Toy of the week: Pickin’ Time

Posted: December 17th, 2009 | Author: Dave | Filed under: Toy of the week | Tags: iconfactory, iphone, ipod, ipod touch, parenting, pickin time, toys | No Comments »

Toy of the week

You spent a few hundred dollars on an iPhone or an iPod touch. Then you find yourself in the mall with jr., pushing the obnoxious red stroller you rented for $5. Jr. has that look on his face. The look that says he’s about to go Chernobyl. Do you hand over the iPhone? Well, what’s worse — a scratch on your precious or a red-faced meltdown in the middle of Baby Gap? Exactly.

Of course, you don’t want them checking out the SI Swimsuit App, so grab something appropriate from The App Store. One of the best is The Iconfactory’s Pickin’ Time.

Forget that Pickin’ Time’s graphics are gorgeous. Forget that it takes seconds to learn or that the down-home music stays with you all day. None of that matters if the kids dislike it. Fortunately, kids love Pickin’ Time.

At launch, a friendly rabbit family waves hello and prompts your kid to choose between single player or multiplayer mode. In single player mode, he’s shown a piece of fruit or vegetable. Once play begins, the rabbit tosses a bunch of produce into the air. Jr.’s job is touch his target item. As he moves along, the number of items increases and the background color changes (tricky when it’s the same color as the target). The clock ticks away and at the end he’ll see how many he’s gathered (hint: flip the iPhone/iPod around at the end).

In multi-player mode, each player (up to 4) selects a piece of fruit or a veggie. The rabbit tosses them up in random order, and the object is to be quick enough to tap your item.

It’s a bit memory, a bit beat-the-clock and a whole lot of reaction time. The best part is Pickin’ Time isn’t a game with a definite end. Sure, a session ends, but you can always restart with another target item and try to beat your best score.

In Daddy Daze’s Official Toddler Testing, Pickin’ Time is a winner. The kids get excited, laugh and have fun, which gives me a few minutes of peace in the grocery store. Spend $1.99 for a toy that does all that? You better believe it.

You spent a couple hundred dollars on an iPhone or an iPod touch. Then you find yourself in the mall with Jr., pushing the obnoxious rental stroller. He’s got the look on his face that says he’s about to go Chernobyl. Do you hand over the iPhone? Well, what’s worse — a scratch on your precious or a red-faced meltdown in the middle of Baby Gap? Exactly.

Of course, you don’t want Jr. checking out the SI Swimsuit App [App Store link], so launch something appropriate. One of the best is The Iconfactory’s Pickin’ Time.

In multi-player mode, each player (up to 4) selects a piece of fruit or a veggie. The rabbit tosses them up in random order, and the object is to be quick enough to tap your item. Or, if Jr.’s well-off friends are around, they can each play with their own iPhones or touches.

In Daddy Daze’s Official Toddler Testing, Pickin’ Time is a winner. The kids get excited, laugh and have fun, which gives me a few minutes of peace in the grocery store. Spend $1.99 [App Store link] for a toy that does all that? You better believe it.

[View with PicLens]