Coolest Inventions 2004: Kid Friendly

BABY, DON'T CRY

Sometimes all babies need is a little rocking to fall asleep. The Caring Cot, created by an English industrial designer, is a motorized crib that rocks for about a minute if the baby in it cries for 30 sec. If the baby doesn't stop after about 5 min., a signal is sent to the parents via remote. A sensor goes off if the room gets too hot or cold. And for parents fearful of studden infant death syndrome, a motion detector indicates if the baby has stopped moving for too long.

INVENTOR Garry Cho

AVAILABILITY Prototype only

TO LEARN MORE garrycho@gmail.com

SITTIN' PRETTY

Particularly tall parents sick of stooping as they push their toddlers about town will appreciate the new Xplory. Its push bar can be positioned nearly 4 ft. off the ground, and the seat can be raised high to keep the child above the fray. This stroller can be adjusted to accommodate passengers from a newborn to a 40-lb. preschooler; a special latch turns it into a two-wheeler for negotiating stairs. Bonus feature: a zippered sack for groceries.

INVENTOR Stokke

AVAILABILITY Now, $749

TO LEARN MORE stokkeusa.com

ALL TIED UP

Problem: during soccer games, your child often has to bend down to retie her cleats' laces or risk tripping during a critical dribble-shot-score. Solution: Shloops. The patented rubbery tubes, which take mere moments to install, keep shoes securely tied all day, no matter what you're doing. Put them on once and keep them on until your shoes wear out. Whether they offend your fashion sensibilities is a separate issue.

INVENTOR Troy Christy

AVAILABILITY Now, $2.99 a pair, in a range of colors

TO LEARN MORE shloops.com

DIRTY WORK

It used to be that if your kid decided to redecorate the house in crayon, you had two choices: embrace the new mural or repaint. But now there's Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, a block of melamine foam that lets you remove stains and scuff marks swiftly without breaking a sweat. The material's unique chemical makeup makes it a great cleaner. But beware: rub too long or hard on the same spot, and you'll take the shine off a semigloss surface--or worse.

INVENTORS BASF, Procter & Gamble

AVAILABILITY Now, about $4 for four

TO LEARN MORE mrclean.com