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These fun games are preparing kids into their AI-driven future and parents are loving them.

By on December 24, 2019

Starting April 2020, Computer programming will be a compulsory subject in Japan’s primary school curriculum.

Children in the fifth grade will be taught the basics of coding.  Is your child ready? Whether your child is in the Japanese or International school system, these new games give children a headstart in programming education while keeping them off their addictive devices.

Three of the best toys that we think deserve attention are great at fostering scientific thinking and solving real-world problems. They come in the form of game boards, puzzle pieces, packed with the tangible and intangible benefits of hands-on learning. So here they are…

1.BOTLEY

If you talk algorithm with your preschooler, he’ll probably scratch his head. Give him Botley and he’ll understand the concept pretty fast. Botley is an award-winning coding robot for children ages 5 and up. It includes a remote coding module, cards and detachable arms to create a world for a robot to navigate. Botley does not require the use of a computer or app, which means it’s a great way to teach kids to code.
By entering a code on the remote and then asking Botley to ‘run the code’, kids will understand how basic concepts of coding work like algorithms, loops and debugging while playing with Botley robot toy. Coding at this age is not just about computers – learning to code has many benefits beyond the computer screen. Kids who learn the basic concepts of coding will also be learning to problem solve and think creatively.

Available here

2. BILDITS

The problems that engineers attempt to solve in the real world are based on real-life situations. Older children aged 10 years and above will love Bildits, a construction toy kit designed and manufactured in Lebanon that will do just that. The toy has been favorably adopted by 20 schools to date. It gives children room to experiment with the basic theories of engineering, testing what they have learned in physics, geometry and even chemistry. It’s not only unique and educational, it is also fun. The kit contains 700+ pieces and 25 different types of material that take children through the whole process of building with miniature tools, material and guides. Children get a hands-on experience from erecting steel structures and installing framework to pouring cement and painting. The S-T-R-E-A-M approach that integrates Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics into the building process makes this kit the next big thing in toys when it hits most stores worldwide.

The brains behind the concept of the kit is a young Lebanese engineer and expat to Saudi Arabia Rayan Barhoush and his two close friends, Elias Chemaly and Wael Saade.  You can pre-order here.

 

3. GRIDOPOLIS

Gridopolis, a 3-D construction game designed for children ages 8 and up, (and even younger kids) who can play chess or checkers, to build their own boards.  Designed by Dave Schultze, Gridopolis is a multiplayer game which makes it great for families.

The objective of the game is to eliminate your opponents’ player markers by jumping over them. You can attack from above, below, and at crazy angles across multiple levels.
Every player marker starts out as a pawn and can only move one pad at a time. You can go in any direction as long as it’s away from your starting/home row. In some board games, your piece may have only one or two possible moves. That’s not the case in Gridopolis which allows you to make a move using a teleporter, called the hyper-pad. Land on one to teleport to any other hyper-pad ─ all in the same move. Another Gridopolis innovation is dynamic play. Before a game, each player gets extra building parts. You can use these to build at any time. So, when it’s your turn, you can either move or build. The first build move is called the add-a-pad. This expands the grid set, either horizontally or vertically. Each new pad is now a legal place to move. The second build move is called the blocker-box. This shrinks the grid set when you place it on an empty pad. That pad is now out of order for the rest of the game.

Once you know the rules, you can then play on any other grid-set designs or design your own grid-set design. Each set comes with 217 total pieces. That’s enough for two, three, or four players. But, there are only seven unique parts in the entire Gridopolis system. This makes things easy to learn ─ and fun to play.

Pre-order here

About Ted Tanaka