If you haven’t yet met the Fingerlings, you soon will. They’re already getting hyped up as the toy of the 2017 holiday season (a la Hatchimals). Given I’ve two girls that will probably want the hell out of these things, I figured it’s worth a dig.
At first glance, these things appear to be the next evolution of… finger puppets – tech-enabled dolls that are worn like rings. The arms and legs (and tail) of each monkey coil around a finger, literally keeping your kid’s hands busy. The cling is strong enough that the monkeys can even hang upside down.
Ok, that’s cute, but what do they do?
A lot, actually. The monkeys come in different colors, and each has its own name and “personality” (though as far as we can tell, all of the monkeys come with the same palette of interactions and sounds). The monkey responds to a variety of triggers by making funky monkey sounds, blinking, shaking its head around, laughing, sneezing, singing, or burping – there are 40 responses in all.
There are a large number of ways to trigger the monkey:
- tapping on its head (there are two sensors on its skull)
- rubbing its head
- cradling its head
- rotating the monkey (eg., right side up to upside down)
- shaking the monkey
- blowing in its face
- loud sounds such as clapping
- rocked back and forth while cradled on its back
Repeating a trigger, or combining a few generates different responses. For example, the monkey might snore if you rub its tuft of hair (sensory input by touch) while cradling it on its back (specific orientation in space).
After 60 seconds without any interaction, the monkey will start to whistle. If you continue to ignore it, it’ll start to snore, and eventually go to sleep to save on power. Luckily, these aren’t like the old school Tamagotchis in that they don’t wither and die from neglect.
For a $15 product, these pack a lot of punch. And, at that price point, you may end up with a troop of them, all singing do-re-mi every time a door slams shut.
Who’s the target demographic?
Interestingly, there appears to be disagreement about what age is appropriate for the toy. A report by Market Insider says Fingerlings are for ages 5+, Amazon is marketing the monkeys for the 2-4 age range, and the manufacturer WowWee provides no actual guidance on its website. Our view is that though a young toddler might not “get” the toy, which is akin to a busy board, it creates opportunities for teaching moments: explain how to trigger a response and discuss the emotions around that response. Inevitably, the kid will figure out how to make the monkey burp and fart (hold the two sensors on its head with your fingers or cup and hold a large area of its head with your hand for 2 seconds), which is funny at every age.
Fingerlings Logistics
Fingerlings come with batteries, and are rated for 4 hours of play. They take 4 LR44s, which are the small circular types that usually go in watches. In other words, if your Fingerling makes it past that 4th hour, it’s unlikely you’ve got a pack of battery watches lying around the house.
In addition to the 6 monkeys, WowWee is also selling a few accessory sets: monkey-bars, a see-saw, and a jungle gym.
Be sure when buying these things that you’ve got an authentic version. The only authorized retailers are Amazon, Target, Walmart, GameStop, and Toys ‘R Us (at least while it’s still around). Amazon and Toys ‘R Us are selling exclusives, a pink glitter monkey and a unicorn, respectively. There are already knockoffs showing up, so make sure sure your Fingerling is by WowWee.
