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Our family has always been mindful about what toys we bring into our home. We don’t have a lot of extra storage space, so toys must encourage imaginative play to find a spot on our shelves. My husband and I also appreciate if toys are educational since we both have a background in teaching. When I found out about PlayShifu AR (augmented reality) toys, I knew I wanted to make room for them in our home.
About PlayShifu
We are revolutionizing the world by creating a range of extraordinary educational toys.
With our league of immersive, educational games, you can be assured that your child is in good hands and learning while playing.
PlayShifu is a company that creates toys and games that simultaneously educated and entertain kids. For this review, I received the Shifu Orboot, the Shifu Minglings, and the Shifu Space Cards. All three products use a phone or tablet, to scan the toy and create a virtual reality experience for the learner.
The Shifu Orboot is an interactive globe that teaches kids about cultures, animals, and cuisines from around the world. The Minglings are monsters and animals that kids can scan on the phone and watch them interact with their surroundings. Scan the Space Cards to interact with fun facts about outer space and astronauts. All three of these toys provide kids with a way to actively learn about the world around them while also using their imaginations.
My Review
My kids have been begging me to play with their PlayShifu toys and games since we took them out of the box. Of course, they were immediately excited that they get to use screens. I was ecstatic that they didn’t realize they were learning.
As I mentioned before, I generally look for toys that are educational and allow kids to use their imagination. The PlayShifu products absolutely check both of those boxes. Something I didn’t talk about before, though, was that I prefer toys for my kids that they can use without my help. Besides the initial setup, and occasionally helping them scan a card or landmark on the globe, they can use these without me standing over their shoulder.
All three products require you to download an app and are compatible iPads, iPhones, Kindle, and certain Android devices. Be aware that the download does take a few minutes and takes up some space on your device. Once you log in with an email address, the app will be ready to use.
Shifu Orboot
We tried the Shifu Orboot first. It comes with a globe, a passport for kids to fill out, a stamp guide, country flag stickers, and a guide if you need help. My 5-year-old dove right in, and at first was most excited to scan the pictures of food. She also loved guessing what kind of food each animal eats. The interactive quizzes and the mystery activities are her favorites! I helped her fill out the passport after learning about each country, too.
Shifu Minglings
My 3-year-old preferred the Shifu Minglings. These are wooden figures of animals and monsters kids can play with or scan with a device. The heads are attached to the bodies with magnets so kids can mix and match tops and bottoms, which provides endless entertainment even without a screen.
When the kids scan the Minglings to create virtual versions of the animals or monsters, they can then engage in activities that require imagination and sometimes a little bit of memorization. They really do get to create their own little world, and it’s fun to see what they come up with. The Minglings are a huge hit with my preschool-age kid. I’m happy to let it take up space on my shelf!
Shifu Space
I actually sat down and looked at the Shifu Space Cards with my kids. We went to Kennedy Space Center not too long ago, so we were all ready to learn more about space exploration. You scan one of the fact cards onto your device to learn fun facts about the card’s subject. There’s also a fun spelling game for kids, which is perfect for my daughter who just started reading. Shifu Space comes with a small canvas bag to carry the cards on-the-go, and the app does work on airplane mode. I could see bringing these cards and an old device with us on a road trip or air travel for educational entertainment.
All three of the activities come with a small stand that holds any size tablet or phone so kids can easily interact with the screen. One of my biggest concerns at first was that my kids would drop my phone or Kindle while playing. I realized they didn’t even have to remove the phone from the stand for the Minglings and Space Cards. With the Orboot they will be scanning things around the globe, so they will be handling the device quite a bit. It is meant for kids ages 4 and up, so by that age they should be able to use the device with care.
We absolutely love our PlayShifu games and toys, and will be playing with them on a daily basis! I would highly recommend that parents who are picky about what toys come into their home get these as Christmas gifts for their kids. We found them very fun and educational, and I loved watching my kids use their imagination while playing. You can find the Shifu Orboot, Shifu Space, Shifu Mingling Monsters, and Shifu Mingling Animals on Amazon.
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PlayShifu is part of the 2018 Christmas gift guide, check it out right here!