Sphero

By Orbotix
Price $129.99
Age 8+

Sphero is the robotic ball you control with your smartphone or tablet. Make Sphero zig, zag, spin, change color, follow any path you desire. Sphero will do your bidding. You can instantly create a pattern for Sphero to follow using your fingertip on the screen, or choose tilt mode and have your device become a multi-directional steering wheel, with Sphero following every subtle angle of your wrists and hands in real time. Or give Sphero a turbo boost and watch his sudden burst of speed. There are more than 20 free apps to download and use, including Sphero Golf (control Spero with a flick or a swing and aim for a hole in one), Draw & Drive, Zombie Rollers, and Sphero Tag. The Sharky the Beaver app lets you take a virtual 3-dimensional beaver for a walk around your house and feed Sharky by launching virtual cupcakes into his mouth. One of the first things my daughter said when she saw Sphero in action was 'Teddy would love this.' (Teddy is a ball-obsessed dog we know.) Sure enough, there's an app, Sphero Pet, for that. The apps are all very easy to use and include lots of neat tricks, surprises, and fun games for both solo and group play.