Who says learning has to be boring?
Kids nowadays are getting more and more immersed in new technology. So much so that they can pick up a smart device nearby and watch their favorite characters sing, dance, and teach them how to speak, count, and so much more. If you’d ask me, though, nothing beats hands-on learning.
I grew up jealous of kids who had these cool toys. From handheld consoles to toy gadgets – you name it, I want it. Kinda explains why I collect a lot of robot models. In any case, while I grew up with a couple of consoles, I always envied kids who’d show off their cool toy gadgets from a brand called VTech.
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From memory, I could recall seeing toy robots and toy laptops that are capable of doing a lot of stuff, mostly teaching kids by having them see and listen to whatever the toy would come up with. I was given the chance to review Lil’ Cogsley, a “funny, friendly robot pal who loves to talk, teach, play, and dance.”
My cousin playing with the VTech Lil’ Cogsley
Operating Lil’ Cogsley is quite easy, though a bit less intuitive than, say, smart devices. There’s a game mode selector, a clock button that initiates clock mode (pretty much doubles as a standby mode to minimize power draw), an OK button, and a tummy dial used to scroll through menus. Lil’ Cogsley uses 2 AA batteries as its power source.
The V-Tech Lil’ Cogsley Robot’s interface
Lil’ Cogsley has a bunch of tricks up its sleeve, like teaching letters and phonics, teaching about objects, a game that has you assembling a spaceship, teaching about the daily routine of the robot character, and having you sing and dance with it! It maximizes the use of the tummy dial in all of these modes. As an added bonus, it even features an alarm clock!
Just look at her having fun!
In an age where smart devices are king, I think there’s still room for traditional educational toys like Lil’ Cogsley. It’s quite old school, running on AA batteries and having physical controls; but hey, the good thing about this toy is that a child gets to interact with a colorful character in real life, unlike just seeing similar characters on-screen. Don’t believe me? Just look at my lil’ cousin having fun with it!
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