Every parent has been there: Its Saturday.
Its raining, snowing, or nuclear winter, and for whatever reason, your kid cant play outside.
Then junior hits you with that age-old kid lament: Imbored.
But with theNintendo Labofor the Switch, I now have a better option.
This video game/interactive toy/construction kit is a boredom killer.
Like the best rainy day projects, its easy and fun to start, but gradually reveals surprising complexity.
Your kid might even learn something about engineering and computers along the way.
A Seventy Dollar Cardboard Box?
When Nintendo revealed Labo a few months ago, I was skeptical.
I was so very wrong.
Although it uses and requires a Nintendo Switch, Labo is not a video game.
Its a product meant to blur the line between toys and games.
But cardboard assembly is only the beginning level of Labo.
Its deeper stages provide limitless play and learning possibilities.
Its educational, but unlike too many good-for-you products, Labo is actually fun.
Its the kind of toy thats designed to be taken apart and examined.
Pretty amazing for a box of cardboard.
The first is a collection of mini-games with accompanying mini projects.
But you gotta build before you play.
During that time, Im happy to report, there was little frustrated screaming.
The cardboard pieces snap together with a satisfying click, and everything works as advertised.
you’ve got the option to rewind, repeat, and change camera angles to your hearts content.
Dex even built a couple projects solo, and hes only ten.
The resulting toys are surprisingly durable.
I was ready with hot glue and tape to strengthen errant flaps or tears, but it wasnt needed.
So far, everything is holding together, even with fairly heavy use.
They are made of paper, though, so you have to treat them fairly gingerly.
The projects make heavy use of the camera embedded in one of the Switchs Joy Con controllers.
Move your limbs and the blocks go up and down.
The blocks are even weighted to provide feedback for the mech pilot in your living room.
Play: The Games
Its a little unfair to compare Labos tech-demos to complete games.
Play is only one aspect of the Labo experience though.
The robot kit is the closest to a full-fledged game for the Labo, and its undeniably fun.
Dex loved it and wanted to show it off to his friends.
His one sentence review: This would be a great party game!
The robot is cool, but we spent the most time with the Variety Kit.
If you shake the keyboard, you control vibrato.
As more features and options become available, you realize that you didnt just build a paper piano.
You built a full-featured, working cardboard synthesizer with sequencer and drum machine.
Just the thing for the budding Quincy Jones in your life.
The Garage lets you program and create your own Toy-Cons.
People are building coin-sorting cardboard banks, target shooting games, and much more.Here are some examples.
The possibilities are limitless, and will keep your little ones busy long past a rainy day.
