We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our
Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious racetrack. Like, my kids are addicted. They like how it’s super interactive with technology (their favorite). They love building and rebuilding the track and racing against each other, friends, dad, or the computer — one of the most fun things they do every day! (Yes, they keep the track set up to play with it daily.)
5 Reasons Why My Kids LOVE Anki Overdrive Fast and Furious Racetrack
Our last year has been awful. Both kids were very ill from mold toxicity that we didn’t know about. (Their symptoms were 4 bouts of c diff, h pylori, seizures, parasites, fatigue, dizziness, and much more.) My youngest daughter, JJ, missed 3 months of school and barely could attend part time after that. You can imagine that they didn’t play or even talk much, especially JJ. I never saw a smile. Her pain level was extremely high. Our functional doctor finally figured out it was mold last May, we remediated our house three times over the summer with a clean air test finally in August. Anki Overdrive was the first time I heard them play together, off screen time more or less, in almost a year. It did my heart so good to listen to them laughing and talking. I’m grateful for this toy to help them come back together as the medicines are working and they’re starting to feel better. For me, it’s beyond just a fun tech toy; it’s built bridges that had been lost.
Here are the specifics of why my kids think Anki Overdrive Fast and Furious is the best tech toy:
1. Lots of track rebuilding possibilities!
The vinyl track pieces easily fit together with magnetic pieces at the ends. My kids love the possibilities for different racetracks. We added the
Speed Kit gives kids two extra straight pieces. This makes your track formations go from from 8 to more than 18! And my kids always wanted to remake the track in different ways. Talk about a fun creative process.
They like using the 2 riser pieces to include hills. These easily fit underneath the track pieces.
The kit also includes 3 straight track pieces, 6 curved track pieces, a 4 car charging platform, 12 guardrails, a tire cleaner and two cars.
2. You can play by yourself or with other players. (And it’s great for both boys and girls.)
How many other players depends on how many cars you have. The starter kit comes with 2 cars. One player can race by herself or race against an AI controlled car. According to my kids, they like to pick the race and battle options. In a battle, your goals is to score the most points. Also, time trials are races where you’re competing for the fastest time. Every time they race, they have the opportunity to unlock more options for their cars like weapons and upgrades.
3. It combines technology with play.
Since our health troubles, my kids have relied on technology to distract them from the pain. But I want them to wean themselves off now. This is a great compromise. They get to have their screens but be playing in real life, too!
Download the free app (iOS, Android, Fire OS) which connects to the race cars. Each player needs the app on a separate device so if you have a child without a tablet or phone, you may be asked to lend yours.
4. It’s fun and exciting!
This toy has given my kids lots of laughs and enjoyment. They totally love everything about it. They even love to play Anki Overdrive in the dark! I’d have taken a photo but all you can see are the lights from the cars moving too fast for me to capture.
5. The Fast and Furious cars are awesome.
The two cars that come with the racetrack kit are from the 2017 Fast and Furious movie. You don’t have to know the movies to like how cool these cars are. My 15-year old loves the movies (she’s super into cars like her dad) but my 12-year old has no interest. Either way, they both still love playing with these cars. The two cars are Dom’s Ice Charger and Hobbs’ MXT. (Also available is
Nuke Phantom.)
Oh, and if you have a dog like us, you’ll be so glad for the included wheel cleaner. Because dog hair (or dust or cat hair) interferes with the car working properly and you’ll need it.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this product. This in no way influenced my opinion.
also read: STEAM and STEM Chapter Books for Kids
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