Screen-free fun for kids: Tomzon's beginner drone is on sale for $25 at Amazon

Do you have kids? Grandkids? Maybe feel like a kid at heart? Whatever the case, I think nearly anyone would have fun with a drone — a remote-controlled flying machine that's not only seriously cool, but also a great alternative to phones, tablets, TVs and other brain-mushifying screens. What's more, this is a hobby you can get into on the cheap right now: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Tomzon's A23 Mini Drone for Kids drops to just $25 when you clip the on-page $8-off coupon.

TOMZON

Tomzon A23 Mini Drone for Kids

$25$40

Save $15 with coupon

Easy to learn and fun to fly, the A23 features three speeds, colorful LEDs, blade guards and a spare battery so you can stay airborne a little longer. Just take note: This tiny drone is definitely designed for the indoors.

Save $15 with coupon

$25 at Amazon

True to its name, this little flier is small enough to take off from the palm of your hand — which it can do with the press of a button or just a toss into the air. The downside there is that it's extremely lightweight and therefore not suited to outdoor flying (unless there's zero wind).

Obviously anything with four spinning propellers poses some safety risk to kids, but the maker helps minimize those risks by encircling the propellers in plastic. Those guards also help the drone bounce off walls without damaging it or them. The box also includes a spare set of propellers, just in case.

Tomzon says the rechargeable battery last for up to 9 minutes of flight time, which is pretty good — a lot of mini drones expire after just 5-6 minutes. And, thankfully, there's a spare battery included here, so you can quickly take to the skies again.

Speaking of which, I like that the USB charging cord has two plugs at the other end, meaning you can charge both batteries simultaneously instead of one at a time.

I also like that the A23 has a couple of automated flight modes, including rotation (it just turns in place) and circle (it flies in a small orbit). The drone can perform midair flips as well just by pushing a button and then moving one of the joysticks in whatever direction you want it to flip. The LEDs, which cycle between various colors and blinky patterns, are a great touch, especially if you're flying this in a dark-ish room.

I've flown the Tomzon A23 myself, and it's exactly as advertised: Easy, fun and reasonably safe. The remote is well-suited to smaller hands and includes clearly labeled buttons, though they're a little hard to read in dimmer lighting because the icons (the front-facing ones, anyway) are black on black.

Regardless of the lighting conditions, an adult should supervise at first, to say nothing of teaching kids the basics of flying. Tomzon's instruction manual has fairly small print, but it's comprehensive and easy to follow.

I'm honestly kind of amazed a toy like this sells for just $33, to say nothing of $25 with the discount. It's great for beginners, kids or anyone who wants to see what all the drone fuss is about. And it doesn't have a screen in sight.

TOMZON

Tomzon A23 Mini Drone for Kids

$25$40

Save $15 with coupon

Easy to learn and fun to fly, the A23 features three speeds, colorful LEDs, blade guards and a spare battery so you can stay airborne a little longer. Just take note: This tiny drone is definitely designed for the indoors.

Save $15 with coupon

$25 at Amazon

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

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