As a hands on mom, I make it a point to oversee everything my toddler does on a daily basis. His learning and development means the world to me. And though we haven’t started him on school just yet, we make sure he learns the fundamentals like his ABCs (his favorite is the Alphabet Song); 123s (so proud he can now count to 50); differentiating colors, animals and everyday things; building and constructing blocks; and fostering imaginative play. We spend a lot of time with our little guy, and now that he’s three years old, we can see how closely he watches us (he usually imitates our gestures and expressions) and how his brain is basically like a sponge–he absorbs everything so quickly!

That’s why we make sure he gets limited screen time, and promote good old healthy play. Whether its at home or in the park, our little guy loves imagining different scenarios and acting it out with us. He is also very interested in puzzles, building blocks, coloring and activity books and his toy cars, which is why Pai Technology Toys is such a hit with him.

So, I recently learned about PAI Toys when we were invited to their event in Rustan’s Makati. It is a new interactive way of playing that visually teaches through Augmented Reality, Robotics and PaiBloks. These toys allow you to use your gadgets while playing with them, so it basically combines technology and interaction, which is perfect for this day and age. I mean, as much as I say I limit the use of smart phones, Tristan knows how to use them. I love the idea of being able to use this technology to improve my son’s learning and engage him in play. This is a great way to spend quality time with Tristan while helping him strengthen his critical thinking and develop his motor skills. Also, it basically promotes healthy screening time for my toddler.

One way PAI Toys does this is by using Augmented Reality, which is an interactive way of discovering new things and concepts through visual and aural stimulation. Tristan tried out Bandar’s Beats (P1,980), which is a creative music rhythm game. It has a hands-on gameplay mode that encourages fun play and develops a sense of rhythm, music talent and hand-eye coordination. Plus, its super fun, even for me as I guided Tristan through play. PAI Toys also has other toys like Ocean Pets (P2,800), where you can create your own virtual aquarium; Little Engineer (P3,300), a hands on tutorial to help your child learn programming; TJ’s Math Adventure (P3,300), which promotes interactive math games and geometric skills; and TJ’s Tangram (P1,980), a traditional tangram with a playful adventure game.

We also tried out Augie the Augmented Reality Robot (P18,888), the first premiere coding robot with Augmented Reality and Tristan was so impressed by it. You can control it with an iPad and it can move to where you want it to go. Also, it talks and flashes words and pictures that is linked to your gadget. This teaches your child code by controlling the robot’s movement, customizing the screen, and playing AR games. Super fun for the whole family!

We also played with PaiBloks, which allows you to build, control, code and interact. These are safe and smart blocks that promotes multi-play. Designed for kids 3-7 years old, their larger size makes it easier for kids to build with, and it comes with a step-by-step instructional manual to help you build the blocks. And when you’re done, you can actually control and move the finished pieces with your gadget–amazing! Toys range from P2,000 (for PaiBloks Helicopter and Police Car) to P3,150 (PaiBloks Crane) and P3,500 (PaiBloks Ambulance, Race Car and Bulldozer).

We really had the best time discovering and playing with PAI Toys! We couldn’t help but purchase a few toys for Tristan to play with, and so far its been put to good use. He loves his new toys, and the new way of playing with them.

Personally, I think these make such great investment toys because they don’t break very easily, and really promote interactive play. It allows bonding time for the whole family, as we all try and discover this new amazing technology.

PAI Toys is available in all Rustan’s and Hobbes & Landes stores.

Follow their official Instagram account at @paitoys and search the hashtags: #PaiToys and #PlayDateWithPAIToys for more info about these wonderfully interactive toys.