Coding & STEM Gifts for 2022
Every year companies try to grab your child’s attention with the latest and greatest toys.
We try to take a step further; however, because we’re also parents. We know that educational toys are most useful when your child plays with them more than once. So we’ve chosen toys that have a high “stickiness factor” — either our own children or those children in our classes have enjoyed playing with these toys over and over again.
We’re also big fans of LEGO toys for any age level. While we’ve included a few from the Education lineup below, any LEGO set is a great learning tool for kids.
Ages 3-7
This bot is super fast and rugged (which makes it great for K-2 coders). Your students can use the Sphero Edu app to control and program Ollie to perform various tasks. Plus, the pill shape makes it much easier to tell which direction the robot is facing.
LEGO® BricQ Motion Essentials Kit
We can’t really recommend the Lego WeDo 2.0 set anymore because of the huge price increase. It’s just not worth the investment if you aren’t sure your kids will like it. We still use them in our classes, but we’ve had them for years.
However, we do recommend this low-tech version of the same Lego learning. Pulleys, gears, slides, and more will allow your kids to build, learn, and modify. You can even find some cheap Lego motors on Amazon to allow your child to make the builds run on their own.
We used this set during the e-learning months of 2020 and had multiple projects to keep our kids engaged. There is a ton of support on Lego Education’s website to continue learning.
We’ve used Jack, the fully programmable robot mouse, during workshops with Kindergarten students. Students can quickly start giving step-by-step instructions to complete challenges that come with the kit. No tablet or computer needed!
Our younger coders have enjoyed making programs and playing along with some of the built-in games Dot offers! These two quirky robots can be used individually or together as Dot can sense and control Dash. Using one of of the free apps, Wonder or Blockly, children have tons of possibilities. Both robots have additional accessories and Dot even has a creativity kit.
Coding Toys for Ages 8-12
These tough, round bots are a step up from the Ollie’s above. They’re not quite as fast but have tons of sensors and customization options. Ms. Mikayla loves using them in our classes.
You might also consider this terrain park ($19.99) that gives your child more play options. Plus, who doesn’t love a good ramp?
This is the latest of Lego’s offering in education. These sets are flexible and can be programmed using a familiar Scratch-like interface. And like everything else they do, Lego provides great support and documentation for learning.
They are expensive, though. It might be a good idea to try a robotics class first before investing the $350+.
If you’re not familiar with VEX, they make small STEM toys that you might see at Hobby Lobby or other big box store. They’re also highly involved in robotics competitions, especially in Indiana.
These kits are a great introduction to VEX. The cases are highly organized (at least they are until your kid gets hold of them :)) and are full of great pieces and sensors. The VEX software has also been updated in the past few years and rivals Lego with its functionality, all for a few hundred dollars less than the Lego set.
Your kids can even code a virtual robot for free at vr.vex.com. Check out the playgrounds in the top right corner too!
Cue is the more advanced version of Dot and Dash! This robot is for children who are interested in exploring different coding languages beyond block based coding. Different sensors and the ability to react in real time, allows for tons of possibilities with Cue. Using the free app, coders can be inspired to create lots of programs and challenges. Additional accessories can be used to enhance the fun!
We sometimes use an alternative to Scratch in class called Microsoft Arcade. This tool isn’t quite as flexible as Scratch but allows users to quickly create arcade-style games.
Once they’ve made a game, however, they’re stuck just playing it in the browser window — unless they have a Meowbit. This small console allows kids to download their MakeCode game directly to the console and play it there. It is limited to saving one game at a time, though.
Another great option is to enroll your child in an online class. We recommend Udemy, Outschool, and Teachable to find anything your child is interested in learning.
We’re biased but we think our online courses are some of the best out there and are working to add more:
Outschool – Upcoming live virtual classes
You can also reach out to us via our Contact page to order gift certificates for our in-person classes in Muncie.
Gift Idea for Teen Coders
We once wrote a post about purchasing or selecting a refurbished laptop for your child. This is a great idea if your son or daughter has never owned a computer before. Computers allow your child to use advanced programs like Unity, build websites, or do more complex computer programming.
This is a great all-in-one VR headset. That means it doesn’t require a computer to render the graphics inside the display. Up to this point, there hasn’t been a ton of VR content. However, that is starting to change and your child can access an app store from within the headset.
Bonus: your child can also create content to load within the headset. Check out this article from Oculus that tells you how to get started with Unity 3D.
We used this drone for our Tech-Spark Weekend last summer and the kids had a blast learning about it. Not only is it a great little drone with video capabilities, you can also use an app called DroneBlocks to actually program the flight path: Up 1 ft->Forward 2ft->Hover->Down 1 ft.
Have your kids take a “dronie” (selfie with a drone).
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