Learning Toys for Your Old TV

Before you toss out that old TV set you might look around. There are tons of new electronic games for kids that are bypassing the computer and using the TV plus some sort of controller unit to provide interactive entertainment. Here are two I've seen recently, but by the holidays you'll see a ton of toys that promise interactive play with no PC, just TV, required.

 Think of Vmigo from JAKKS Pacific as a cross between Tamagotchi and Nintendogs. Designed for six to eight year olds, the premise of Vmigo is to keep your virtual pet in good health so that it can play video games with you. The game has two pieces: a handheld unit and a docking pod that connects to your TV—each offering a different gaming experience.

On the handheld you get three different breeds of dog who are just being born. Anyone familiar with virtual pets knows the drill. You need to keep your dog happy with food and nurturing. Let it play, let it sleep, and NEVER ignore it. It gains points as it grows healthy. The handheld displays in black and white and has four games and 11 activities.

When you plop the handheld into the controller, your dog enters a richer, more colorful world displayed on your TV. Here the dog plays more complex video arcade style games. Any points it wins on the TV games get transferred to the handheld and vice versa. Infrared lets you trade items and tricks your dog has learned with other players. A Vmigo package that includes a pod unit and console is $49.99. Each individual Vmigo pod costs $29.99.

ZOOOOS is a children's interactive learning environment that uses a DVD player and TV. Here, a simple wireless (infrared) controller talks to your DVD player to control the action. Kids learn the alphabet, numbers, letters, and reading; and play games as they interact with content licensed from well-known brands including Thomas and Friends, Bob the Builder, Spider-Man and the San Diego Zoo.

Games can be played as single or multiplayer. Many of the activities adjust to the appropriate difficulty for your child.  At $25, two-DVD starter set is an unbelievable bargain, offering bilingual (English and Spanish) activities. Additional DVDs are $10 each.