Motivating kids to learn isn’t always easy, but with the help of STEM and coding toys, tough topics can be turned into hours of fun. Everything from board games to robots exists to give kids the experience of learning programming through play. It’s also one of the main goals of our kids coding classes!
Of course, providing our kids with toys, games, and apps that can teach them useful skills for life is better than simply getting them toys to distract them. But these toys don’t feel like the traditional educational toys. There are coding toys for kids of all ages, starting as young as three years old that teach kids while keeping them engaged and entertained.
With that in mind, we’ve organized the top coding toys to inspire your kids to play and learn. Here is our list of the top coding toys for kids for 2024.
Top 9 Coding Toys for Kids 2025
Coding Toys for Ages 3-5
1. Think and Learn Code-a-Pillar Twist
Ages: 3-5
Cost: $124.90
Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar Twist is notable as being one of the few coding toys designed specifically for preschool-aged kids. The other toys in this age bracket can definitely be used to teach coding to kids as young as ages 3-5, but the Code-a-Pillar is meant only for this age group.
Kids program each body section of the Code-a-Pillar with a variety of different actions. Once it is set loose, it moves through each of the commands in order, from head to tail, following the program laid out for it!
This toy won’t be teaching kids any advanced coding concepts, but it is a great, screen-free way of introducing young kids to the concept of programmatic thinking.
2. Cubetto
Ages: 3-5
Cost: $294
Cubetto is another screen-free coding option that works great for younger kids. Instead of typing code in, young coders lay different coding tiles down on a control board to program the Cubetto robot to move.
This fun toy does a great job of teaching early coding concepts like programmatic thinking and calling functions.
It’s a really easy system to pick up and early coders will love watching the robot following their orders. When they’re ready for a challenge, Cubetto also comes with a fun storybook filled with robotic adventures meant to teach the basics of how coding works.
3. Botzees Coding Robot
Ages: 3-5
Cost: $99.99
Botzees is the first toy on our list to use a screen for its coding fun. It is an augmented reality (AR) robot-building and coding kit that allows beginners to explore the world of code.
Kids can use the included blocks to build a variety of robots. Commands on the screen control each of these robots. Then they use the robots they build and the coding they learn to move through an AR world to solve problems and make robot friends!
Botzees is a great combination of block building, coding, and augmented reality that is sure to entertain and educate!
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Coding Toys for Ages 5-8
4. Botley 2.0
Ages: 5-8
Cost: $69.99
Botley is a robot that can do a lot. Budding coders control it by pressing the coding buttons on its controller in order and then transmitting the whole code. If they need help visualizing the code as a whole, Botley comes with a set of coding cards. Cards can be lined up as a handy way to order and re-order their code.
Botley also comes with a “Coding Challenges” booklet that they can work through to practice real coding concepts like loops and conditionals.
There’s a ton to do with this one, and your kids will want to explore it all over and over again!
5. Osmo’s Coding Starter Kit
Ages: 5-8
Cost: $99
Osmo’s Coding Starter Kit is just one of a number of different kits for the Osmo ecosystem. Osmo uses physical accessories developed for an iPad or Kindle Fire to use for their learning kits and games.
The Coding Starter Kit provides the basic coding blocks that the Osmo system reads to make things happen on the screen. The best part is that Osmo apps can extend their functionality using those same blocks with other apps.
It’s a great system with a lot of flexibility and is definitely worth a look.
6. Dash Robots
Ages: 5-8
Cost: $179.99
Dash Robots are a flexible and fun toy for a variety of ages. They are controlled by one of three different Dash apps: Path, Wonder, and Blockly.
Path is the simplest app and essentially boils down to drawing a line for the Dash robot to follow. Wonder adds in some basic coding elements and encourages kids to draw connections between different functions to control what Dash does. However, Blockly is where the fun really begins.
