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Today for STEAM Toy Tuesday I’m sharing Coding Critters by Learning Resources! I was lucky enough to win this awesome toy in a giveaway on their Instagram account last month. My kids love playing with this toy, and they don’t even know they are learning basic coding skills!
TOY OVERVIEW:
Coding Critters is a cute puppy play set designed to teach basic coding principles to kids, ages 4+. It comes with a large puppy you can code and a small puppy friend with wheels. It also comes with a story book, slide, see-saw/ball launcher, fire hydrant, dog house, ball, and more. The story book provides play ideas for moving the puppy around the playground. The paw prints with arrows help you plan the puppy’s path, then guides your code.
MY TOY REVIEW:
My kids really like Coding Critters. They love animal toys, so they were excited to see the puppies in this set. The puppy is easy to use and code. My 5.5 year old son is really good at coding the puppy.
My 3.5 year old daughter plays with this toy more than my son. She loves pressing the buttons and watching the puppy move. She is starting to get better at planning her moves, and then pressing the buttons to make the puppy go where she plans.
My kids don’t use the story book, they just move the puppy around wherever they want him to play. I’ve taught my kids to start using the puppy prints with the arrows to plan where they want the puppy to move, which helps them figure out how to code the puppy.
STEAM CONCEPTS LEARNED:
- Technology: This is a great way to introduce coding to your kids, especially if they are animal lovers. Your kids will learn how to plan out where they want the puppy to go, then code the puppy to move where they plan. This teaches cause and effect and forward thinking skills.
I like how Coding Critters is a screen-free toy, because most of our learn to code resources are on the iPad. Both my kids have a blast with this toy. In the last month, they have pulled it out at least 3-4 times a week to play with it.
This is a great toy to introduce your kids to coding. You can purchase this toy on Amazon.
