CODING TOYS FOR KIDS 2021

When we talk about teaching coding to kids, it seems that we are taking on an impossible task. It seems like we are teaching our kids to speak all over again, as it is an entirely different language. You are attempting to teach your child a new language; it is obvious that you will face some difficulties in this regard. But this does not mean that you don’t even give your child a chance to learn coding. We agree that a blank slate can be very scary at first, but it won’t fill unless you start writing. If you take the right steps in the right direction you can reach your destination, which means your child can become a professional coder. Take small steps and celebrate the small victories along the way as sometimes jumping with all you got can sometimes lead to frustration.

One of the small steps in the right direction for coding is to introduce your kids to coding at their early age. Although kids cannot understand how to use computers efficiently at an early age, there are many toys available that will be helpful in introducing them to coding. The use of toys for coding purposes is a brilliant idea because kids find toys interesting and they can help in providing an interactive session rather than a scheduled traditional session. These toys aim to be fun and keep the young mind engaged. We understand that it can be daunting to imagine a young brain to learn something complex, coding for kids- thanks to the availability of toys, coding can be quite digestible.

“The easy advice is to look for something easy”, as explained by Mike Matthews, director of curriculum and program innovation at Katherine Delmar Burke School, San Francisco, USA. Coding toys seem to have that quality, as told by Mike Matthews. There are a wide variety of Coding Toys available throughout, we curated a list of the best toys for your kids so that you don’t have to surf the internet or be misguided by your peers. Here is a list of Coding Toys for your kids:-

1.      Animal Island AILA Sit & Play Virtual Early Preschool Learning System (Ages 1 to 8)

This toy encourages your child to develop a critical thinking from the get-go. It is a hands-free, subscription-free virtual playground of informative content curated by experts and various educators. It comes in a colorful and toddler-friendly format which will be loved by your kids. It will definitely pave the way for your child’s first introduction with coding as your kid will learn about various shapes, sizes and colors.

2.      Sphero Bolt- A Programmable Robot Ball

Kids are fascinated with the concept of robots. Be it their cartoons or toys, children love watching and playing with robots. Sphero Bolt is a robot ball which functions with an app connected to your smart phone, which means that you can control it with an app on your smartphone. It is a translucent version of the robot ball that has many sensors and a programmable LED matrix. It’s fun and a brilliant toy for kids who like to keep moving while learning.

3.      Osmo Coding- Use Physical Blocks with your i-Pad to learn Coding

This is a game which can be easily downloaded on your i-Pad. It’s an innovative game which uses a fun Montessori-like method to teach through the medium of physical objects- which is unusual for an i-Pad game. Osmo has a base-unit that you slot your i-Pad in portrait mode and a small plastic mirror cap that fits over the camera so the iPad can ‘see’ what is happening below. It uses “Reflective AI Technology” which allows kids to play with physical items in the real world while still being in touch with technology through the power in your iPad.

4.      imagiCharm- Best for teens

This toy is best for teen girls and boys that aims to bridge the gender gap between girls and boys in coding. It’s primarily aimed at teenage girls but open-minded teenage boys can also derive benefits out of this toy. The Company making these sees users attaching imagiCharm to backpacks, keychains and jackets where kids can show off their custom designs and coding techniques within the app community.

5.      Botley-The Coding Robot

Winner of Innovative Toy of the Year Award in 2019, Botley The Coding Robot aims at kids of ages from 5 to 9 years . Kids learn basic programming skills via step coding and logic by getting the robot to turn, avoid and move objects and also make sounds.

These toys can prove to be beneficial to your kids interest in computers and ultimately gear them for the future when they finally start learning coding. These toys are available at Vnaya at reasonable prices. Come and get one for your kids!