Dash Blockly introduces young coders to a block based coding interface and allows kids to drag and drop coding blocks to create code to control their robot. The coding interface itself is super similar to other block-based codes, such as MIT’s Scratch interface. It’s a great introduction to skills that will help kids on their coding journey!
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Coding Toys for Ages 9 and Up
7. Makeblock mBot2
Ages: 5-8
Cost: $70.99
The Makeblock mBot2, formerly mBot Neo, is a buildable coding robot created to enhance children’s hands-on and logical thinking skills.
Kids start by building the robot which is easy to assemble even for beginners. Then it’s time to program and control their robots. The robot is controlled using an infrared remote control, the Makeblock app, or the on-board buttons. Kids can switch between Bluetooth, USB and WIFI connections, teaching them about hardware and software components.
mBot2 stretches their creativity while learning coding, AI, and robotics. Kids start with coding with mBlock, a block-based programming software based on Scratch 2.0. and eventually upgrade to Python programming in the same platform. There 24+ cases and 8+ courses to help them master Scratch and Python programming, robotics, computer science, game development, and data science.
Add-ons like the mBot Shield and mBuild extend the various robotics and STEM projects kids can do. The Shield can connect with more than 30 electronics and LEGO bricks, while adding mBuild modules help achieve intelligent functions, such as voice control, smart camera, and more.
8. Sphero BOLT+
Ages: 5-8
Cost: $199
Sphero BOLT+ is the newest evolution of Sphero’s popular BOLT coding robot. This coding toy is packed with experiential learning opportunities and ready to go!
The BOLT+ is small but mighty. The robot features a full-color 128 x 128 LCD panel, programmable sensors and motors, and durable polycarbonate shell.
Using a mobile phone, kids can control their robots by drawing paths on a screen, using block-based coding, or through real-world JavaScript coding. It is an amazing system that covers both beginner concepts and more advanced ones, so all ages can participate. Kids will have fun playing with their BOLT+ while exploring how robotics and coding work.
Lessons for the Sphero BOLT+ robot are found in the Sphero Edu app and can be used to teach all sorts of coding concepts. Each robot supports up to two learners and promotes pair programming and collaborative learning. The educational system includes free, downloadable guides and cross-curricular, standards-aligned lessons.
It’s a fun toy backed with plenty of educational resources and a good choice, especially for kids who want to learn text-based coding in JavaScript.
9. Sony KOOV
Ages: 5-8
Cost: $249.99
Sony’s KOOV kit is the full educational package, and is in fact intended to be used in a more detailed educational setting. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a great fit for home, though.
It is essentially a robot creation kit filled to the brim with blocks of different colors and shapes that can be used to make whatever robot you like. It has 12 unique robot builds and a corresponding learning course.
While kids can definitely let their imaginations run wild here, the place where KOOV really shines is with its educational challenges which help kids to think critically about the robots that they need to solve specific problems.
The robots are controlled by code written in a block-based interface perfect for beginning coders and advanced ones alike. Writing the codes correctly and moving through the problems also allows coders to earn badges to show that they know their stuff!
The KOOV kit packs in a ton of versatility and fun, making it a great choice for learning coding at home or in the classroom.
Next-Level Kids Coding Classes
Of course, toys can only take the coding journey so far. As coding concepts become more complex, real interactions with other coders become an important part of the learning process. Ultimately coding toys can only teach so much, so eventually it becomes far more effective to enroll in a coding class than to buy another toy. But that doesn’t mean that the fun has to end!
CodeWizardsHQ has fun and educational classes for elementary, middle, and high school students of all experience levels! Our online, small group class models have been proven effective time and again, with live teachers who understand the materials they’re teaching, a sense of community among our students, and fun projects that act as a leaping off point for continued learning. If your child is ready to take the next step and advance their coding skills, get to know our top-rated coding program for kids.
Learning new concepts through playing with toys is often the first step on a much longer journey. Choosing toys or classes that teach those concepts in a fun and easily understandable way makes it all the more likely that that journey will start out on the right foot.
