Let’s be honest, most of the times, kids want nothing more than to see a PlayStation below their Christmas tree. While it’s a perfectly normal wish that every kid should be entitled to, the truth is that when it comes down to it, they’ll just spend their hours tirelessly killing people till they’re the final person remaining out of a pool of one hundred. This may be the perfect definition of killing spare time, why not give your children something that helps them develop a beneficial skill? And, yes, since you’re reading this one Automated Curiosity, the said skill is robotics.
Basically, instead of going through that entire boring regime to get a kid into robotics, you can try the easier, more fun and much more efficient way to achieve the same task. In this article, we’re going to talk elaborate further about why robotic toys for kids are a great idea and once you’re fully convinced to pull out your card and order something from Amazon, we’ll list a few of the best AI-powered toys available out there. But, first, let’s start with some background information.
Why are Robots for Kids Important?
Well, the only question is, why it they be? We’re living in a age where folks are trying to squeeze in automation wherever they possible could. We have talking toilets and robots predicted how the world will end. If that’s not a proof of how far AI and Machine Learning are being implemented, nothing is.
Basically what we’re trying to say is that robotics is already being force-fed to most of the industries that may or may not necessarily require the use of it. However, regardless of whether the industry may need it, it does indeed open a lot of job opportunities for people with potential. If you’re adding stuff up, we’re trying to explain how in the very near future, the possibility for a robotics engineer are truly endless. And, a child that shows a little bit of interest in the technical aspects of learning and really likes to get their hands dirty is the perfect candidate to learn about robotics at an early life and pursue a career in the industry later on.
How Do Robotic Toys Come into Play?
If you’ve read some of our other articles, we’re recommended VEX Robotic kits and LEGO Mindstorms and other similar products to help your child learn about robotics at an early age. However, these tools only apply once your kid has the intention and the willingness to gain an understanding of the field. And, how do you build that curiosity to explore? Well, obviously, by showing them robotics that they just can’t explain and makes them go, “Wow, how does this thing reply to me?” Industrial grade robotics are obviously a bit difficult for normal parents to gain access to. But, the very next thing you could buy are robotics toys. And, trust us when we tell you this, robotics toys are one of the best ways to naturally generate a spark for robotics in your kid’s mind.
What Do Robotic Toys Teach Your Kids?
Well, this question is a difficult one to answer. Basically, every toy is made with a different intention and each one teaches a separate skill from the next one. And, to explain this, we move on to the second business at hand, the best robot toys for kids. The answer to some of your question regarding the skills to learn will probably be answered down below.
Best Robotics Toys for Kids
So, this is one long, long list, but we’re just going to scratch the figurative surface and only discuss a few of the best-selling toys in the market. Let’s get to it.
4M Tin Can Robot
4M is relatively famous for their robotic kits, but apart from that, they’re notorious for creating great products for kids that are into robotics. And, it’s safe to say that they certainly out did themselves with this robot toy. To be very honest, there’s nothing special about the Tin Can Robot, but the idea that it represents is more valuable than anything. Basically, the robot comes equipped with all the motors and circuits. The only thing you need to add is an empty soda can. That’s where this toy shines it’s brightest. It not just getting kids into the industry with the quirky robot, it’s also teaching them the value of recycling and how something considered trash could be used to create a cheery robot. If your child can truly fathom gravity of this situation, who knows what it might lead to one day.
Cozmo
Cozmo is an AI-bot developed by Anki. The company created Cozmo specifically for kids and it’s priced pretty averagely as well considering the fact that it contains one of the most advanced AI we have at our disposal right now. Wired calls Cozmo the “Smartest, cutest AI-powered robot you’ll ever see” and we don’t say any different. He’s like Wall-E from back in the day. Cozmo can already perform a ton of tricks, but Anki is constantly adding to his database with frequent updates. Cozmo is engaging, it’s fun and at the same time, he’s extremely powerful. If you want your kid to learn what exactly AI is capable of doing, getting them Cozmo will definitely arouse their curiosity.
Zoomer Dino
Moving on to a toy that looks more like the conventional object found in a ‘90s kid’s closet. Obviously not every kid is going to be interested in a robot-looking robot, why not give them a non-looking robot that does the same exact thing? Well, if you want to something similar, then the Zoomer Dino is a great toy for your kid. You can teach it to dance, chomp, roar and even follow you around. It also does some pretty cool tricks if you pull it’s tail. If dinosaurs aren’t your kid’s ‘favorite’ animal, then there’s other options at Zoomer World as well. You can get puppies, unicorns, rabbits (sorry, bunnies would be the better word) and a whole array of made up animals that look surprisingly cute.
Meccano MeccaNoid G15
Now this is a toy that’s more on the complex side of things. We mentioned Wall-E a bit earlier in the article and this thing looks almost identical to him. The funny thing is that it doesn’t look like him by default. Your kid will actually have to build this toy from over the 600 pieces included in the box. The resulting G15 is your 2-foor tall robot with amazing voice recog system and a ton of different pre-written catchphrases and witty comments. The MeccaNoid G15 is also coded using Meccabrain™, the company powerfully automatic programming tool. All you need to do to make it work is move around the arms of the robot, speak and the Meccabrain™ will store all it in a 64-megabits of flash memory.
OWI Solar Robot
We purposely left out the full name of the robot to not spoil anything. This toy is equipped with not just one or two, but amazingly, 14 different robot functions to keep the variety in place for a long time. That’s why its called a 14-in-1 Solar Robot. The amusing part about OWI’s toy is that at an early age, your child can play with the pre-loaded modes. But, once they start getting bored of it, they can alter the robot’s assembly and make a completely different robot to play with!
Where Can You Find These Toys?
You can honestly find them in any local toy store or online, but we’ve found that Amazon has the best pricing and fastest delivery times for robot toys for kids in most cases.
The robot toys mentioned on our list are pretty easy to find and purchase. You’ll find all of them on Amazon as well as the websites of the respective manufacturers.
Closing Thoughts
Yes, every kid may not like robots for toys. As a parent, you can experiment around with a few different toys to see if the problem is with a particular toy and not just robot toys in general. If it’s the former case, then keep swapping around toys till you find one that works. It’s not being spoiled if it’s for a good cause. However, if it’s the latter case, then you definitely may want to rethink your whole approach. Robotic toys are fun and they should appeal to anyone that’s not even into the whole industry. If you kid doesn’t like them, that means that they have something else in mind for them. Don’t force your kid down a road just because you think the destination is good for them. Let them make this decision on their own…
