Learning Resources Botley the Coding Robot

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They're brilliant! My children played with them loads. They don't break easily. We had several different kits” (Recommended by Mumsnet user MyOtherProfile) Our verdict The Dash robot is fab, they have them at my daughter's school and I've been able to play with them a few times. I'm going to get one for my daughter for her birthday - she will be six but it grows with them as the tasks get more and more complicated.” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user Jerseysilkvelour) Depending on your child’s age, we think the best robot toys are the ones that not only allow children to bring their imagination to life, but offer some educational benefits too, introducing some basic coding or programming skills which can spark a genuine interest in STEM. What ages are robot toys good for? Finally, Botley includes a little activity guide with 10 coding challenges that you can try out. These steadily increase in difficulty and, aside from having some fun ideas for activities, they are also a way to help the kids get used to the robot, as well as learn some basic commands and programming concepts. Whether it’s an educational robot, a drawing robot or even a robot you can build to bring to life, we’ve researched the best robot toys as recommended by real parents.

There are also several online coding apps that are free to use and a great introduction to coding. Scratch is a popular choice amongst Mumsnet users and is regularly used in the school setting too. Why is coding important for kids? We've got this. It's been a real hit with my 6-year-old.” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user pepperminttaste) Robo alive is on my 6 year olds Christmas list.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user Bronzeisthecolour) Our verdict Children can use the included coding cards to visualise and plan the path they want Botley to take, before programming Botley to physically perform the actions. These are kind of a fun afterthought, not hugely educational, but our kids seemed to love them and it kept them engaged with the robot.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. Consider Interests: Select a coding robot that aligns with your interests. Some robots specialize in specific fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, or music. Find one that excites you and aligns with your aspirations. With all that said, there are some limitations to this robot in terms of education. For one thing, there is no ability to move on to more advanced, but still young child friendly, coding methods like Scratch. While it makes the experience screen free, we think it would open Botley up to more advanced challenges and extend its educational value quite a bit for older kids. Encouraging an interest in coding in children as young as four, this award-winning Learning Resources Code and Go Robot Mouse Activity Set is a great way for young children to learn as they play.

Promotes Creativity: Coding robots encourage creativity as users can customize their robot's behavior and appearance. This allows for personal expression and encourages out-of-the-box thinking. Botley is surprisingly entertaining. The robot doesn’t talk or interact, but once, when it rolled under the couch right after it was turned on, my daughter couldn’t stop laughing about it. We had a hard time getting the robot from underneath the couch, but my daughter figured out how to do it after flipping through the instruction booklet. 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.There are also some secret codes that you can find that will, for example, make Botley say its name, cheer, and start beeping when it reverses.