Best Robot Toys: Top 15 STEM and Robotics Learning Robots of 2023
Playing with robot toys is the first step into the world of coding, gadgets, and high technology. It promotes the child’s adaption to the realities of modern life, awakens interest in technical innovations and programming, as it is critical to master new technologies these days.
Interaction with robot toys not only provides the child with hours of fun, but also contributes to the development of the child, instilling useful life and professional skills. For example, transformer robot toys that change appearance and purpose with a few permutations of parts, train logical and imagination skills. Not every adult knows how to turn a car into a robot warrior and back at once, but a well-timed child can do it in a matter of minutes.
On the other hand, playing with robots is incredibly interesting, and not just for children. Adults also enjoy giving commands to robots, watching the transformation of the toy, taking care of interactive pets, creating and programming their own models. This brings the whole family together in a common fascinating activity.
These days, robot toys manufacturers are trying to incorporate STEM learning options into such toys as much as possible. After all, STEM develops such important skills as:
- fine motor skills
- problem-solving skills
- math skills
- critical thinking
- creativity
- hand-eye coordination
- spatial skills
I have previously written about the importance of STEM skills in a child’s development at different ages. I have described in detail what toys are suitable for the development of STEM skills from 1 to 10 years HERE.
What Do Robot Toys Teach Kids?
I already mentioned above that the main skills that children learn from playing with robots are STEM. In addition, many studies show that robotics is great for developing skills such as hands-on creativity and teamwork.
Previously, it was thought that robotics and playing with robots was more appropriate for children ages 8 and up. But toy manufacturers now offer toy robots that can be played with by children as young as 3 years old.
In our selection of the best toy robots, we have chosen toys for children of all ages and for different family budgets.
The Best Robot Toys of 2023
See our selection of the best robot toys that your kids will love at first sight.
If you decide to buy your child’s first toy that teaches coding and programming, the Wonder Workshop Dash Coding Robot is the best choice.
First, the Dash is already completely ready to use, while many kits require a long assembly time. Second, the Dash robot comes with instructions that will allow your child to learn how to use the robot as quickly as possible. In addition to the Dash robot included 5 free applications that allow children to control the robot and give him different tasks from the most basic to more complex.
The Dash robot can sing, dance, move around the house, draw and perform voice commands.
Best Robot Toys for 6 year olds
If you are looking for a robot toy that will distract your child from electronic gadgets, Learning Resources Botley the Coding Robot 2.0 is a great choice. Your child will not need a phone or tablet to program this robot. Botley set includes a remote programmer that sends commands to set the robot in motion and that is very easy to use. It has a LED lights for eyes that makes it fun for kids in the dark.
Unlike the previous model, Botley requires assembling. No need to worry, because it takes very little time.
The Botley comes with 40 coding cards and 27 elements so that the child can build the obstacles that the Botley must overcome with the commands sent.
Coding will be a very easy and fun process for every child with a manual that explains the coding tasks in detail.
Best Robot Toys for 5 year olds
We love this delicate pink set, which would be a great gift for girls who want to learn programming in a simple and fun way.
You’ll start the game by assembling the robot itself. Assembling it with an ordinary screwdriver will be a fun way to introduce the processes of engineering and learn about STEM skills.
The robot toy comes with the mBlock Blockly App where kids can learn the code through 60 fun games. Another advantage of this robot toy model is that on the mBlock platform children can join a community of like-minded people and share useful information.
The mBot can be controlled either by the remote control that is included in the kit or by the app.
This is a super option for kids who want to learn programming from scratch. The easy-to-use software will take your child into the world of robotics and programming.
Best Robot Toys for 8 year olds
The Lego Mindstorms set is definitely no ordinary gift. It is suitable for older kids from 10 years old, who are already immersed in the world of robotics and are well versed in this subject. Lego Mindstorms uses the Scratch programming language and is equipped with a rather sophisticated brain with Bluetooth. I can’t help but mention the rather high cost in the neighborhood of $360.
You may ask, why is the price so high? The answer is simple. To create it, a smart hub was developed that includes a lot of computational and communication capabilities to control this toy robot.
Mindstorms Robot Inventor kit offered Agree, with such an innovative kit with lots of features a child will maximize critical thinking and problem solving skills.
This is the best robot toys for children who already have some experience in programming and coding.
Best Robot Toys for 10 year olds and experienced in coding
This fun and education bright robot will thrill both girls and boys. From assembling the 351 parts to controlling the robot with the remote control or with the mobile APP, your child will start to learn STEM skills. All parts of the robot (head, arms, caterpillar, etc) can rotate.
For more mischievous fun, kids can have a battle between GOOMY robots. It will deliver indescribable joy to children – robots can throw sausages and ice cream at each other.
GOOMY robot moves on crawlers, and children can arrange the competition between the robots, as the speed of this toy is very good, thanks to the rectangular radius of motion.
The GOOMY robot moves in all directions and can even perform tricks by rotating 360 degrees.
This learning and educational toy kit isn’t just a robot toy; it is a great way for kids to develop their hand-on skills and creative thinking.
Best Robot Toys for 8 year olds
We like this toy robot for its relatively low price and color, which would be a great choice as a gift for both boys and girls. Just like the previous models, this STEM robot can move in all directions — forward/backward, left/right, as well as spinning 360 degrees.
One of the main advantages, which we have appreciated, is the control of the robot at a distance of 20 meters. The robot responds to voice commands, and the robot can be controlled by a remote control or by a phone app.
This robot assumes assembly before use. But each unit is designed for small hands, so that the child can familiarize himself with the toy and begin to develop STEM skills from the very first stage.
For complete convenience, a step-by-step instruction is offered, adapted as much as possible for the child.
