11 Best Toys to Teach Kids Coding and Engineering

We’re old enough to remember when educational games were limited to the back of a box of cereal. But a whole new generation of kids are lucky enough to have access to teaching toys, games, and gadgets that are actual fun. We’ve got 11 of the best toys around that help children learn coding and tech skills.

Dash and Dot

The one-eyed, talking robots Dash and Dot integrate with iOS and Android devices to help teach kids ages 5 and up coding skills. Responding to light and sound, and sensing objects around them, the devices must be programmed to interact with the world around them.

Jewelbots

The programmable friendship bracelets from Jewelbots aim to make coding accessible to pre-teen girls. Check out our interview with cofounders Sara Chipps and Brooke Moreland and find out how they landed a surprise endorsement from Bill Nye.

Sphero SPRK+

You may recognize Sphero from their 2015 holiday hit BB-8, but it’s not all fun and games. The SPRK+ promises to teach robotics, coding, and STEM principles through a C-based kid-friendly language called OVAL.

Mover Kit

After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2016, Mover Kit is now available to all. It’s an unassembled wearable that allows kids to create their own integrated apps, accessing the device’s accelerometer, magnetometer, and LEDs.

Tinker by Kiwi Crate

Kiwi Crate offers a series of subscription boxes for kids, and their Tinker Crate, intended for ages 9 – 16, includes a new STEM project every month.

Puzzlets

Pairing with a tablet or computer, Puzzlets looks like an old-fashioned tile game but actually introduces complex coding and programming challenges. Kids use the tiles to move characters through 120 progressively more difficult levels.

GoldieBlox

One of the biggest players in bringing STEM to girls, GoldieBlox have outgrown their feud with the Beastie Boys to focus on bringing erector set-like toys that aim to close the gender gap in engineering.

Code Monkey Island

Yes, an old-fashioned board game can actually teach coding skills. Code Monkey Island uses the logic required to do basic programming while helping your monkey score more bananas.

Primo

The Cubetto from Primo Toys combines old fashioned wooden block toys with robotics. Without using words, or screens, the Cubetto robot hopes to make abstract programming ideas accessible to all.

Kano

The Kano lets kids assemble their own actual computer, using a Raspberry Pi-powered board, basic wiring, and modular display unit.

Robot Turtles

Not to be confused with the teenage mutants, Robot Turtles is a board game and ebook that teaches the fundamentals of programming to kids aged 3 – 8.