Hot Wheels is getting a big tech upgrade, thanks to their newest partnership with a longtime Cool Mom Tech favorite, Osmo. You’ll be able to recapture your living room floors from miles of winding plastic track, but still let your kids have the fun of their race cars with MindRacers, the new Hot Wheels game for Osmo that mixes tangible cars with video game play.
It’s also the first Hot Wheels product to say “for boys and girls” on the box, even though our own girls have loved playing Hot Wheels for years (just like we did). A little late to the game, but better late than never?
With Mindracers, kids launch their physical cars into the Osmo attachment, which makes it look like you’ve launched it right into your iPad screen. From there, a digital race starts on one of 8 race tracks included in the app. As your car winds through the track, you’ll throw down coins to boost your speed, attack other cars, and perform other tasks.
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I’ve been a longtime fan of the mixture of physical and screen-based play that Osmo has mastered, because it opens up the opportunities that tech provides toys while still being a mindful experience for my kids. Their games require my kids to think and challenge themselves while they play, and the physical aspect of this Hot Wheels game sets it apart from other racing app games like Temple Run.
My prediction is that the tech aspect is going to lure my kids back to Hot Wheels on Osmo, and then they’re going to want to set up the real track to play on all afternoon. That said, this is a great option to let them get their fix when we don’t have time to set up the track or if we’re traveling. Play Hot Wheels on a plane? Yep, now you can.
We’re pretty sure this is going to be a hot holiday gift item for kids, and hey, maybe even a nostalgic, throw-back gift for the parent who was Hot Wheel-obsessed as a kid.
You can find the Hot Wheels MindRacer game for Osmo — for boys and girls! — at their website or our affiliate Amazon. You’ll need the Osmo Base to go with it, or you can buy it as a combo pack.
