“Would you like some ice-cream? We start all our meetings with ice-cream." That's how I was greeted at the Fuhu offices in El Segundo. Never mind that it was 10 in the morning, and that I was distracted by the huge ball pit in the middle of the conference room table. I was invited down to the Fuhu offices to learn about their newest game changing kid tablet - The DREAMTAB.
Fuhu is the company behind the award-winning Nabi tablet, which was the world’s first Android tablet built just for kids. The Nabi tablets have everything that kids love about your iPad or phone, but with awesome kid features and, more importantly, parental features that make it easy to control what they can and can’t see or buy on the internet. We have a Nabi tablet and the boys love using it, and I love them not stealing my iPad.
The newly released DreamTab is a true game changer, brought to life through a collaboration between Fuhu and DreamWorks Animation. This tablet encourages the user to be involved and great creative. The DreamTab is special because it comes with the tools that inspire art and critical thinking. It offers more than 400 kid-focused features. In the Dream Pro Studio, the DreamWorks Animation team walk you step by step on how to draw your favorite DreamWorks characters, and bring animation to life. I had a blast trying to draw Alex the Lion from Madagascar. It is a lot harder than it looks.
Unlike other kids tablets the DreamTab has a digital stylus that writes just like a pen. The stylus can be used to write, draw and paint. Using the stylus helps kids bridge the digital world with the classic pen and paper, which makes transitioning from one to the other much easier. It is the same stylus used by DreamWorks Animation filmmakers.
The DreamPro Studio suite of creative tools on the DreamTab can teach kids how to draw, animate, author their on books and even edit their own movie - right on the tablet. Everything is focused and geared towards helping a child learn and interact with tech. 
The DreamTab also comes with Wings Learning System (TM), which is a personal learning program that adapts with the user and is based on the Common Core State Standards. Parents can check in on their children's work and see their progress or where they have been struggling. Kids can earn coins by completing lessons or doing their chores to redeem in the parent controlled Treasure Box. The Treasure Box let's them download songs, apps, or shows once they have earned enough coins - it is modern day virtual allowance.
Kids are so tech savvy, and when you hand them a tablet you want to be sure that it is appropriate for them. There are so many things they can get into on the internet, from Youtube-ing the wrong thing to making purchases. The Nabi eliminates those fears with their parental controls and different modes that are simple to set up. With the Nabi Konnect, kids can "socially network" in a safe controlled environment. They can message their buddies, or send a photo to grandparents all on a secured parent approved network. 
The parent controls on the DreamTab are amazing, with an app you can remotely manage and monitor your children's tablet on your phone. You can set time limits for how long they can use the tablet or how long they use differnt apps. Parents can even select special animated vignettes created by DreamWorks Animation to come onto the screen at designated times to inform children it’s time to study, go outside, go to sleep and much more.
The DreamTab comes with everything you need right in the box, which retails for $269
but there are tons of great extras that you can get to personalize your tablet and make it perfect for your kids' needs. Visit the website www.nabitablet.com to learn more.
I had a great time meeting the Fuhu team and learning about the DreamTab and all the amazing and innovative products that Fuhu makes to inspire kids and help parents.
Full disclosure: I was given a Nabi 2 tablet and accessories, but all opinions are my own.
