Botley can be made to “talk” with special control combinations. For example, making him turn left 2 times followed by 2 right turns will make him say “wheee”. Try it out. Overall, therefore, we think Botley is pretty reasonably priced for a beginners robot that will (hopefully) be the first step in your child’s journey of STEM exploration. What age is the Botley Robot appropriate for? Soon your kids will have this durable and waterproof ball rolling around obstacles, navigating predetermined pathways and even following directions on a map. Botley is entirely screen free, which is a great feature of this coding robot toy, especially for the younger crowd! Coding at this age is not just about computers – learning to code has many benefits beyond the computer screen. Kids who learn the basic concepts of coding will also be learning to problem solve and think creatively. Botley vs Botley 2.0

Obviously there are accessories that are designed to extend your kids interest in Botley and therefore its effective lifespan. Linking to a compatible tablet android or iOS tablet via Bluetooth, children can learn to master up to 70 unique coding challenges, before visually seeing the effects as they wave their wand at the screen. From making feathers fly, to causing fires to flow and pumpkins to grow in size, these coding spells are interactive and fun to perform. Botley is surprisingly entertaining. The robot doesn’t talk or interact, but once, when it rolled under the couch right after it was turned on, my daughter couldn’t stop laughing about it. We had a hard time getting the robot from underneath the couch, but my daughter figured out how to do it after flipping through the instruction booklet.

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Robot toys are great for all ages. For younger children, robot toys can be a great way to encourage movement and teach about cause and effect. As they get older, children can start to interact with and control robots, learning about their functionality and various actions they can perform.

Botley is a clever way for kids to learn the basics of coding, and it worked like a charm on my youngest daughter. The robot is designed to be programmed through the remote, with large buttons with arrows and other symbols that are easy to identify. My daughter has a limited amount of experience with this type of toy, but she could still figure out the buttons without my help. Identify Skill Level: Determine whether the coding robot is suitable for beginners, intermediate users, or advanced programmers. Matching the robot's complexity with your skill level ensures a fulfilling coding experience.We've got this. It's been a real hit with my 6-year-old.” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user pepperminttaste) These are really visual aids with drawings of each possible code you can input, such as directional arrows, loop, collision direction, light and more. Each card is color coded to correspond to the relevant button on the remote, which really helps kids who confuse left and right or still have a hard time reading arrow directions. Lexibook Powerman robot was a big hit on my four year olds birthday.” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user CanofCant) Our verdict But don’t let its simple looks fool you, this is no toy pet. Botley is a fully functional educational platform designed to teach robotics for kindergarten aged kids and up. It has a suite of built in sensors including light, line detection and object detection sensors that help it perform relatively complex tasks and navigate around your house smoothly – it’s capable of moving in 6 directions, 45 degree and 90 degree turns. Since writing this review, learning resources has come up with an upgraded newer version of the Botley robot called Botley 2.0.

Anything STEM is a great idea. My DD8 loves coding too and has the Kano Harry Potter wand. It’s reasonably challenging (I struggled with some of it) but she is very competent. It really helped her excel with her coding at school ” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user SillyUnMurphy) The best part? They’ll barely even realise that they’re learning and you’ll get to join in too. Pros

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Play games! This bot loves to play! Challenge it to a game of ‘Botley Says’and see if you can repeat the music it makes! Bot boogie! That’s right, Botley 2.0 loves to party. Watch as it performs a dazzling light show and dances to the beat! Botley has an intuitive interface and a kid-friendlydesign. Aimed at kids as young as 5, Botley is marketed to a younger crowd of kid coders. My eldest son is currently 5 and he is able to do a lot of the basic robot activities even without my help. I do think age 5 is likely the right age to start with this robot to get the most out of it. Hexbugs make battle bots and robot wars sets. Both are awesome!” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user Curious2468)

Prepares for the Future: With technology rapidly advancing, learning to code at an early age is a valuable skill. Coding robots provide a stepping stone into the world of programming and future-proof your abilities.With so many batteries we wonder if a rechargeable lithium ion for at least the robot wouldn’t have been easier for parents and less wasteful overall. Botley is a great way to get kids interested in coding at an early age. With his easy-to-use controller, they’ll be able to create their own programs in no time. And with Botley’s included obstacle course, they’ll have plenty of chances to put their coding skills to the test. If you’re looking to introduce your child to some basic elements of computer science but don’t want to pay the significant price tag often associated with coding toys, Galt Cosmic Coding is a fun, budget-friendly choice. To help foster critical strategic thinking and logical problem solving skills in younger kids, Learning Resources has developed the Botley robot. Botley is designed to be a screen-free coding robot that can teach kids 5 and up valuable programming and critical thinking skills. Using the coding cards, the Turtle Masters can move and direct their robot pieces about the board, navigating around more complex obstacles and challenges the more confident in coding they become.