Two New STEM Toys from Learning Resources (My Family’s Review)

I have five kids – one boy and four girls – and over the years I’ve tried to choose toys for them that go beyond the stereotypical “boy” and “girl” toys so that it’s easier for them to play together. So I was pretty excited to try two new STEM toys from Learning Resources! These toys are perfect not just for girls, but for ensuring all kids are given a proper early introduction to STEM. My son is naturally very STEM oriented, so I knew he would like these, but I was pleased to see that my girls really liked them, too!

Botley™ the Coding Robot

Botley™ the Coding Robot is ready to use right out of the box and introduces children as young as five to the world of coding in a fun and straightforward way – all without the use of a smartphone or tablet. Advanced features will grow with kids offering challenges for many years to come. (Age range: 5 years+; MSRP: $79.99)

My kids loved Botley…my 6-year-old even considers Botley part of the family! (She talks to Botley like the robot is a pet.) My 8-year-old son took to this very quickly and enjoyed discovering the advanced features (these are outlined in the instructions) including getting Botley to talk, follow a black line, etc. My 6- and 4-year-old daughters just enjoyed programming Botley to move around. I like that Botley doesn’t use a screen to program – it’s all done via a separate controller. We are all very excited to have Botley in our collection!

City Engineering & Design Building Set

Encourage an early love of STEM learning with this one-of-a-kind building set. Young engineers can create their own skyscrapers, cranes, bridges and more with 89 easy-to-assemble pieces. Use the included activity cards to complete design challenges or create a city. It’s a unique way to challenge logic, problem solve, and develop engineering skills. (Age range: 5 years+; MSRP: $24.99)

Again, my son really took to this one quickly. He looked at the included cards to follow some of the suggested challenges but he also just enjoyed building with it himself. My girls have recently become more interested in building toys (especially my 3-year-old, but she’s a little young for this) and they had fun with it, too!

Our family really enjoyed trying out both of these Learning Resources STEM toys. If it’s something you’re interested in checking out for your children or grandchildren, you can get Botley the Coding Robot (with activity set) and the City Engineering & Design Building Set on Amazon.