Jonathan Takiff: THESE APPS ARE JUST FOR KIDS

THE GIZMO: Apptivities and App-cessories seize the day at the 109th Annual American International Toy Fair.

Kids (and toy makers) have often turned household items into favorite playthings. Say, connecting tin cans and string to make a primitive phone. Or poking plastic body parts into a vegetable or piece of fruit - how the enduring Mr. Potato Head was born 60 years ago.

Today, the apple of kids' eyes is often mom and dad's smartphones and tablets. The young 'uns are all over 'em, even when the devices aren't hosting a storybook or "Yo Gabba Gabba" video.

So at this year's American International Toy Fair, concluding today in New York, the imagineers of toy land have unleashed a mess of playthings that exploit mobile gadgets' power to deliver the "wow" factor. Most hitting stores shelves in the summer or fall, this new breed of apptified toys will link first with Apple's gizmos. Android-phone/tablet versions are "in the works."

ROAD WORK: Ready to let your kid steer miniature racing cars over the screen of your precious iPad? The good folks at Mattel assure its safety with the scratch-proof undersides of the new 2.0 Hot Wheels Apptivity vehicles. To get started, you'll download the free Hot Wheels app from the iTunes store. Then place a 2.0 grade HW vehicle on the screen and start careening over a magically animated track. A pair of 2.0 Hot Wheels vehicles will go for $19.99. Other tablet-based Apptivities built around popular characters are coming, too.

Rather have your kid race a vehicle around (or outside) the house using an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad as the car's remote control? Hold on for the Hot Wheels RC iNitro Speeders, using a radio frequency control module that plugs into the headphone jack of said iProduct. The iNitro bundle also will feature a compact carrying case that doubles as a charger.

Rival toymaker Silverlit is tooling up even more sophisticated remote control helicopter and racing cars that use the Bluetooth and gyroscope built into the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. So no plug-ins required.

And with Interactive Toy Concepts' Wi-Spi Helicopter and Wi-Spi Intruder car, vehicles aren't just controlled by your smartphone or tablet. Both have a built-in camera beaming live video to your mission-controlling device for tracking, recording and uploading to friends.