I’m a huge fan of plush animals. I always have been. Growing up, I had dozens of plush animals (maybe even more). I wouldn’t leave my home without taking a few of them with me, much to the dismay of my parents. I’m pretty sure they didn’t want to pack many plush toys on a 20+ hour car trip to Florida from New York.
When I was a young girl, I didn’t have many people to play with. My sister is eight years older than me, and I lived in a very rural area, and I didn’t have kids my age in the area. The only friends I really had were my cousins, but I didn’t get to see them that often. To make up for the lack of playmates, I used my plush toys as “surrogate” friends. I played with them, took them on adventures, read to them, snuggled with them – you name it.
I’m also an animal lover, and I enjoy snuggling with soft things, so it was a “win-win” situation all around.
I wish my plush toys could have talked and interacted with me. That would have made things even better.
I was a child of the 70’s (showing my age). Then in the mid-80’s an amazing thing happened. The world was introduced to Teddy Ruxpin. Teddy Ruxpin was a talking, interactive bear. You would insert tapes into him, and he would tell stories. His mouth and eyes would open and close too. Back then, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. But by then I was about the graduate high school, so it was no longer something I needed (I wish I did have one when I was a kid).
Things have changed over the decades, as well as technology. Toys and games are far more advanced than they were during my childhood.
Let me introduce you to a toy that puts Teddy Ruxpin to shame. It’s called Smart Teddy.
Smart Teddy is a plush talking bear that helps parents teach and engage their kids as well as develop good habits. It teaches children good habits, their ABC’s, emotional intelligence and more. Smart Teddy can even remind your child to brush their teeth!
Smart Teddy becomes a positive, nurturing member of your family.
Here is some additional information about this amazing (and adorable) plush teddy bear.
- DESIGNED BY PARENTS FOR PARENTS: Smart Teddy is a STEM approved educational toy designed to help to learn numbers, ABCs, develop imagination, expand vocabulary and critical thinking.
- A FAVORITE TOY FOR GENERATIONS: Remember playing with your own teddy bear when you were a child? Introduce your kids to this Smart version of the classic stuffed animal that lets your child use their imagination with story telling, vocabulary, songs, games and bed time activities.
- A LIFETIME OF HEALTHY HABITS: From waking up to bedtime, potty training to calming down, to making the bed to staying safe outdoors, Smart Teddy knows it all and is ready to guide your little one to make decisions that promote a healthier, happy lifestyle. You can also set up a schedule in the app to make sure your child follows the daily routine that’s right for them.
- SMARTLY CONNECTED AND SAFE: Download the iOS or Adroid app and receive free automatic updates for Smart Teddy. New songs, games, stories and activities every week! Smart Teddy is super safe with no camera or microphone; just a speaker to tell you stories, help you spell, count and even tell you when it’s time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed!
Smart Teddy is also a U.S. based company, with customer service representatives here in the United States too. The brand also offers a 90-day money back guarantee, and a 2-year replacement warranty.
I was sent one of these adorable bears to check out for myself.
This bear is super adorable! He’s so cute! Just look at that friendly, welcoming, comforting face.
From a plush teddy bear standpoint, this teddy bear is oh-so-soft and very much a plush toy. I was expecting some parts of him to be really heard, due to his technical abilities, but I didn’t really notice much. You can feel a small box inside of him, but most children probably won’t feel it at all since they wouldn’t be looking for it (or hug it as strong as an adult could).
For all intensive purposes, your child can use this the same way any other plush toy. They can snuggle with it, sleep with it, and take it with them where ever they go.
To you Smart Teddy, you would need to download the FREE Smart Teddy app. From there you can control just about everything with the bear, including what features you want to use, favorite stories, volume and more.
The bear connects to the app via Bluetooth. Your bear would also have to be set up on your home’s WIFI to get updates.
Each of the bear’s paws serves a different function. Each one is embossed with a design to let you know what each paw’s function is.
The “book paw” is what you or your child would press to hear one of the many books and poems, preselected by educators, that are already found on your bear. You can refer to the app for more book options.
There are two book options – day time stories, and longer nighttime stories, which are accessed using a special sticker.
Smart Teddy knows what time it is where he is, so children could only access the bedtime stories at bedtime. Parents can allow bedtime stories to be played at naptime too, via the app.
The “star paw” is a paw children can press to access their personal favorite stories and poems, that way they are easier to find rather than go through all the stories and poems. Parents can check off their child’s favorites using the app.
This paw enables a child to hear fun facts and more. For example, Smart Teddy will know if it’s the winter season where you live, and give your child fun facts about winter, snowflakes and more.
The paw that has the WIFI image embossed on it is where you use the special stickers. Simply wave the sticker by the paw, and Smart Teddy will “read” it to know what you want to do. You can use this feature to have your child brush their teeth, exercise and more. Each of the stickers represents a different action.
Smart Teddy is constantly evolving as new content, stories and features are being added all the time. If you have your Smart Teddy on your WIFI, the updates will be automatic.
I love that this is MORE than just a cuddly toy. I love that is encourages good and healthy behaviors, such as brushing teeth, washing hands, getting to bed, exercising and stepping away from screens. This toys also encourages a love of reading and poems, by giving children access to great content.
In addition, I love how this toy helps with emotional intelligence. Not many toys these days does this as well.
Smart Teddy can even gently wake your child up! I think everyone who needs to get up for work in the morning needs an adorable Smart Teddy to wake you up in the morning instead of the annoying sounds of an alarm clock. Ha Ha.
Smart Teddy is so much more than a fuzzy toy for your child to play with. It’s so many things inside a cuddly “package.”
He’s also safe to use!
This would make a GREAT toy this holiday season, or anytime.
If you are interested in learning more about Smart Teddy, visit MySmartTeddy.com. You can also find Smart Teddy on Instagram and YouTube. Those links are found on the bottom of the official website.
Smart Teddy is sold on Amazon (NOT an affiliate link) and it’s part of Amazon Prime, so you can get it delivered in a day or two, just in time for Christmas and Hanukkah. Currently I see a $50 off coupon on Amazon as well, so that is a great savings.
What do you think about Smart Teddy? Do you think your child would like it? What is your favorite feature/function? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I received a free product sample to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.