Gift Cards for Kids

Do you recognize this picture? It’s a cool new gift card from Target—and it’s one of a whole bunch of styles designed for kids.

When I was a kid, I would have been heartbroken to receive a gift certificate for Christmas. (That’s right, certificate, because up until only a few years ago they were paper and they were often more hassle than they were worth.) I definitely would have preferred cash (or presents) every time.

But as with just about everything else in the known universe… things have gotten easier for everyone. Today’s kids will never have to experience the look on a cashier’s face when you hand her a certificate with a loooong list of instructions on how to use it. Few have expiration dates, many work online, and your balance carries over on your card. Simple.

But I don’t have to tell you what a gift card is—you’ve seen them. What do they mean to a tween? If most kids are like my young cousins, it boils down to freedom and power—they all received at least one gift card this year, and they were excited just to sit together and gush about all the things they could spend it on.

Most also look like credit cards, which they’ve seen their older siblings whip out before. This makes their experience even more aspirational than it already was—they get a chance to shop like a teenager. Pick out your video game, slap the card on the counter—mom doesn’t even have to help out.

How many companies are embracing the tween demographic with their gift cards? There's more than just "money to be made" here-- there are relationships to be built!

Gonna Be a Guitar Hero

Okay... it's been at least a week since I've posted about a video game, right?

We recently gathered for a WonderGroup Holiday Party in the office. Along with karaoke, the entertainment consisted of Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. (Um... we were getting into the tween mindset?)

Games like DDR (Konami) and Guitar Hero (Activision) tend to remind me of the futuristic shows of yesteryear, when they would show "virtual reality" games. Remember the giant helmets, which could make you think you were playing golf on Mars or something? This equipment does exist on some levels, but I haven't heard much about it outside of military training and flight simulation, etc.

However, games like the ones at our holiday party are incredibly mainstream, and how much of a departure are they, really? Take Guitar Hero, which is near and dear to my heart. You strum, whammy, pull off and hammer on just like on a real guitar. The screaming fans are there, your bass player and vocalist are there, the venue is there... all that's missing is the unwieldy helmet, and you've got yourself some virtual reality.

So what's the difference between a game like Guitar Hero, and your standard first-person shooter where you become the character? For me, it boils down to realistic empowerment. This game makes me feel like I can play a guitar. (I can't.) Dance Dance Revolution makes me feel like a dancing queen. (I'm NOT.)

This is a great line of products for the kids that we know crave empowerment. I look forward to "researching" more games like this-- maybe next will be Sony's glitzed-up karaoke, SingStar? ("Grab the mic and become a legend!")

Santa Tracker

Just in time for the holidays, a friend sent me a link to a Santa Tracker program.

If you aren't already familiar with the awesomeness that is Google Earth, you ought to take a look around. Santa Tracker uses this program as the basis for a world-wide treasure hunt: "Every day from December 12th until Christmas Eve, a clue will appear outside Santa's North Pole workshop which, if you can solve it, will lead you to a toy hidden in a Google Earth satellite image."

An incredibly fun idea, and one that definitely cuts through the clutter of YouTube videos and flash holiday cards that are passed around like fruitcakes...

Fun.MovieTickets.com

Did you know that MovieTickets.com has a new branch specifically designed for kids? I ran across it the other day and was very excited about the idea. We know that kids are getting their hands on more and more spending money of their own, and seeing movies with family and friends is definitely something kids are interested in.

Imagine my disappointment when I actually saw Fun.MovieTickets.com. A kid could probably design a more appealing site than this one.

Designing a kid-friendly site means more than slapping pastels and Comic Sans onto a webpage. Their heart is in the right place-- letting kids vote on their favorite movies is one step, and giving the kids access to trailers is right on target. However, this site doesn't seem to really have kids in mind at all.

Look what happens when you surf SaveWilbur.com. This is the site for the new movie version of Charlotte's Web, which targets the same kids as Fun.MovieTickets.com. SaveWilbur.com offers many of the same features, like games and movie info, but the designers have obviously taken some time to make sure kids know this site is for them.

Sure, MovieTickets.com isn't the kid expert that Nickelodeon (which owns Charlotte's Web) is known to be, but they should have done a little more research before launching a site that condescends to today's kids.

