Wouldn’t you love for your kids to learn how to code and program — in a fun way that doesn’t feel like work? Several new toys have arrived in the market to make that magic happen. The surprising thing is that some of these toys aren’t as expensive as you’d expect, especially compared to what some of us are used to shelling out for game systems (gulp!). Here are some of the standouts.
Lego Mindstorms EV3 ($349.99; ages 10 and up) are the latest in Lego robotics. Using the famous interlocking toy bricks and Lego’s programming system, kids can create and command remote-controlled robots. Lego’s robotic systems have inspired after-school programs and summer camps around the country. Are they worth the relatively high price point? I think so — their visual programming system (a set of 3-D instructions) makes these kits valuable as a teaching tool because they walk kids through the process in such an accessible and intuitive way.
Play-i ($228 for Bo and Yana Pack; ages 5 and up) introduces programming for a much younger set. Created by former Google and Apple engineers and designers, the system is comprised of two charming little robots, Bo and Yana, which can perform tasks using visual cues, music and story-telling. Children manipulate the coding using a visual interface that increases in sophistication as the user’s experience grows. Fresh from a successful Kickstarter campaign, the first batch already has sold out; Play-i is now taking orders for Christmas 2014.
The Primo System ($262; ages 4 to 7) also features a friendly robot, this one made of wood and named Cubetto. Children place colorful little instruction blocks into a simple programming board (with a wooden surface) to program commands for Cubetto to follow. The Primo’s Kickstarter campaign was successfully funded in December; hopefully we’ll hear soon about where it can be ordered.
Kano ($129; ages 8 and up) is a computer kids actually can build themselves, using a kit. Once you’ve got your own custom computer, you can use it to play Minecraft or Pong, compose music, and learn to code.
Robot Turtles ($25; ages 4 to 8) is a board game that teaches the fundamentals of programming. This is an analog game — you play with an adult, and the adult role plays the computer. Kids issue commands for the adult to perform. This another recent Kickstarter that sold out its first run, but you can pre-order via ThinkFun.
Sphero 2.0 ($129; all ages) is a robot encased inside a ball — or looking at it another way, a ball you can control with your smartphone or tablet. Kids can program it to perform certain tasks, and it’s compatible with 25 iOS and Android games. If you have more than one, you can play multiplayer games. The current version is an update of the original Sphero introduced a couple years ago; it’s harder, faster, stronger and smarter than the original, and waterproof as well. What I think is especially compelling about Sphero is the very idea that one simple object can be played with in myriad of different ways. Rather like an ordinary ball, but with exponential possibilities.
A number of these toys have been too popular for their own good, so they are out of stock. But there are plenty of interesting options out there for kids curious about technology; you just might need to be patient to get your hands on them.