From Robots to battery powered cars, Touch screen tablets to mini mobile phones, electronics are now a massive part of our children’s growth and play. It began with simple circuit bending; an inventive way of customising circuits in electronic devices in perhaps low voltage, battery powered guitar effects. The small, digital synthesizer had arrived and children’s toys would never be the same again. Electronic components distributors were in the manufacturing chain, to stay. New musical, visual and sound generators and instruments were the name of the game.
In more recent years, products have grown in sophistication and complexity. Leapfrog and VTech are the two main protagonists in technology-based children’s products. Electronic components distributors were fast to market the electronic voice chip which is applied to talking books, magazines, children’s mobile phones and computer games. Leapfrog’s “Leap pad” – aimed at children 4-9 – is a touch screen tablet, much like the Apple IPad with games and learning programmes. VTech has countered with its “Mobigo”, offering much the same and Tech-aware parents are fast to purchase both for their children.
On a larger scale, there are electronic Robots, battery powered fibre glass, toy cars and educational science kits. The “Solar Educational Ferris Wheel Kit” allows an older child to learn about cost free, environmental friendly solar energy by doing hands on experiments. They can also learn to make electrical and solar circuits and increase voltage! Electronic components distributors in India, China, Hong Kong, Japan and the UK have fast seen the possibilities for growth.