Coding activities are all the rage. They are just hard to find. These three toys have the best bang for your buck when providing young children with the opportunity for quality coding activities.

Coding has become the latest buzz word. We want our children to learn to code. We search for products that will make coding fun. Coding activities are hard to create. So, toys that teach coding are very popular.

These three toys provide quality, engaging and fun coding activities for kids.

 

Harry Potter Cano Coding Wand

 

 

What does it do?

The first step is to create the wand. This is educational by itself. Follow the instructions to build your own magical wand. The entire process takes about five minutes to complete.

What child wouldn’t want to have a magical wand that can do cool stuff?

The next step is to connect it to your laptop, tablet or computer. It is LED and connects by pairing through Bluetooth.

The Cano Harry Potter app describes everything you need to do to get your wand up and running. The app is based on a map with challenges set in Hogswart, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley.

Also, the app teaches you how to maneuver the wand to instantly create magic on the screen.

In addition, you are able to make feathers fly, fire sparkle, beans get bigger or smaller. The user can make items transform into something else completely.

These spells are created by coding activities that you can combine or change to complete challenges.

As the user completes challenges, they increase in difficulty. They are rewarded with clothes, accessories, and props that they can use to customize their avatars.

The app is very good at making each user feel successful and encouraged by their ability to program spells and create magic.

One great thing is that everything can be saved to impress friends and relatives.

Who doesn’t like to do that?

 

Cano Harry Potter Verdict

 

Pros

• Great way to get interested in programming and coding activities
• Easy to assemble
• Impressive and fun for family and friends
• Difficulty increases
• Versatility
• App is very helpful and informative

Cons

• Graphics are pretty basic
• Doesn’t work on older tablets and Ipads
• Wand doesn’t make noise

The overall verdict on this product is 5 stars. It is very entertaining and worth the almost 100 dollar price tag. The creators fulfilled their mission of providing an educational and entertaining experience for children and their parents. This passes the age test. This passes the magic test.

 

Botley Coding Robot

 

What does it do? 

Botley the Coding Robot is the latest toy that breaks down a very complex skill into fun and entertaining pieces.

Here’s a little bit of information about your child’s new best friend. He will have your child learning code and impressing friends in a matter of minutes.

Botley the Coding Robot is a 77-piece activity set that comes with a remote programmer, detachable robot arms, 40 coding cards, 6 double-sided tiles, 27 obstacle building pieces and a starter guide with coding activities and challenges.

The one thing that sets Botley apart from other coding toys is that your child does not need to be hooked up to a computer or any other type of device to use this robot.

Botley has a very cute, child friendly voice that is very appealing and welcoming.

The Follow the Black Line feature is very engaging for younger children. Botley follows a thick black line on an included cardboard play space.

It is similar to a two sided puzzle that can be constructed and reassembled in various different ways.

.Botley helps students think critically because it does exactly what you program it to do. Instant feedback is given by the actions of the robot.

The cards have to be inputted into the remote in a particular sequence. Just pressing buttons just makes Botley noisy, and you don’t want that. 

Children have to revise or add on to their plan if they want Botley to do something differently. There is also “Secret code” that will enable Botley to do flips and raise his arms.

We give Botley a five star rating. He is great for the homeschool and regular classroom as well as an educational toy. It will provide instant motivation to learn to code and develop stem skills.

 

Botley the Coding Robot Verdict

 

Pros

• Botley is simple to use for younger students
• Provides enough challenge for older students
• Develops divergent thinking
• Instant feedback is given
• Voice is cute and kids will love
• App is very helpful and informative

Cons

• Eats a lot of triple A batteries

Osmo Coding Jam Game

 

What does it do?

 

Osmo Coding Jam allows you to place blocks into patterns and sequences. Characters can be controlled by you and enabled to perform music.

Melodies and drum beats are easily created to compose a unique song. An Ipad is required to use this game.

Kids are naturally motivated by this product. They can create music and email it to anyone. It is and introduction to the world of coding.

Coding activities are woven into this product by following patterns that create specific melodies and sounds.  

Pros

• Tutorials are very helpful to show kids how to operate
• Easy for kids to understand and create music
• Rewards are motivating
• Versatile- Each character provides a different sound so many songs are easily created.
• Kids like the characters
• App is very helpful and informative

Cons

• Plastic pieces are a little flimsy
• Instructions should be within the app
• Coding aspect is limited. Kids just follow patterns. They don’t have to respond to a problem.
• Ipad and base is required

The overall verdict on this product is four stars. Kids will love it because they will have the opportunity to create and share music that they make. What kid wouldn’t be motivated by that?

Osmo Coding Jam Game  might be a little light in the teaching coding department, but it makes up for it in the creating music department. The coding activities are limited, but it is incredibly fun and motivating.