Most kids these days are fascinated by robots.
Thankfully, there are amazing robotics kits available that cater specifically for children who crave a hands-on learning experience.
With a kit for every skill level and budget, you are sure to find something that educates and entertains your child for hours on end.
This robot intrigues me, simply for the fact that it reminds me of a toy robot I loved as a kid. The robot I had wasn't programmable, and all it could do was move in a variety of directions, switch direction after bumping off furniture, or flash its eyes. But I loved it so much that I used to sneak it into family photos.
The ReCon 6.0 teaches kids basic programming, maths, and problem solving - kids can program their Rover to do simple tasks around the house. There is a recording function, which allows the Rover to play sound. It's suitable for children over 8 years of age, or adults of any age.
The All Terrain Robot Kit is a single kit which allows you to create 3 different robots: a forklift, a gripper, or an ATR.
Remote controlled, you can have it do errands for you, such as sending your mother a written request for cookies. It's suitable for kids from the age of 13 and up.
14 in 1 Educational Solar Robot Kit
Solar powered robots are the perfect thing for children, not just for the educational aspect, but also for that fact that they require no batteries!
This kit is quite amazing because there are 14 different solar robots to be made. The 14 different robot types are split up into two levels of difficulty, so your girl or boy can teach themselves more complex designs. Suitable for ages 10+.
For those with a more generous budget, the Revolution: Six Robot is an amazing kit for an older child curious about robotics. It's a hexapod, meaning it can walk on six legs. It doesn't require all of them at once in order to balance, so other legs are free to grasp or move.
It's a much more advanced robot, but it utilizes a clip 'n' play construction meaning no soldering is required. Kids are still free to learn at their own pace without adult instruction - but who am I kidding, most adults would love to make this and indeed they do. The kit enables children to design and customize their own robot. It also has a camera mounted on the top enabling the robot to have detection and tracking abilities. The robot is able to interact with a variety of things, such as faces, objects, colors, and even QR-codes.
It's an impressive piece. The robot is equipped with EZ-B v4 - the world's most powerful and compact robot brain. It's also highly customizable; those with access to 3D printers are able to create their own robot parts. Thankfully, the kit is supported with on-line tutorials to assist children through all steps of creation.
That's it. I want one for Christmas!
To find out more about robotics kits for kids, simply visit any good robotics supplier near you.
Sarah Bell is a writer based in Seoul.
You can contact her at www.themscript.com