We’re going through a dinosaur phase in our house. So my preschooler went bananas when his dad brought a Pleo home from work to meet the family a few weeks ago.

Jack fell in love with this little robotic Camarasaurus from the very first blink of its big, blue eyes. And given a chance, so will your kids. Pleo is so life-like that children  – and even quite a few adults – are more inclined to treat it like a real pet rather than a toy. Which is great news for parents who aren’t so keen on cleaning up smelly kitty litter or those who can’t find time to walk a dog. After having one trundling around my kitchen and living room for a week, it’s not hard to see why people soon forget Pleo’s a robot.

Remember those over-hyped robotic toys that hit toy shops a few years ago? Pleo is nothing like that. This critter has an amazing artificial intelligence that lets him express dozens of different emotions and behaviours. So there’s scared, playful, tired, happy, shy, bold and even affectionate Pleo. And he thrives on human interaction and attention. So he didn’t just sit in the corner, like countless other toys in our house. If we ignored him, he bounced over to nuzzle an arm (or foot) until paid some attention. And when we were really, really busy, he even found his own fun. Which is something I wish my own kids would do more often!

Pleo costs $449 from Harvey Norman and Domayne stores nationally. Expensive, yes? But also totally worth it. Especially if you’ve still got some of Kevin Rudd’s family cash  hand-outs to spend. Of course, at that price, we’d recommend keeping Pleo  out of the hands of any destructo toddlers lurking about, whether they’re the live-in variety or just visiting. We’re tipping  this particular toy will also wring promises of good behaviour “forever”  from older kids lucky enough to encounter one. Now if I can only work out how to tell my own boy our Pleo was just a loan …..

(via Gadgetguy )