I'm looking for suggestions on programming games or toys that would be suitable for my 8-year-old niece. She's interested in programming like I do with Arduino, but I feel it might be a bit advanced for her as a beginner. Ideally, I want something that has a tangible output, like building a robot. I've considered options like Mindstorms, but they tend to be too pricey or hard to find. Does anyone know of any fun and affordable programming games or toys? Bonus points if they're available in French, but that's not a dealbreaker!
3 Answers
You might want to check out Arduino and Raspberry Pi kits that include cars or robots, which can be programmed using a block-based programming language similar to Scratch. Sunfounder and Elegoo have some great kits that are fun to build and code with your niece. For introductory programming, Scratch is perfect for her age, and you can also look into Scratch Playground for some helpful learning resources.
I think programming for kids has become much easier with so many great tools available, but it's hard to find the right starter projects. You could consider PICO-8, a retro-style game engine which lets kids create games easily. It's got a free educational version that you can start with, and it’s a bit more creative. But, since your niece's mom wants a physical result, I understand why you might want to look for more hands-on options. It’s good to keep it in mind for later!
Have you tried 'Rabbids Coding'? It's free and really fun for kids! It's a neat way to introduce programming concepts in an engaging way. Here's the link: https://store.ubisoft.com/us/rabbids-coding/5d96f9b05cdf9a2eacdf68cb.html?lang=en_US.
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