{"id":517759,"date":"2026-06-25T13:12:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T13:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/517759\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T13:12:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T13:12:13","slug":"six-nostalgic-gadgets-to-spark-kids-curiosity-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/517759\/","title":{"rendered":"Six nostalgic gadgets to spark kids’ curiosity this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

From instant cameras to pocket microscopes, six pleasingly low-tech gadgets that help children make, notice and talk, without another screen getting involved<\/p>\n

1. Tin Can<\/p>\n

These punchy-coloured handsets from Seattle-based company Tin Can<\/a>, allow kids to call each other securely on a Wi-Fi enabled landline. Parents can stay in control by approving contacts and setting available hours with an app, but the rest is up to the kids with the goal of growing phone confidence and independence.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople talk about Tin Can with joy, relief, and peace of mind,\u201d says Chet Kittleson, co-founder and CEO. \u201cKids love it because it feels like theirs. Grandparents tell us they\u2019re having real conversations with their grandkids for the first time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The phone (\u00a3100) is aimed at kids 5-12 and launched in the US and Canada in early 2025. It has since been sold to hundreds of thousands of global customers since who love the idea of a 90s-style voice-only connection without apps, internet access or camera.<\/p>\n

The twirly cord is a particular throwback feature the team wanted to include. \u201cIt\u2019s a wink to that simple childhood idea of two cans and a string,\u201d shares Kittleson. \u201cA playful reminder that connection doesn\u2019t have to be complicated to be meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n

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2. 3Doodler<\/p>\n

Eighties cartoon hero Penny Crayon could draw herself out of a scrape with a set of magic pens. While the\u00a03Doodler<\/a> can\u2019t quite make a getaway car or cave entrance appear, it does invoke the thrill of turning two dimensions into three. This gadget pen mixes 3D printer and glue gun, allowing kids to draw lines in soft plastic that harden into a desired form.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 3Doodle Start+ (\u00a339.99) is best for kids 5-13. It\u2019s the easiest to learn intuitively and operates at a lower temperature than other models with no hot parts. Parents are happy that this mess-free creative kit helps children develop fine motor skills and spatial awareness, although the plastic filaments are expensive to replace. The other downside is that once your creation is made, there\u2019s no melting it back. Choose 3Doodler\u2019s Eco-Filament for fun that\u2019s non-toxic and BPA-free. This type is also biodegradable and can be put in your household compost. <\/p>\n

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3. Pocket microscope<\/p>\n

The Natural History Museum<\/a> know what they are doing when it comes to inspiring little Attenboroughs. This robust and reasonably priced microscope (\u00a315) is light, portable, can magnify 20-40x and survive drops, knocks and rough handling \u2013 suitable for ages 3 and up. It\u2019s simple enough for little hands to use, and easy to chuck in a bag for the next outdoor family trip.<\/p>\n

The inbuilt LED gives a rich, colourful image. When the base is detached, the microscope can be used directly on tree trunks, walls, rocks and stones to zoom into structure and details. When the base is in, it can be used with plastic slides (two are included) to see samples of leaves, bark, moss, feathers and the like. If you can\u2019t get out, it can be just as fun to look at herbs, sugar crystals and other household bits under the magnifying lens.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. Karri Messenger<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a kid, I loved gadgets that gave you a bit of independence,\u201d says Pete Clifford, co-founder and CEO of Karri<\/a>. \u201cGameboys and CD players felt personal and fun, but not as all-consuming as smartphones.\u201d The idea for Karri Messenger 2 is a simple screen-free way for kids to stay in touch, with added GPS location and contact approval to reassure parents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt needed to be voice-first, tactile and intuitive,\u201d he says. \u201cWith children able to send and receive messages through a \u2018slide-to-talk\u2019 button inspired by traditional walkie-talkies.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Karri \u2013 which has the strapline The Device They\u2019ll Actually Put Down \u2013 doesn\u2019t look typically kidsy. There are no primary colours or puffy shapes here, meaning 13-year-olds might be willing to carry it with them as much as those 5 and up. The Messenger 2 version (\u00a389.99) has a LED panel displaying your caller\u2019s name as a matrix but that\u2019s about as close to a screen as this pocket messenger gets.<\/p>\n

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5. Fujifilm Instax Mini 12<\/p>\n

The Instax Mini<\/a> first came out in 1998, boomed in popularity around 2014, and continues to be a runaway hit with kids. Pick the Mini 12 (\u00a374.99) for an easy-to-use camera that\u2019s robust, screen-free, and comes in a range of soft pastel colours. The joy is its inbuilt printer, which shoots out a sharp-enough image the size of a credit card shortly after you take a picture. It\u2019s easy to see why kids love the instant gratification. Film comes in packs of 20, which is just enough to go wild with over a holiday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Operating this chunky camera for ages 8 and up is as simple as twisting the lens to turn it on or enter close-up mode. It\u2019s not too hard to get a decent photo out of it either, with automatic exposure and a built-in mirror on the front of the lens to help line up and centre shots. Cheaper alternatives tend to come with a screen. Otherwise Praktica\u2019s VF212 point-and-shoot (\u00a324.99) is good for introducing kids to taking non-instant photos with 35mm film.<\/p>\n

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6. Ambessa Play DIY Torch<\/p>\n

Ambessa Play\u2019s<\/a> STEM-learning kit for ages 8 and up includes all you need to make a wind-up torch (\u00a345). Lifting the lid on its neatly packaged box reveals some 10 circuitry components, which a colourful 16-step manual (co-designed with kids) helps guide you through assembling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This battery free design works with a capacitor and hand crank to teach kids about kinetic energy. A couple of minutes of winding it up yields 15 minutes of light. Putting it together takes about 30 minutes to an hour, and there are two versions: transparent version so you can admire your circuitry, or a tasteful light blue and orange.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you buy a kit, you also donate one to a displaced child who lacks access to school and\/or electricity, through Ambessa\u2019s partners across eight countries. Founder Sara Berkai first came up with the idea of a DIY torch on a volunteer coding workshop in East Africa, and launched it on Kickstarter in 2023.<\/p>\n

Main image: Karri<\/p>\n

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Give once from just \u00a31, or join 1,800+ others who contribute an average of \u00a33 or more per month. Together, we can build a healthier form of media \u2013 one that focuses on solutions, progress and possibilities, and empowers people to create positive change.<\/p>\n

Support Positive News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From instant cameras to pocket microscopes, six pleasingly low-tech gadgets that help children make, notice and talk, without…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517760,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[203,61,60,2211,50623,220881,80,13467],"class_list":["post-517759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gadgets","tag-gadgets","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-kids","tag-play","tag-tech-free","tag-technology","tag-youth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517759"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}