11 Best Coding Toys for Kids [Ages 4 to 12]

1. Coding Critters MagiCoders

Age: 4+
Price: $26.03
Coding Critters MagiCoders is a 22-piece play set along with a spellbook where the sequence of strings(known as spells) are given. Users need to follow the instructions from the spellbook to get the desired result. It’s great for teaching children spatial awareness, sequential logic, and basic coding skills.

2. Sphero Bolt

Age: 8+
Price: $195.00
Compatibility: iOS and Android apps
Sphero Bolt is a translucent ball about a size of a tennis ball that is packed with a sensor and a programmable LED matrix. It uses block-based coding similar to Scratch coding. It uses drag-and-drop commands to change the settings of the Sphero Bolt from the app’s menu. Users can change color, and give commands like roll, change the angle of direction, spin, move, etc.

3. PlayShifu Interactive STEM Toys – Tacto Coding

Age: 4-10
Price: $49.99
Website to buy: Available on Amazon.
Compatibility: with tablets iPad 5 and later, Android tabs 7-inches and above, with a minimum of 2GB RAM
Tacto Coding by PlayShifu connects to the tablet, on which kids can interact using figurines on three different story-based games. It has over 200 challenges via the free app for kids of a wide range. It is a great game to make kids understand the meaning of inputs-output, loops, sequencing, decomposition, and branching statements.

4. OJO STEM board game

Age: 3-8
Price: $19.00
OJO STEM Board Game is a board game that does not require any power source to play with. It has 4 different versions:

1. Shape Factory (4+): to make kids learn about shapes.
2. Space Rescuers (5+): teaches kids about the solar system.
3. Robot Workshop (5+): Designing space missions.
4. Atomic Force (6+): teaches chemistry in a fun way, like collecting protons, neutrons, and electrons, and combing different atoms to form compounds.

5. Botley-the coding robot 2.0

Age: 5-9
Price: $73.99
Website to buy: Available on Amazon, click here to buy.
Botley is the winner of 2019, the Innovative Toy of the Year Award. Kids learn basic programming skills with step coding, and logic building by giving commands to the robot to turn, avoid obstacles, move objects, and make sounds. It is a 150-step coding platform with some smart objects like night vision, object detection, and colorful lights.

6. Agent Asha Gift Pack

Age: 7-11
Price: £24.99
Agent Asha Gift Pack is a screenless, story-based spy adventure book. The book shows how to crack codes and teaches coding basics. It teaches how to go undercover (internet safety), design gadgets (computer programming), protect your information (digital literacy), analyze information (fake news), etc.

7. Artie 3000 and Artie Max

Age: 7+
Price: $50.62
Artie 3000 and Artie Max is designed for beginners using blocky gaming programs to advanced programmers using Python and Java. It uses drag-and-drop, sensor control to make Artie draw the lines they desire. Artie 3000 has pre-programmed designs, shapes, and games for beginners to learn to code. Artie Max has three extra interchangeable onboard markers and teaches the popular C++ coding language.

8. Powerup 4.0 RC paper plane

Age: 7+
Price: $79.99
Powerup 4.0 RC Paper Plane is a Bluetooth-enabled robotic plane that can take commands from the user to do tasks such as loops, barrel rolls, and hammerheads connected to your smartphone.

9. Mochi

Age: 3-6
Price: $55.00
Mochi game is a lego-game that gives a screenless coding experience to young kids. Players are given puzzles and problems to overcome. With this, they are taught the programming sequences and algorithms. Mochi is also the name of the character in the game. The game is to give instructions to Mochi like what to do and where to go. Mochi also has an official website to make kids learn codes through video tutorials.

10. Robot Turtle

Age: 4+
Price: $21.99
Robot Turtle is a lego programming board game that teaches fundamentals of coding to kids of 4 years and above. Players are required to give the commands through playing cards to move forward, left, or right to make the turtle reach the jewel to win the game. This game makes kids understand the meaning of sequence and giving commands. Two to five players can play the game together.

11. Bitsbox

Age: 6-12
Price: $33.95/box
Bitbox is a code-teaching game that makes players build apps. Every month Bitsbox sends out to subscribers a fun package of programming materials in a box. Kids learn to code by copying these codes to the virtual tablets on their website and then downloading them to their smartphones. It makes the users experience in real-time the effects of the code. Visit the official website to get a subscription.