Recommended Age: 8+
Ruko Carle is a smart robot that will definitely become the best friend for your child. What we especially liked about this robot toy was its ability to express its “emotions” using Emoji!
Unlike previous models, this toy imitates human movements and responds to touches on his head.
And Carle is also a fun guy, in addition to moving in all directions, he can dance, play messages and… do gymnastics! And what we love most is his ability to tell stories and sing songs!
The programming itself can be done both through the APP and through the remote control. Nothing more or less — 58 actions, plus 102 movements, which the child can add at his discretion in the APP.
Recommended Age: 4+
Our selections of various toys almost always include an option for little dinosaur lovers. In this case, we included this multifunctional and interactive Tyrannosaurus in our top robot toys.
At first glance he may seem a little evil, and it is not surprising. After all, he can shoot suction cip bullets, flash his eyes with LED light and make an intimidating roar. But if you touch his head, he’ll start bobbing his head and tail, which makes him a do-gooder.
A child can record their favorite music into this toy and this warrior will begin to dance. It comes with a remote control that the child can use to bring to life his new friend.
This toy is suitable even for young children at the age of 3 years.
We love toys that grow with kids. That’s why this robot toy model is on our list.
Children from 3 years old can just use it as a favorite toy, which can dance to the child’s favorite music. It is worth noting the sound quality of this robot. You will enjoy the speaker with low and clear high frequencies. In addition, the new little friend can produce audiobooks, and you can play your child’s favorite stories on it before bedtime. And if your baby is still afraid of the dark, the glowing LED eyes will replace the night light.
For older children, this educational toy robot will be a great way to start learning the basic concepts of robotics. They will be able to program the robot’s actions using a remote control or app.
Recommended Age: 3+
This STEM set with 116 colorful gears will help kids let their imagination run wild and develop their creativity by making up their own bots. They move, twist and turn in all directions.
This set doesn’t limit a kid’s imagination and is an educational toy that will introduce your child to engineering and STEM skills, develop critical thinking and distract from screens and gadgets.
We also love the fact that this set can be combined with other Gears! sets, allowing your child to make the most of their imagination in games. Overall more than three different toys can be assebled with this single kit.
Another advantage of this toy is that you can assemble not only the robot from the parts, but also a variety of toy cars. And that means hours of fun for the child!
Recommended age: 5+
This model also provides an ability to build several toys whether it is a robot or a racing car.
The 901 pieces of building blocks will help kids to use their imagination to the maximum during the construction of own creations and inspire further exploration of robotics.
This Robot Toy has five control modes that can be accessed via mobile APP: programming mode, voice control mode, track and gyroscope modes, and remote control. Your kid will be able to play with this robot indoors and outdoors, as the remote control covers approximately 30 meters.
Like most STEM toys, this robotic toy teaches children basic math, science, technology, and engineering, as well as promotes hands-on skills and hand-eye coordination.
All the parts of the set have rounded corner design, which ensures avoiding injury.
Recommended Age: 8+
Star Wars fans may recognize the cute spherical droid BB-8.
Sphero has developed a Force Band wearable device to control this robot. By the way, the Force Band can be purchased separately, or you can get it in a great deal on Amazon.com, as in this case.
Wearing the Force Band on your arm, the robot will 4 execute commands received from hand gestures – move forward/backward, spin or stop. Also available in this kit are Force Awareness, Combat Training, and Force Training, which work exclusively with the Force Band.
The BB-2 executes voice commands. The built-in Bluetooth allows you to control the robot from 30 meters away, and the BB-2 has a speed of 4.5 MPH.
Another interesting feature in this robot is the Patrol feature, which allows the BB-2 to think for itself and move around the house without your intervention. When fully charged, the robot is active for an hour.
The BB-2 is quite a small toy with dimensions of 2.7 x 2.7 x 4.5 inches.
Recommended Age: 8+
Let’s say right away that the cost of this robot is impressive – about $500. So how is it different from its more affordable counterparts?
First of all, the ClicBot is equipped with artificial intelligence, and you can make it do any command you can imagine. The robot is coded in Google’s easy-to-use Blockly interface, and a variety of built-in sensors help execute whatever you program. The toy is coded by “drag-and-drop” blocks. If your kid has trouble building the code himself, he can choose from thousands of configurations created by other users.
ClicBot will become a real member of your family. Its possibilities are endless. With this robot toy, kid can recreate characters from their favorite cartoons, or create a pet that will follow children as real, happy or trying to find.
Another advantage over other models, is a stable and the fastest possible connection, thanks to the 5G.
Recommended Age: 8+
Cozmo is a little supercomputer with impressive technology built in. This little guy can sneeze, dance, practice his memory playing with you.
Just like the previous model, coding is done by dragging and dropping blocks and creating new creations.
The new model of Cozmo 2.0 has an improved camera that recognizes faces and pets, if you have any. The most interesting feature in this version is that Cozmo can recognize your smile! And that’s already a superpower for any toy. Do you agree?
There’s also a 30% increase in battery life and the ability to easily replace the battery through a new battery compartment.
Initially, the Sphero BOLT may seem too advanced a toy for a child. But the instructions on how to use it will help you quickly overcome any difficulties. To improve your abilities, such as coding BOLT with drag-and-drop blocks or writing JavaScript, the free Sphero EDU app is available for all Sphero BOLT owners.
BOLT is equipped with all sorts of sensors, including a compass, gyroscope, light sensors, and more. The developers also worked on the appearance of BOLT – with the animated LED matrix it is almost impossible to take your eyes off of BOLT.
We were most pleased with the inductive charging, which lasts for 4 hours of play!
From our list, this is not the most expensive robot toy (although not the cheapest), but in terms of features and appearance, BOLT is definitely one of our favorites!