New Toy Lets Kids' Fingers Do the Walking

If you did not think it was possible for your kids to be more enthused by playing Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja on your iPad for hours on end, think again.

Collingswood resident and mother Sarah Lee has designed a new toy to make playing on interactive, touch-screen devices even more entertaining for young kids.

Her new product is called AppPalz: finger puppet-like dolls that transforms kids' hands into stylish walking figurines that can play along with them. AppPalz's design melds the traditional Barbie doll look with iPad capabilities, Lee says.

“I actually got the idea from my kids," Lee said. "My youngest daughter would play finger people with my other daughter, who is now 8, in the car and I wondered if there were clothes or anything you could dress them up in.

“When I was on my phone looking for them, that’s when I realized what they could be used for,” she said.

Lee says that more than being the inspiration behind the toys, her children were also a major part of the development process as well.

“I run everything by my kids,” she said.

So far, Lee has only just begun selling the toys online through the AppPalz site and Amazon.com. The toys have also become increasingly popular as they have gained exposure. 

“We brought them to the New York City International Toy Fair and received a lot of great responses there,” she said.

AppPalz currently sell for $9.99 and, according to Lee, more characters will soon be added to the collection.