July 2018 | Relay Blog

Relay breaks a world record! Stranger things have happened

July 17, 2018/in Relay in Action

Friday the 13th isn’t a day most people decide to take a chance and accomplish something huge—but for our Relay team, it ended with a celebration of our mission to spread the spirit of creative, unplugged childhood fun.

This year on Friday the 13th, we broke the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing sweatbands!

“Awesome!” You are probably thinking, “but what do sweatbands have to do with Relay?”

It’s simple. We spent the night celebrating Stranger Things Night at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, an outdoor family event dedicated to our nostalgia for the bold childhood of the ‘80s, when kids took off on bikes armed only with walkie talkies to communicate and enable their adventures.

Relay aims to recapture the spirit of Stranger Things—without the otherworldly monsters—by encouraging families and friends to stay connected with a device that’s as easy to use as a walkie talkie and (bonus!) takes away the temptation of screens and apps. We aim to encourage kids to go outside and experience the world, instead of staying inside and watching the world happen around them.

We chose the sweatband as a symbol of this free and explorative era to rally around and spread our message—and we did it! 4,990 people donned their Relay sweatbands, connecting with us and with one another in person—not online—to achieve a milestone for the ages (and trust us, it was harder than it looked!)

We’re so grateful to the amazing local community for their participation. We all came together to celebrate unplugged fun, whether it was a throwback to our own childhood or an introduction of this retro, free-range culture to a brand new generation.

Following our world record, we can’t wait to pursue our product’s goal of digital well-being among children even further. In pursuit of this goal, Relay is proud to announce that $5 from each of the next 5,000 Relays sold will go to support Common Sense Education, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

Relay is on a mission, and we’re just getting started. We hope you join us for the ride!

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Fun new Relay features kids love: Say hello to animal friends

July 5, 2018/in Relay in Action

Our Relay kids have loved playing on the Echo channel—Relay’s fun voice-changing feature. We built Relay to be fun for kids as much as we built it to be freeing and safe, so we’ve been working to add even more fun features for Relay kids to use.

Every Relay is given a unique animal name when it’s activated: witty cat, eager octopus—we even have unicorns! And when two Relays bump each other, they use NFC (near-field communication) to make fun animal noises! Curious about how it works? We have a Relay kid here to explain! Watch our Feature Friday video below to learn more.

Sarah: Hey guys, welcome back to Feature Friday! Today I’ve got my friend Ian to show us the latest Relay feature.

Ian: Hey everybody.

Sarah: Hey Ian, what’s with the mask?

Ian: It’s a unicorn. It’s my favorite animal.

Sarah: So, speaking of animals…today we’re going to explore Relay’s animal side. When you activate your Relay, it’s automatically assigned a random animal name.

Ian: Know how you find out your Relay’s animal name?

Sarah: No, but can you show us?

Ian: Sure! If you press your Relay’s power button, on the left, one time…your Relay tells you its animal name.

Relay: Smart Monkey is on Relay

Ian: Mine’s Smart Monkey. These animal stickers came with my Relay, so I put the monkey sticker on mine.

Sarah: Cool!

Ian: Let me hear yours.

Relay: Eager Dog is on Relay

Sarah: Mine’s Eager Dog.

Ian: Smart Monkey is cooler.

Sarah: Didn’t you have a mask on? …Yeah, you’re right. Other Relays could be named Amusing Panda, or Talented Cat. There are 16 animals to choose from.

Ian: Even a unicorn?

Sarah: Yup, even a unicorn. The animal name is how you identify your Relay. It’s also how parents can keep track of which Relay is which on their app. Even the app gets its own name… like Cool Rabbit. And here’s something really fun…when you touch your Relays back to back…they each make the animal sound. Should we show them?

Ian: Yup!

Relays: [Animal sounds]

Ian: Mine barked, and yours made a monkey sound!

Sarah: I know, it’s like they’re talking to each other.

Ian: Let’s do it again!

Sarah: Well this is awesome! Ian, thanks for coming and showing these great animal features with me.

Ian: No problem!

Sarah: Thanks for watching guys. We’ll see you next time for Feature Friday!

Outdoor play advice from the summer fun expert

July 3, 2018/in Play Unplugged

We created Relay as a tool to enable independent outdoor play for kids while preserving their safety and their parents’ peace of mind. In the summertime, kids are freer than ever and it’s the best time to let them loose to find summer fun. Relay isn’t a phone, and unlike a typical kid phone, Relay can stand up to many outdoor activities for kids—and the bumps, tosses, and splashes that come with them! Here to give us the ins and outs of unplugged summer fun, we asked social media director Mallory Martin from Prime Time Toys, makers of Poolside toys such as Sharkpedo and the ORIGINAL Max Liquidator™ to talk to us about the importance of outdoor play and how to get screen-bound tots outside and playing again.

Please introduce Prime Time Toys to us and tell us a little about yourself!

Since 1990, Prime Time Toys, Ltd. has been producing family fun pool toys for kids and innovative toys and games that can be enjoyed both in and out of the water. We have developed and expanded our line of water activities and pool accessories designed to give families hours of fun together. Prime Time Toys is dedicated to innovation and the development of original, safe and fun products.

What makes active outdoor play so important for kids?

Outdoor play promotes well-being and exercise. It allows kids to explore their environment, develop muscle coordination, and gain self-confidence. It also allows them to develop their social skills as they play with friends and neighbors. Providing fitness, experience, independence, and development, there’s really no replacement for outdoor play during childhood.

The pool is a staple of summer fun for kids. What do you think makes water, from backyard sprinklers to Olympic-size pools, so fun?

Most kids love water play, even babies! Sensory activities for toddlers are especially important as they grow and learn about the world around them. When they hear the splashes, see the bubbles, and maybe even taste the water, they’re not only having fun, they’re also gaining knowledge and experience that helps their brain develop. It’s a combination of learning and enjoyment! And you don’t need to dip your toddler in the pool if you’d rather play in the backyard—there are plenty of outdoor toys for toddlers, like outdoor sprinklers and other fun sensory games.

Sensory activities are important for older kids, too. And when you’re looking for things to do in the summer, poolside play, backyard water battles, and sprinkler sessions are high on the list. Not only are they fun, but you can’t enjoy them year-round depending on where you live. It makes them even more special.

A big part of summertime at the pool is playing with friends. How do Prime Time Toys enable social and active play?

Prime Time Toys the ultimate destination for pool toys and kids outdoor toys. We offer a variety of pool toys for all ages. Splash Bomb Diving Rings and Diving Sticks are both great tools for younger children to test and their swimming abilities and gain confidence in the water while having a great time together.

As well, Prime Time Toys created the ORIGINAL Max Liquidator™, and this summer we have a full line of these award-winning water blasters. Every water battle is different; they never get old! They’re full of opportunities for imaginative, brain-developing pretend play, friendly competition, and teamwork. And there’s a style made for every age group—toddlers, young kids, and even teens.

Do you think that summer fun has changed since you were a kid? Is it more difficult for kids to get active?

These days, I believe kids face more and more temptation to stay indoors, no matter the season. You just don’t see kids out riding bikes as much today as when I was a kid. A lot of it is because of the way technology has evolved. Kids now have a lot of play options that don’t involve the outdoors, pretend play, or even social interaction.

What advice do you have for parents whose kids want to spend their summer indoors glued to a screen?

Sometimes a great new outdoor toy, game, or activity can inspire kids to turn off the screen and play, especially in the summertime! If they are having trouble finding outdoor summer activities, you can give them some ideas. Pick up a couple Max Liquidator’s at your nearest Target and challenge your kids to the ultimate outdoor water battle!