Kids Get Some Attention at CES

In my past two years at CES, I covered miles of ground and found few tech products geared toward kids, even as more tykes embrace technology with abandon in their everyday lives.

Two years ago, I came across a prototype of BOB, the TV timer, in a far corner of one of the mammoth show floors. This year, the company is displaying the timer amid several other kid-related products at the Sandbox Summit, a display area specifically designed for products that target digital kids.

One of my favorite moments so far at CES this year came during a Sandbox Summit session to discuss how kids play with technology. Warren Buckleitner, editor of Children's Technology Review, shared some video from an in-progress research project with Consumer Reports WebWatch on how young kids interact with some of the tech toys designed for them.

In the footage, a 2-year-old would rather turn over or play with the on/off switch on a colorful shapes box that hooks up to a TV than press the buttons as directed by a sugary sweet voice to see what happens on the TV.

Two boys playing on Fisher-Price's Smart Cycle, designed with the best of intentions to get kids moving and playing inside, lamented that no matter how fast they peddled, they never beat the virtual cars on the screen. In another, a young boy got frustrated by the need to sign up to pay on Nick Arcade after his free trial ran out.

Buckleitner called on offline and online game designers to agree on a code of ethics to keep in mind when creating new games and web sites for kids. "Don't exploit tired, frustrated parents," he advised.

Among his recommendations for an ethics code:

• Don't make claims about tech toys being educational and good for a child's development without some really solid research to back them up.

• Avoid sneaky tricks to get money from kids and parents.

• Don't compromise trust by mixing information with selling.

• Make sure every service treats your a child the way you would want your child to be treated.

That's a good start.