Top 5 Coding Gifts for Kids: A Holiday Guide
With Black Friday coming up and the holidays just around the corner, many of us may be starting our holiday shopping early with the growing presence of online retailers and e-commerce stores. Visits to our favourite shops are available virtually at the click of a button, and the wait times for packages have been reduced significantly in the past few years with same and next-day shipping options becoming increasingly available. Holiday shopping can get overwhelming at times, as parents often think about what to get their children and how to best beat the rush of last-minute shopping while taking advantage of all the great deals. Our writers at The C.O.D.E. Initiative have come up with a list of educational gifts that facilitate learning and stimulate logical, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills. Keep an eye out for these if you’re looking for coding gifts for your kids and little loved ones this Christmas season!
1. Sphero SPRK+ Educational Robot
Age: 12+
Amazon: Sphero SPRK+ STEM Educational Robot
This past year, we had a Sphero Robotics workshop at one of our partner schools where children were able to learn programming through interactive hands-on activities. With Sphero, children can code their own SPRK+ programs, and can build and run various exercises. Sphero comes with programmable sensors and LED lights to help facilitate learning and making things fun and engaging! The corresponding app is available for both iOS and Android.
2. Wonder Workshop Dash Robot
Age: 6+
Amazon: Wonder Workshop Dash
Dash is a kids robot that can be brought to life with its corresponding apps available on iOS and Android. Children can take part in hundreds of engaging and interactive coding projects using a smartphone or tablet - programming Dash to perform a variety of actions. Dash can dance, make sounds, light up, move, avoid obstacles, and react to voice. The Wonder and Blockly apps have easy-to-learn tutorials ready to get your child started with this super cool sidekick!
3. Gravity Maze Marble Run
Age: 8+
Amazon: Gravity Maze Marble Run
ThinkFun’s Gravity Maze Marble Run makes a perfect gift this holiday season for countless hours of fun! Both a marble run and logic puzzle, this game lets children arrange the different coloured towers in various ways to build different paths to bring their marble to its target. With varying challenges for both beginners and experts, this puzzle helps children build spatial reasoning, planning, and critical thinking skills.
4. Artie 3000
Age: 7+
Amazon: Artie 3000
Artie 3000 is a wifi-enabled coding robot that supports STEM based learning, allowing children to easily create beautiful designs, shapes, and games. Artie works best with a computer or tablet, using a drag and drop visual programming software where your child writes the code and Artie draws the lines. This interactive and engaging gift is great for young learners from ages 7-12, and has other coding applications available from beginner to advanced levels.
5. The C.O.D.E. Initiative Workshop
Link: The C.O.D.E. Initiative Workshops
Age: 7+
Last, but certainly not least, The C.O.D.E. Initiative workshops are another great holiday gift for children interested in expanding their technical skills by learning how to code. From beginner Scratch workshops to more complex languages such as Python and Java, children can take part in weekly 1:1 sessions with a dedicated tutor to navigate through learning various new concepts and building projects over the course of five weeks. Interested in learning more? Stay tuned for a special holiday treat as we introduce CODE Gift Certificates in the coming weeks!
