• Start Here
  • Home
  • Books
    • Classics
      • 20th Century Classics
    • Early Chapter Books
    • Easy Readers
    • Folktales
    • Holiday Books
    • Middle Grade (8-12 years)
    • Nonfiction
    • Picture Books
    • Read Aloud Chapter Books
  • Games
    • Traditional Games
  • Kids Activities
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy & Writing
    • Math
    • Playful Activities
    • Science
    • Toddler
  • Parenting

What Do We Do All Day

Books and Activities for Kids

You are here: Home / Gift Guides / Gift Guide for Young Coders and Engineers

Gift Guide for Young Coders and Engineers

November 11, 2016

984shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

If you want your kids to learn coding skills and become savvy about computers but don’t want them to stare at screens all day, these gifts for kids who want to code are for you. You’ll be happy to know that coding skills are actually best learned through play! This gift guide for kids focuses on just that!

Coding gift guide for kids. Learn coding skills through play.

I’ve made no secret about the fact that we are a low-screen time household, but I strongly encourage my kids to learn the computer, engineering and coding skills they will need to succeed. These coding gifts for kids because they teach kids coding and engineering skills while working with real-life objects.

There are three categories of coding gifts for kids, below:

  • Building sets
  • Robotic toys
  • Games and Books

Coding and Engineering Building Sets


Little Bits. They have a ton of different kits with mix and match parts. What I love is that they have a library of parts so once kids have a starter kit they can continue to add to it in order to invent new gadgets and code new software. The combinations are literally endless and the modules are easy to use. The kits are super cool ways for kids to learn how to code and you can choose a theme that fits your child’s interest. We had fun tinkering with the kits in their pop-up store last year. There are kits for ages 8 and up, as well as kits for ages 14 and up.


Kano Build a Computer Kit Ages 6 and up. Yes, indeed you kids can build their own computer. Kind of amazing, right? The kit comes with all the parts and a storybook that guides kids through the engineering process of building their own working computer. This kit is a fantastic way for kids (and parents) to understand how the computer works (hint: it’s not actual magic), and put those tinkering skills to good use.

Osmo

Osmo Coding Game. Kids learn coding through the process of snapping blocks together to dictate command sequences on a screen (the iPad). If your kids love to play the iPad but you feel guilty about all the time they spend on it, this is a great solution to get them doing something with their hands that our hands are biologically programmed to do (move objects around in space), give them the joyful satisfaction of creating something on their own, and the fun of “playing on the iPad.” Win-win. (Note: If you don’t have the Osmo starter Kit or Osmo Genius Kit, be sure you have that – you need it to play the coding game.)


creation crate
Creation Crate is a monthly subscription box for kids. It focuses on learning and building electronics. The best part of a subscription gift is the gift continues to offer something new each month. Kids will love getting something new in the mail each month that will spark their interest. For families that are familiar with the Arduino, the Creation Crate box comes with UNO R3, which is compatible with Arudino. Each box comes with all the components and an instruction booklet to build an electronic project. The recommended age is 12 and up. My family adores subscription boxes and I’ve found that they make great family projects so if a parent is involved, kids under 12 can participate.

Coding and Robotics Toys


The Dash Robotics Kit and Dot Robotics Kit, which teach coding and robotics to kids ages 8 and up (but I think kids as young as 6 can have fun with them) have won numerous awards. Kids code the robots using the free iOs or Android app.  I love that even though kids do use a screen to do the coding, they are working with hands on objects that respond to their commands. They learn coding through active play, which is the best way. No doubt plenty of kids will want to try to program mom and dad, but there’s no app for that… yet. The launcher accessory is awesome for kids who like a little action!


Codeapillar Ages 3 and up, a great first coding toy. I think we can all agree that electronic toys for preschoolers are often annoying, but I think you’ll agree that an electronic toy which teaches preschoolers coding can be a great thing! Kids rearrange the parts of the Codeapillar in order to direct the toy’s behavior. In doing so they are learning deductive reasoning skills necessary for future coding projects.

