Another great coding toy for younger children, Robot Turtles from ThinkFun is a fun and educational board game which introduces key concepts of programming including analysis and logical reasoning. One of the best ways to help your kids stay active is to take Botley for a walk. You can either use the included remote control or your smartphone to direct Botley through his walking routes. Be sure to keep an eye on him, as he’ll need your help crossing streets and avoiding obstacles. When you’re done, be sure to plug him in so he can recharge his batteries.

Coming in at about 3 lbs and sized to fit in an adult palm, Botley is a small, friendly looking robot and can be programmed to perform a variety of tasks. The screen-free game helps build some of the key skills involved in programming including problem-solving and sequencing, starting off with basic activities and games before progressing to more challenging circuits. Robo alive is on my 6 year olds Christmas list.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user Bronzeisthecolour) Our verdict If you’re struggling to know where to start, we’ve investigated and researched some of the best coding toys you can buy for your kids today, including those that have been tried and tested by real parents in the Mumsnet community. Editor's Note (September 2023): This product review was originally written and published in 2020. To make sure we are still recommending the best products for your needs, we recently reviewed this story to make sure it is still accurate and that we stand by what we wrote. Despite newer models and options being available, we still feel confident that this product is one of the best choices, and therefore have included it in The Best STEM Toys for Girls.Complexity - How hard is the coding involved and does the toy grow with your child? Some coding toys can increase in complexity and become more challenging as your child grows, whereas others are more basic in their functionality. Botley can perform up to 80 actions in a row, so once the sequence has been created, children will love pressing transmit and watching Botley the robot spring to life.

Parental involvement is still necessary, especially at first. The manual is detailed but can be a bit overly technical, it is clearly written for a parent to read first and then teach later. Batteries Botley is a great way to get kids interested in coding at an early age. With his easy-to-use controller, they’ll be able to create their own programs in no time. And with Botley’s included obstacle course, they’ll have plenty of chances to put their coding skills to the test. The best part? They’ll barely even realise that they’re learning and you’ll get to join in too. Pros Our favourite features? - Recently voted our best coding toy, Botley makes a great introduction to coding for children aged 5+ Children can build a pathway using the maze pieces included, before using the coding cards to create a step-by-step path for Colby to follow. Once the path has been programmed, Colby will race off on his journey to find his cheese, lighting up and making cute sounds as he goes.Available in a choice of (somewhat cliched) pink or blue, this intelligent robot is easy to control via remote control. With fun guessing games included, children will be fascinated when he guesses their animal simply by asking a few yes or no questions. He can also repeat their voice and be programmed to perform his own unique dance movements. Enhances Problem-Solving Skills: By coding the robot to perform tasks, users learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These abilities are applicable beyond programming and are valuable in various aspects of life. Robot toys have really grown in popularity in recent years. Fun, intelligent and interactive, there are a wide range of robot toys to choose from, suitable from the toddler years right through to options for tweens and teens.

Thanks to the popularity of dinosaur toys at present, kids will be fascinated by this stomping roaring T-Rex who appears to move completely by himself! Whether you’re after a coding toy for beginners, a robot coding toy or a coding board game that the whole family can play together, here are the best coding toys that make learning fun. Key specs: Recommended Age: 6-11 years | Batteries included: Yes - 1 Lithium Ion battery included Reasons to buy: Some users have reported quality issues with the communication between Botley and the remote programmer Our son got a LEGO robot for Christmas. You can code it to do different things via an app on his tablet. We're all very impressed with it.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user ichundich) Our verdict

6. Best coding toy for young children: Learning Resources Code and Go Robot Mouse Activity Set

Bot boogie! That’s right, Botley 2.0 loves to party. Watch as it performs a dazzling light show and dances to the beat! Balíček příslušenství Botley Robot Action Challenge je naprostou nezbytností a nejlepší součástí programovacího robota Botley. Sada příslušenství o 41 dílech umožňuje vytvořit řadu super zábavných řetězových reakcí, ze kterých budou děti naprosto nadšené! Mohou totiž sledovat, jak která řetězová reakce probíhá, což je motivuje k procvičování si programovacích dovedností. Závěrečné shrnutí Linking to a compatible tablet android or iOS tablet via Bluetooth, children can learn to master up to 70 unique coding challenges, before visually seeing the effects as they wave their wand at the screen. From making feathers fly, to causing fires to flow and pumpkins to grow in size, these coding spells are interactive and fun to perform. On the move! Using the remote control, you can program up to 150 steps that instruct Botley 2.0 to move in six different directions! The Coding Robot Crashin’ Construction Accessory Set– With a number of add ons to help turn Botley into various construction vehicles. It comes with six STEM activities and challenges