Super Cool Tech for Happier Holidays 

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

December 14, 2022 – Whether you’re a parent trying to gift your toddlers and teens or an adult struggling over what to get your parents for Christmas there are tech options for every member of the family that are certain to garner some excited smiles this holiday season.

For toddlers and young children

They are usually the easiest to please of the bunch.  Usually something new, shiny and printed with their favorite cartoon characters will usually get you an excited yell of approval.

• A good choice for them is a tablet (with the designated hardback case of course)
• Educational games and movies are easily accessible online
• An electronic drum set with earbuds so only they can hear the sound will keep you sane and your tiny musician occupied for hours.
• For the 80s and 90s babies who grew up with Microsoft Encarta Kids and want their own children to experience the same, there are dozens of apps which offer a similar experience including ABC mouse.

For preteens and teens

Undoubtedly the toughest to shop for the interests of teams range from books to e-sports and can change as quickly as the tides. Once again tablets are an all-around crowd pleaser.

• For the artistic young ones an Apple Pencil to go with their iPad or an S-pen to go with their android devices coupled with an online drawing  app like Procreate or Adobe Illustrator Draw will give them hours and hours of endless practice time.
• For readers a new Kindle may be in the works, but don’t break the bank, if your kid already has a mobile device look into online reading apps like Apple Books or the Kindle app which is available for all devices. Your child will be able to purchase books with no wait time for shipping and always have them ready in the palm of their hand.
• Libro FM or Audible are good choices for kids who don’t like to sit still and read. Both provide subscription-based audiobooks. Your child will be able to get one or more audiobooks a month and can listen while they exercise, on the way to school etc. This is also a good option for children who are blind or have other challenges with using a screen or handling physical books.
• For the gamers who are often bent over their phones to engage in Fortnite or other online games it may be time to look into a Nintendo switch, a PS5, or if you really want to go the extra mile building a PC with your child. In addition to the invaluable memory of building a computer with their mom or dad PCs are a lifetime investment.  They are certain to be faster and better than any gaming console you can find. As for the daunting task of building it, don’t worry there are hundreds of tutorials on YouTube that take you from start to finish detailing every single product that you need and the price for all the parts will run you less than the cost of the latest MacBook.
• For the budding social media influencer a ring light and a cell phone upgrade will provide the perfect setup for creating content. If you want to go a little bit further, vlogging cameras are a good investment.

For adults

Many of the gifts on our list for teens will go over well with parents, adults, siblings and friends alike but here are some grownup specific gifts that are sure to be crowd pleasers.

• An AirTag; designed to be hooked onto stuff you lose easily including your keys, your house hopping cat or your luggage at the airport AirTags come in handy.  Just connect them to your Apple ID for iPhone users and you’ll be able to track whatever you like.
• Any type of sports watch will be invaluable for fitness enthusiasts and even  parents and grandparents.  Many of these watches which only need to be connected to a smart phone directly or through an app and can tell when the wearer falls down, is out of breath or has increased heart rate.  If the wearer is in medical distress some may even call the police automatically.
• For the work from homers a portable treadmill can help them get their steps in while they work, the ultimate multitask.  Pair that with an automatic standing desk and even if they miss the gym they’ll be sure to keep in shape.
• For the entire family, smartphone card game Game of Phones brings electronics and physical game together in an unbeatable mashup that sends the family on a scavenger hunt.

There are hundreds of other options, both more and less expensive than the ones listed here. A quick Amazon or Google search will certainly lead you to the perfect gift.