Spy Labs: Spy Location Tracker

My kids and their cousins (ages 8, 7, 6, and 5) spent literally hours playing with this thing, so it's an absolute winner in my book. *I* hid the sensor, and they'd take turns holding the tracker and taking point on the search. You have to hold down the trigger, and when you get close-ish (like in the same room) the lights start to blink. You can stand still and turn side-to-side until both the red and the green sides are solid and not blinking (if red is flashing, turn slightly toward red, if green is flashing, turn slightly toward green). Once both sides are solid, you walk forward along that line, and the lights glow brighter and brighter till you're within arm's reach of the sensor. You do need a lot of space to really play, but I spent hours hiding it all over the house for them, and they kept finding it time after time. It's perhaps a bit pricey, but it kept them out of my hair (except when they found it and needed it hidden again) and happily occupied.

This Location Spy Tracking kit is both functional and easy to use, while also looking cool. The first thing I wasn't too much of a fan for was that there were no included batteries, especially for the price asked for such a toy, but worse is that both the tracking gun and the transmitter device use different size batteries. Now once you get batteries into both the devices it's quite easy to use. Power on the transmitter and just place the transmitter where you desire; then just use the gun by pulling and/holding the trigger to get lighting hints on its location. The gun has a range of maybe 25ft to detect the transmitter and that's with minimal walls and/or doors. Basically, enough to detect the transmitter from one end of a small hallway to the dining room on the opposite side of the house. The tracking gun lights up either with a half green/red circle or lights. The lights flicker and pulse when they pick up a faint signal, and depending on where the signal was picked up, that side of the circle will light up more than the other. Once you get relatively closer to the transmitter the circle of lights begins to brighten and stay on fully when you're within 5ft of the transmitter. The transmitter is able to send signals through smaller objects, which in my case I used a large plastic salad bowl to cover it up with, and it doesn't really hamper the tracking guns detection too much. However, what does hamper the detection, like said before, is walls and doors. If you're not in an open area or in the same room, the tracking gun won't pick up the signal. And the tracking is all done with lights, there's not audio beeps or anything to further help you locate the transmitter. A few things that do hurt this product, or in my opinion at the very least, is the transmitter is the size of a hockey puck and has a bright red light that shines on the top of it... not really what you call "stealthy" in design. The tracking gun is nice with the lights, but audio beeping would also be a big plus too, even if it was limited to a 5ft range when it started to beep or if there was an option to allow audio beeps too. It is a fun and unique gadget, but it has really niche uses though for it, such as planning a hide seek, scavenger hunt or some type of secret surprise search. Overall, this Spy Gadget tracking toy kit does work and potentially can be a fun way to enhance some activities with a secret spy/agent like twist. Would make a perfect gift (or gag gift) for any spy loving fan, or spy gadget lover.

Having seen this advertised, my grandchild thought it was going to work a bit differently. Overall satisfied.

The Spy Tracker is a fun toy that promotes imagination in Kids!! Excitement galore. The box design is kid friendly and sparks curiosity. The Spy Tracker itself is two pieces. What I did not like was that two different size batteries Aa and aaa, were needed. I didn’t have aa at the time of opening so we had to wait a day to use it. Each piece needed a different size. It would be more convenient if only one size was needed. The lights on the round piece were confusing for a moment but easily figured out. It is fun is to hide the tracker, then try to find it, in a large area kids move around more instead of sitting in-front of a video game. What could take it to the next level of fun would be to add a sound option. As you get closer to the find, the sound get louder!! Of course for parents sanity, an on/off button would be needed. Kids of all ages would enjoy this! Younger ones may need help at first.

Got this for my grandsons and paired it with a timer to find the "trophy" before the timer goes off. This allows one to use the "detector" from the Spylab kit to search for trophy (which is the device that emits an ultrasonic signal that also comes within the Spylab kit. My grandsons took turns for over an hour finding trophies hidden throughout the house, garage, etc. TIP: it helps if you put the "trophy" in a room where you can close the door, because the kids really like it when they open the door and the detector "lights up" indicating they are close. The detector is generally "off" (one yellow LED lights at the front of the screen) until it start coming within range of the trophy. At that point, one side (or the other, or both sides) lightup (one side is green the other red) and are flashing. This tells you that you are getting "warmer" and as you turn around to scan the room, eventually both sides will light up. As you move closer to the trophy, the lights will come on steady - then it is really just a hunt to find it in close proximity. Let your imagination run - make up stories, the more you put into it, the more fun the kids think it is! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

We have played forensics games this summer and the grandchildren loved it. We took fingerprints, made a fingerprint file, lifted fingerprints, wrote in secret codes, etc. We have had so much fun with this. This spy location tracker has been a real hit for them. It is like a game of hide and seek only a much more advanced version. The grandchildren took turns hiding evidence and finding it with the treasure tracker.. What fun! They know how to play with it now so they can play it again whenever they come for a visit. Great toy!

Our younger grade school age child and his friend had a good time with the Spy Location Tracker. Taking turns hiding and finding kept them occupied for hours. Simple enough for any of the kids to pick up and operate, did what it was supposed to, and did it without a bunch of noise! (The toy, not the kids) I had some toys similar to this when I was younger and eventually it became part of other games we'd make up, so I could see it getting used for a long time.

Enter the thrilling world of investigation and intrigue with the Thames & Kosmos Spy Labs Inc. This captivating kit is a must-have for aspiring young investigators aged 8 and up, providing them with the tools and skills to uncover mysteries and solve cases like real detectives. The kit's centerpiece is a transmitter that emits ultrasonic sound waves. As a young sleuth, you'll use the included handheld detector to track and locate these waves, lighting up the display on the detector as you get closer to your target. This interactive approach teaches tracking techniques and engages kids in a dynamic learning experience. Whether it's finding hidden treasures, gathering evidence, or creating thrilling scavenger hunts, Spy Labs Inc. offers endless possibilities for creative and imaginative play. The kit promotes teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving, making it an educational yet fun activity for young minds. Step into the shoes of a super sleuth and embark on exciting adventures with Spy Labs Inc. With its engaging activities and ultrasonic technology, this kit is your gateway to a world of discovery and mystery-solving fun.