Interactive toys – such as robots, for example – gain in importance with age: they offer technology-savvy children the opportunity to gain their first experience in programming in a playful way.
Children are resourceful, inquisitive and capable of learning – so they have the right qualities that a programmer needs in their later professional life. If you want to give your child a first glimpse into the IT world, toy robots are a good choice. They enable your offspring to acquire and develop useful skills. All you need is the right construction kit and a computer or a smartphone with which your child can then program the robot and thus control it automatically. There is no general answer to which model is right for your offspring. For this reason, ten programmable robots are presented in more detail below.
1. ELEGOO Smart Robot Car Kit V3.0+
According to the manufacturer, the modular set is equally suitable for beginners and professionals. It includes different working modes (automatic movement, Bluetooth, infrared controlled, obstacle avoidance and line tracking) and forms the perfect symbiosis of electronics, robotics and programming. With the help of an easy-to-follow tutorial that you can download from the provider, the Robot Car Kit should be easy to assemble. The robot is then controlled via Bluetooth using an app.
2. Clementoni® »Galileo – My Robot MC5.0«
With this experiment kit, children from the age of eight can build and program their own robot. The special thing about this model are the different game modes: 1. You set the movements, sounds and lighting effects of the robot. 2. You can control the robot remotely. 3. Manually program the buttons on the circuit board so that the robot can perform various tasks (such as looking for metal objects). 4. The robot can follow your hand through infrared sensors. 5. Let the robot clap your hands.
3. Anki 000-0079 Vector AI Robot Companion
The Vector with Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor (1.2 GHz) is significantly more expensive, but also far more intelligent. According to the manufacturer, suitable for children aged five and over, the robot has a wide-angle camera (HD), a single-point laser for navigation and touch sensors. This enables the Vector to recognize people, avoid obstacles, answer questions and take photos. He can even find his charger. The only downer: the language functions are (still) in English.
4. LEGO Star Wars 75253 BOOST Droide
It is hardly surprising that the world’s largest toy manufacturer also produces robotics for children. In fact, not only the hearts of all Star Wars fans should beat faster at the sight of these three buildable droids (R2-D2, a Gonk droid and a mouse droid). The programming set is recommended for hobbyists from the age of eight and includes a color and distance sensor, an interactive motor, a move hub and 1,177 parts. Important for you to know: Only one robot can be controlled at a time.
5. Makeblock mBot Explorer Kit robot kit
This 3-in-1 MINT educational robot kit makes children’s hearts (from the age of eight) beat faster. The mBot Ranger robot has a powerful Me Auriga mainboard and is equipped with six different sensors (light, ultrasound, line tracking, gyroscope, temperature, sound) – this allows it to avoid obstacles, follow lines and keep its balance. No matter which of the three possible forms it takes. Programming is done by simply dragging and dropping commands via the app so that your child can create their own code that the mBot executes.
6. ANTAPRCIS programmable robot
Significantly cheaper to buy, this robot is delivered ready-made. In contrast to the other models, the ANTAPRCIS is suitable for children from three years of age – although the possibility of using the built-in buttons to program the robot so that it repeats certain actions (such as walking, turning, shooting) is certainly not for small children . There is also no app here, and the robot only speaks English. As a lightweight entry-level model, however, it fulfills its purpose.
7. LEGO 17101 Boost-Set mit 5-in-1-Modell
The talking robot Vernie is a quick-change artist: a total of five different figures can be built from the more than 800 parts – using the digital building instructions from Lego that is included in the app. Suitable for children from the age of seven, the robot can be programmed with ease. He can listen and answer, change his facial expression and recognize objects, colors or distances. The model can even be trained to behave like grabbing and transporting objects.
8. Wonder Workshop Dash Roboter-Set
Here, too, the robot for children from six years of age comes fully assembled and no longer needs to be screwed together. The Special Editon not only includes the Dash learning robot, but also the Dot learning robot – plus a catapult, two connectors, a xylophone, three throwing balls, six throwing targets and two USB charging cables that complete the set. The robots can move independently, turn their heads, blink and sing. They also react to sounds and movements.
9. WowWee 0866 – Mip toy robot
The programmable robot is also suitable for children aged eight and over. Thanks to its intuitive user interface, its movements as well as its behavior can be determined using a drag-and-drop system. The LED color in his chest area reflects the current mode – you can choose between six different colors in total: blue stands for MIP mode, pink for balancing mode, white for cell mode, money for study mode, turquoise for Dance mode and orange for follow mode. Here too, however, the language is English.
10. Sphero K001ROW SPRK+ STEAM
The Spheros SPRK + brings up the rear. It is designed to teach children how to code in a fun way. The remote-controlled learning and leisure robot looks like a ball, but it can do a lot more than just roll around the room – it can reach a top speed of over six kilometers per hour. It has a scratch and waterproof UV coating and is controlled using a Lightning Lab app on the iPhone or iPad.
Another tip: Before buying, always make sure that the app is suitable for iOS and / or Android!
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