Best Robotics Kits for Children and their Benefits

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Technology continues to advance in healthcare, travel, communication, and education. With simulation-based education, involving robotics, this allows students to learn through exploration, hands-on practice and encouraging them to think critically.

The use of technology in teaching and learning have shown their value not only in everyday learning but also in specialised education, making them worthy components of available educational resources.

Importance of Robotics in STEM

Robotics programs are an excellent way to teach and help kids learn valuable STEM skills. With the continuous advancement of technology, it’s important to ensure that children are prepared for what’s about to come.

Courses like coding, electronics, and robotics help kids adapt better to the future. Introduce your children or students to these skills through robotics, thus helping to make them productive members of our society in the coming years.

Robotics and Simulators in Education: The Benefits

When applied in education, robotics and simulators can change the way students learn, helping them become more knowledgeable and well-adjusted. Learn more about how educational robotic simulators impacts students by reading these few benefits below.

Encourages Creative thinking

Learning robotics gives children an opportunity to be creative and helps them express themselves intellectually. It also encourages them to think outside the box when it comes to solving problems.

Programming Becomes Easy and Entertaining

Educational robotics kits strengthen students skills while supporting their knowledge through the design, creation and operation of robots. With this, young students often find themselves being engaged and entertained as they feel free to interact directly with both electrical and mechanical process and procedures.

By having to control a physical robot and being able to identify what goes right and wrong, students can learn what robots can and can’t do with immediate experience and understanding.

Significantly Improves Programming Skills

Advanced programming and artificial intelligence, two concepts that go hand-in with robotics, are deemed to be some of the most critical areas in science at present. Therefore, robotics classes are a great way to introduce the basics of programming to children—and eventually help them improve their programming skills significantly.

As robotics are very hands-on, students can find programming more interesting. Plus, the usual programming classes are purely theoretical which helps them understand and visualise the code they write.

Developing Skills for the Future

Programming robots can help students discover their interests, whether or not those skills (e.g. programming, science technology or engineering) are in line with their aptitudes.

Here are some of the abilities developed by educational robotics, abilities that can be acquired by students, which can be fundamental to a lot of professional areas.

• Strategic problem-solving
• Computational thinking
• High-order thinking skills
• Logical and analytical reasoning

In general, robotics prepare students for a competitive world.

New Levels of Learning for Students with Special Needs

As mentioned above, the use of technology in teaching and learning also shows value in specialised education. Meaning, robotics in the classroom can help young students with particular requirements to develop their own personal learning experience, including accessing information and other educational contents through a tailor-made path.

The good thing about robotics kits is that they can be programmed to suit each individual need.  For example, children with autism can be supported by robots in the learning of communication and social skills.

Kids with developmental disabilities and attention deficit also can take advantage of robotics to help them learn to stay focused, making them their constant companions as well.

Wiltronics Robotics Kits

 

Codey Rocky Robot

Let your children explore the world of coding with their very own Codey Rocky Robot – not currently available (RO9230)! Featuring easy to use hardware and programming software mBlock 5, this robotic kit is compact and aimed at children, walking them through basic coding techniques.

This allows your child to create games, sequences and even matrix animations. Thanks to the 2-in-1 design, the Codey Robot features a detachable electronic tablet from the rover.

With all the features needed to cater to both very beginner and more advanced coding, this is a perfect all-inclusive coding robot! Recommended for ages 6+.

 

Mazzy Robot Kit with Bluetooth

This Mazzy Robot Kit (JKR9240) is a fun way to learn and experiment with robotics and programming. Featuring 2 programming modes: either manual via the control panel or advanced programming on the app available on Google Play or the App Store.

Build two different models, a robot or a rover. Includes infrared sensor to detect and avoid obstacles. Other features include:

• Build and program
• 2 Models: Robot or Rover
• More than 100 parts to build
• Easy programming – Up to 240 actions
• Facial expressions and sounds

 

Robotic Arm Kit - Remote Controlled

Build and play with this fun Robotic Arm Kit – No longer available (JKJ8988)! With 81 included pieces, assemble the robotic arm then control it with the 2.4GHz remote control.

Go forward, reverse, turn left or right, spin, raise or lower the arm, and pick up items with the clamp. Tank-like tracks enable it to drive across multiple surfaces.

This robotic arm kit also features a clamp to pick up small objects. The arm runs off a rechargeable battery for up to 1 hour, with a supplied USB cable to recharge it.

 

Tobbie the Robot

Tobbie the Robot (KI9031) can be set to follow or avoid obstacles in two pre-programmed settings. It also can walk around on his six legs and spin in any direction and will beep and flash his eyes while moving around. All you have to do is to power him up and watch him wake up!

 

Tobbie the Robot 2 Construction Kit

Tobbie the Robot 2 (KI9032) can be your child’s ultimate robotic companion! Once you have constructed Tobbie 2, you can find pre-programmed functions such as follow me, light tracker, calculator and many more.

In addition, using MakeCode or Python editors, you can easily learn to code Tobbie 2 into doing anything! Tobbie’s head can rotate through 360 degrees independently of his legs and the front screen can display numbers, text or emotions and also identify the temperature and compass readings.

This kit is a perfect learning tool and fun toy and is recommended for ages 8+. You can also get Tobbie the Robot 2 kit (KI9032+MB), a fully programmable “build your own” robot AND the Micro:Bit Go Development Board in this cost-effective bundle here.

 

Hydraulic Cyborg Hand Kit

This Hydraulic Cyborg Hand No longer available (JKR9266) is a great gift for kids and can help teach them how hydraulic systems work. It stimulates the movements of your hand and fingers, with three fingers and an opposable thumb.

The adjustable joints allow you to pick up large objects like a bottle of water and also smaller items like a pen. Step-by-step build instructions included, and no batteries required.

 

Coding Robot Kit

This Coding Robot Kit – no longer available (JKR9264) is a great way to learn the fundamentals of coding and robotics. Tribo is a 182 piece kit that can be built into three different models!

Program using the integrated keyboard, with no computer, smartphone or tablet required, the Tribo is a perfect entry-level robotics kit. Other features include:

• The Doodler. This model can hold a marker pen and draw patterns.
• The Shooter. The Shooter can fire three soft-tipped bullets at targets around the room.
• The Sweeper. Collects anything in your path as you move.

Makeblock Starter Robot Kit

Based on Arduino programming, the Makeblock DIY Starter Robot Kit (RO9200) is ideal for those new to programming. The Makeblock DIY Starter Robot is able to read both block and text-based programming, making it easy for beginners to create stories, games and even hardware.

While mBot can read basic code, it is also capable of platforms such as Python, Scratch, Arduino, AI, Deep Learning and IoT. Other features include:

• Easy to assemble. Makeblock DIY Starter Robot Kit has colour coded ports and wires making assembly quick and easy.
• Compatible with LEGO. This mBot chassis is compatible with most LEGO pieces, further expanding the creative possibilities.
• Compatibility. Connect your mBot to any smart device using Bluetooth for even more accessibility.
• Coding. Your mBot comes with various mini-programs meaning that you can start learning instantly!
• Education. Designed to be accessible to children, with plenty of online resources for learning.