Mattel Nick Click - Digital camera - blue translucent

The camera itself is sturdy enough with a great, kid-pleasing design: a purple plastic case, influenced by the iMac, and a lime green bungee-cord strap. The battery (a nine-volt, so be sure to stock up) needs to be screwed in, preventing kids from accessing to the only potentially dangerous part of this endeavor. There's a power-up button, a self-timing button, and the shutter release. Also, and most interestingly, there's the input port for the cable that connects to your PC.

Everything about this package is well designed: you can take 20 photos while connected to the cable, or six roaming unfettered, before you need to upload. This kind of freedom--matched with the package's relatively low-price--kept us deeply impressed with this software-camera combo.

The camera's software by itself is ingenious. One warning, though: you'll need to spend time reading through the user guide to explain all the icons to your kids--they're not terribly intuitive. But the robustness of the image-editing tools more than makes up for time spent. There are possibilities galore, even if the resolution of the images themselves can be a little muddy.

In the Publicity department, kids can create posters and e-cards to save and send to friends. (Our favorite was a Ren and Stimpy postcard.) If you're patient enough to take a series of pictures, the Director's Studio lets you make a minimovie. Nicktoon Props lets you overlay images of the Rugrats and other cartoon friends. The last section of the movie studio is the F/X wing, where special effects let you make minicartoons underwater or in space--with an implanted face on the already-provided bodies.

For budding artists, photographers, and directors, it's hard to imagine a better way for them to play. Nick Click Digital Camera will have you running for cover as they search for new heads to stick on the computer-created characters, but it's a worthy price to pay. Bravo to Mattel and Nickelodeon for truly understanding how cool technology can be. --Jennifer Buckendorff

Amazon.com Product Description
Kids will love the Nickelodeon Click Digital Camera, which lets them take their own pictures edit them themselves. The software includes characters from all the favorite Nickelodeon shows including the Rugrats, The Angry Beavers, CatDog, and Hey Arnold! Pose with your favorite characters in their animated environments using Nicktoons Props, or you can even transform yourself into them.

The camera stores up to six pictures when untethered, and unlimited pictures when connected to the computer. It's easy for kids ages 6 and older to use. Use the self-timer to take pictures of yourself or your friends. Uploading the pictures is easy, and editing is even easier--the software was designed with kids in mind. The Director's Studio lets you edit pictures and add sound effects or create mini-movies. You can even make posters, stickers, postcards and picture IDs. Pictures can be saved, e-mailed, or printed for hours of fun.