In No Particular Order

Five Reasons I Wish I Were a Kid in 2006:

1. Computer classes. My younger brother has the option of taking Flash animation classes. You know what I had? Typing. If I was lucky, I could learn the basic functions of Microsoft Works.
2. iTunes. My colleague Megan actually reminded me of this one. Remember trying to tape your new favorite song by listening to the radio for several hours at a time, and recording it onto your tape? GONE.
3. Movie technology. I hate to list so much tech stuff, but how can you ignore it? Besides the animation just being better and remarkably realistic, you can also see movies in Imax proportions, or in 3D. (Yeah, 3D movies skipped my generation.)
4. Clothing stores. I wasn't a kid that long ago... where did all these awesomely trendy kids' stores come from? I shopped at department stores, or wherever mom took me. Now stores like Limited Too are letting kids start their own trends and... well, I'm jealous.
5. Toys. Come on. Naturally, toys are getting cooler. Even basic things like Legos have a cool modern edge. Do you know how many darts a Nerf gun can fire now? It's more than one-and-you-have-to-pump-it-until-your-arm-hurts.

Five Reasons I'm Glad I'm Not a Kid in 2006:

1. Classroom parties. My mom had a hand in every school party that we had-- and there were plenty. Birthdays, holidays, end-of-the-year... now, thanks to Childhood Obesity rulings, there is no food-as-a-reward in schools anymore. If you're lucky, your teacher will sneak in pretzels for Christmas.
2. Speaking of Christmas... remember when you could say "Christmas?" I am all for being PC, but I haven't heard anything but "holiday" in a couple of years now. Unlike "freedom fries," this one's sticking around.
3. GPS. Don't get me wrong-- I am all for this cutting-edge technology. When I'm a parent, I will be all over the GPS... in my kid's phone, in my kid's car, whatever. But as far as actually being the kid whose mom watches his every step... I'm glad I missed that little innovation.
4. Attention spans. I'm starting to sound like I should have false teeth and a rocking chair, aren't I? I'm not about to go into another "Multitasking: Are Your Kids Suffering?" article, because it's the only way to keep up with the amazing Tech Age we're living in, but I'm glad this stuff didn't hit me until I was in college.
5. iEverything. MyFriends know MyFrustration with this. It has nothing to do with the iProducts, and e-Verything to do with the word-coining barrage that, to MyKnowledge, started with the iPod.

Come On! Give Me My Shows!

Maybe I'm just a little grumpy but there's something that is really driving me crazy. Long ago I lost my interest in professional sports. When I was a kid the Cincinnati Royals left town for Kansas City then The Big Red Machine was dismantled. So now I see professional sports as disruption in my television watching schedule. That's why I was so pleased when I started seeing networks migrate their shows onto the net. Sure, I could always break the law and bittorrent the shows, but I'd rather just watch them while I work without waiting hours to download a file or breaking the law. Plus, there's the added benefit of supporting the networks doing a smart thing, or so I thought.

Last Thursday, I was excited to watch the latest episode of The Office, since it was written by Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant, the original creators of the British version of the show.

I had a meeting toward the end of the day and as I stood at the window of the conference room that overlooks the stadium, I realized the Bengals were playing and the game was televised. This meant my shows would be preempted!

However, I had hope. Since NBC posts shows on their site I assumed I could catch up the next day. But for some odd reason, NBC only posts some shows to their site. For the others they put up a two-minute replay to "get you caught up."

This is another sign that the networks just don't get it. Here let me break it down for you. You have fans who are so into your show they will take hours to download an episode illegally. I mean hours. Rather than offering these rabid fans the show with a few commercials you give them a two minute synopsis.

The best way for the networks to battle illegal downloads is to give fans the shows with advertising. Only the more technically saavy are able to download illegal shows. Average users just want to click a button and watch the show. THEY'LL EVEN SIT THROUGH COMMERICALS!

Did I get to watch The Office. Well, you'll never know. After all, I would have had to break the law to do that. Do you really think I'm that kind of guy?

Mapping Terabithia

I have always been really interested in children's books... even took a class on them in college. I've always had a special fondness for Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia.

I've known for a while that Disney was planning to make a movie version of the book. (It was only a matter of time.) I watched the trailer today and I'm disheartened to see that they made it look like an action movie.

If you don't know the book, it's largely about a young boy and girl who become friends and create their imaginary kingdom ("Terabithia") in the woods. That was one of the beauties of the book: imagination. So what happens when Disney tells kids what Terabithia looks like? The movie seems to be more about effects and computer generated ogres than about the power of imagination as an escape.

I can no longer imagine Stuart Little as anything but a CG rat. Fern from Charlotte's Web is Dakota Fanning in my head. Our research shows that kids seek opportunities to exercise their imaginations-- are we robbing them of the chance, when we take away their Terabithia?