February is American Heart Month and what a coincidence! I've just discovered a really cool toy called My Little Beating Heart (compare prices). It's a soft, squishy, fuzzy, heart-shaped toy with a subtle heartbeat you can feel. Toys with recorded heartbeats aren't terribly uncommon because the sound of a beating heart is said to soothe newborns, but this one is different.
My Little Beating Heart is created by some nerdy, techie toy guys (I mean that in the nicest way!) who thought, "How can we use artificial intelligence to make the heart beat in cool ways?" If you hug My Little Beating Heart for a couple of minutes, the beat changes and evolves until it mimics a restful human heartbeat. It starts with a unique rhythm every time you turn it on. In theory, it helps kids relax as their heartbeat slows slightly to sync up with the toy's. After playing with it, I totally get it. It is very calming!
My Little Beating Heart is for kids 3 and older. It runs on a 9-volt battery and it shuts itself off after 20 minutes.
Wouldn't this be a cute Valentine's Day gift?
Photo of My Beating Heart © Banana Design Lab
This would also be a great present for a new puppy. When our dog was a baby, we had to wrap a clock in a blanket and hide it under a Winnie the Pooh doll in her crate so she could think she was sleeping with one of her litter-mates.