deck, I was given the opportunity to purchase the two remaining card sets. Since my iPad has been continuously occupied this week, I took that as a big red flag that someone was really enjoying them! With this in mind I didn’t hesitate and made my way back to Target for the others. Just like the Wild Animal Adventures, the Number flashcards had large 3d graphics and bold colors which catch your attention. The numbers range from 1 to 20 and each is paired with a set of different objects to encourage counting in order.
The Letters deck was made up off 26 cards highlighting each letter of the alphabet in depth. The two digital characters, Digi & Beebot, focus on lower-case and uppercase forms of letters along with pronunciation. Out of all three of the card sets, this was my favorite because I felt it offered the most interaction. The pictures were cute and the robots had quirky personalities which kept Toodie engaged during play.
This season if you have children to shop for these are going to make great gifts and stocking stuffers. I am hoping that in the future they will come out with extended educational categories for other age groups so she can grow with the program. With an upcoming family vacation only weeks away, these are going to be helpful in keeping my munchkin entertained on the long car ride. I highly recommend all three of the interactive card decks, especially if you have children that love to learn!
For more information on the Cypher Kids Augmented Reality Cards you can check your local Target or stop by the Cypher Kids Club website. For updates and to interact with other fans, visit Cypher Kids Club on Facebook or follow along on Twitter.
Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Cypher Kids Club #CBias #SocialFabric
