Coding might seem really complicated, but toy companies are finding creative ways to make the concept easy to grasp and less intimidating, even for kids who are just beginning school. There are also more advanced options …show more content…
on toy shelves to engage pre-teens and older teenagers. Toys aren’t always fun and games, there’s almost always an educational component to anything kids are playing with, and this year, STEM toys will feature great products that will help break down difficult concepts into exciting experiences with the hopes of activating kids’ interest in coding.
Here are some of the best coding toys for kids!
Toys That Boost Creativity
Kibo: With a toy like Kibo, kids have the ability to take a robot, and scan bar codes on a sequence of connectable wooden blocks, each of which have their own designated action.
Once the robots built, children can program it to do what they want, and even decorate it. The designers of Kibo wanted to create a toy that gives children the chance to make their ideas both physical and tangible. Which is exactly what their young minds and bodies need. The most impressive part, however, is that Kibo does all this without requiring kids to get behind a computer screen.
Designed for open-ended playtime, Kibo also lets children make almost anything. This might include characters from stories, a helicopter, or even a race car. Anything their young minds can think of. The child just simply has to create a sequence of instructions (a program) by using the wooden blocks that come with the set.
Dash & Dot: Founded in 2012, Dash & Dot are characters that ignites curiosity and confidence while providing children with fun ways of learning things like collaboration, communication, and digital literacy. Kids can control this toy with programs they create using Workshop apps, which feels more like casual games than desktop scripting tools. The Workshop app connects to Dash & Dot via bluetooth, and automatically determines the coding language users will need to write in order to control the movement, sensors, and other capabilities of the
robot.