Children have to obediently follow instructions at home and school, but with a Kibo robot, they’re giving the commands. Kids can begin to understand the basics of coding with Kinderlab Robotics’ adorable Kibo Robot Kit. Recommended for budding software engineers — ages 4–7 — the toy arrives disassembled. Kids install Kibo’s accessories, which allow him to move, see, hear, flash, and more. With the set of wood building blocks, children decide what Kibo will do: shake, turn left, flash a color, and more. They scan the bar codes on the building blocks, and watch the robot execute their blocks’ commands. Created by Tufts Prof Marina Bers, Kibo allows kids to be creative, problem solve, and learn the basics of coding, without screen time. And for that, we give Kibo our kudos.
Kibo 21 Robot Kit, $499, www.kinde