Coding Board Games and Books


I featured Code Master as a Game of the Month last year, and both my kids continue to play with it. It’s one of those games I can pull out and leave lying around and they will gravitate to the individual logic challenges. It is a fantastic way to learning coding offline. You can read my full Code Master review here.


Clue Master. ThinkFun sent us a copy of this game to try out since we are big fans of Code Master, and it is just as fun. The concept is similar—a single player uses reason and logic to solve puzzles.  But in this case, the player has to make logical deductions based on information he can’t necessarily see. It is a very challenging game but there are three difficulty levels so players are able to build on previously learned skills. Ages 8 and up.


Robot Turtles is a great way for preschoolers to get off the iPad and learn the logic skills they will need to become future programming wizards. Kids use code cards to move their turtles to their destination. It may seem simple at first, but parents will quickly see how the game functions well to strength their kids ability to think logically and strategically. The game has been selling like hotcakes for several years now, and ThinkFun now has an Add on Pack to extend the fun.


Coding Games in Scratch Ages 8-12. This book is great for kids who don’t have much experience but want to get started by coding games. Scratch is a popular platform and your kid may already be experimenting on it, so this book will inspire them with some creative ideas to go further.

And finally, those of you who want hands on activities to teach your kids STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Design, Math) skills will love, love, love my collaborative book STEAM Kids.

STEAM kids projects that are awesome

eBook |  Amazon Print |UK/EU customers only: eBook

More gift guides:

Math gifts kids will actually love

Top 10 STEM toys with books to match

STEM gifts for creative kids

Math gifts for kids

S.T.E.M gift guide for kids

STEM toys and games. Gift guide for kids.

Best coding gifts for kids.

Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
984shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

by: Erica posted in: Gift Guides, Science 1 Comment

« Christmas Science Experiments You Will Actually Want to Do!
Favorite Picture Books of 2016: Part 4 »

Comments

  1. TechyKids Canada says

    December 5, 2020 at 5:03 am

    These are some really interesting gift ideas for young coders. It would be very useful for them and I can see them enjoying it as well. Thanks for sharing the list with us!

    Reply

Feed My Comment Addiction Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

STOP THE WHINING!

SAY, "YES I WANT TO UNPLUG MY KIDS." JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER LIST AND GET 10 WAITING GAMES YOUR KIDS CAN PLAY ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.

Join over 12,000 parents who subscribe to the most useful newsletter on the planet. 

    We won't send you spam (yuck). Unsubscribe at any time.

    Search

    What Have We Done Lately?

    Indoor Nature Activities for Winter that Kids Love

    Winter Bookmark Coloring Page

    Martin Luther King, Jr. Books for Kids

    A Year of Family Audiobooks

    Favorite Winter Craft: Ice Wreaths

    Snow Day Activities that Make the Best Memories!

    Winter Poems for Kids and a Calming Afternoon


    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
    Copyright 2007-2020 What Do We Do All Day? All rights reserved.

    EXPLORE MORE:

    Awesome Newsletter
    Favorite Resources for Parents
    100s of Book Lists
    Gigantic List of Indoor Activities
    Best Games on the Planet
    Stay At Home Parent Resources


    Privacy, disclosure and copyright policy

    Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme Description: This is the Foodie Pro child theme created for the Genesis Framework. Author: Shay Bocks Author URI: http://shaybocks.com/ Version: 2.0.5 Tags: black, orange, white, one-column, two-columns, three-columns, fixed-width, custom-menu, full-width-template, sticky-post, theme-options, threaded-comments, translation-ready Template: genesis Template Version: 2.0.1 License: GPL-2.0+ License URI: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php by Shay Bocks

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want More Free Activity Ideas?
    Join our email list and as a thank you gift I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games that will make your kids smarter.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want your kids to love being unplugged?
    Join our newsletter and as a thank you, I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you keep using this website we will assume you are OK with that. Read our privacy policy for more.OKRead more