Every great sci-fi movie contains a great robot, as most have probably noticed by now. That said, some of the best animated movies of the past decade have had a focus on cool robots too. Wall-E, Big Hero 6, The Iron Giant, Iron Man — they’re all incredibly popular among kids, and they prominently feature a robot hero. And if you look at the video game world, there are so many great games that feature robots as well, including Ratchet & Clank, Borderlands, and Fallout 4. Why? Simply put, robots are cool.
In fact, if you didn’t have an imaginary robot pal when you were a kid, you probably weren’t being a kid right. Robots are all around us, especially in our connected world. Those little computers in our pockets are basically robots, are they not? But, despite the fact that we’re constantly surrounded by them, kids want more robots in their lives.
If your child seems to be amazed by robotics and things you can control with a remote, check out our ultimate list of cool robot toys for kids:
The best robot toy available right now is the Anko Cozmo — one of the hottest new toys in recent years. Simply put, this is THE smartest robot toy you’ll currently find commercially available. Cozmo is loaded with personality, and he’s compatible with iOS and Android devices. The more you play with Cozmo, the more games and upgrades you’ll unlock. He hits the sweet spot where artificial intelligence/supercomputer meets trusty sidekick. He doesn’t just move here and there, but he actually wants to learn new things, which fuels his hunger to explore. He can be programmed with new interactions as well, thanks to the Cozmo Software Developers Kit (SDK).
Right. If you’re after something that’s both fun and educational, the Wonder Workshop Cue Coding Robot is well worth considering.
Cue will aid kids as they transfer skills from block-based coding all the way to text-based Javascript.
Block-based coding is, essentially, a way of using different rectangles to create code. As an example, combining the block to move forward with spin, say, will result in a code to perform both tasks. That’s basically how block-based coding works. It’s simple and intuitive but teaches kids how it all works in practice.
Once kids understand the basics, that’s when they can move on to something more advanced.
Cue is also equipped super interactive. He’s able to tell jokes and interact with kids, and even has a vocabulary of over 170,000 words and 30,000 text responses.
He also comes with a massive cannon capable of firing darts, which is sure to impress even the most stubborn kids.
Some of the best moments I’ve had with my own son over the past year were when we were working together putting together his Meccano MeccaNoid G15. It comes with over 600 pieces, and some of them are rather small, which is why it’s recommended for ages 10+ (although, my 7 year old had no problem following the directions with a little help). This kit allows you to build your own personal robot, program him and play with him. The G15 was a hot commodity this past Christmas, and it has become a favorite choice for robot toys for kids.
If you follow Heavy, you probably noticed that we’re a lover of dinosaur toys, and one of the best dino toys we frequently recommend is the Robo Pets T-Rex Dinosaur Toy.
It was one of the best toys for boys, and now that it comes in at well under $50, we love it even more!
It comes with a super simple remote, which is a surprise since the dinosaur robot is so smart. What makes this little guy so good is how much he’s capable of doing. You’ve got the expected forwards and backward commands, sure, but he also shakes, turns, chomps, and even dances. He’s a right little party animal.
He can sense where you are and what you’re doing too. He’s also chargable, so you’ll only need batteries for the remote control (it takes two AAA batteries, so they’ll last for quite a while before you need to replace them).
If you’re after something affordable, cute, and sure to impress dino lovers, this one is a no-brainer.
Solar energy is becoming ever important, and teaching your kids about solar energy and how to harness it is important. Believe it or not, robots can be used as educational toys, and one of our favorite learning tools is the OWI 14-in-1 Solar Robot Kit. It helps to teach children how to create solar powered robots, with two different levels of building skills.
So whether they’re a beginner or an experienced crafter, there are plans in this kit that will keep them entertained. They’ll create various walking robots and robots that use wheels to get around, all of which are powered by the sun — that means no batteries required.
BB-8 toys are all the rage, and the Sphero BB-8 App-enabled droid is definitely the coolest of the bunch. This little droid is controlled with your smartphone (works with both iOS and Android), and he’s able to listen to and respond, reacting to the voices around him. You can also record “holographic” videos and replay them later on. He’s undeniably charming, and your kids will have a blast controlling him with their phones.
They say bigger is better, and seeing as the Ruko Large Smart Robot stands at a whopping 15.8-inches tall, you know it’s going to impress.
The robot, whose name is Carle, is able to do just about everything. In fact, this big guy has 58 different actions, and best of all, can be programmed to perform tasks thanks to a handy app.
So, what specifically can he do? Well, he can dance, do gymnastics, sing up to 10 songs, tell stories, and he works as a Bluetooth speaker, so if you hook up a mobile device, you could theoretically put Blippi on in the background. His face also shows up to 48 emojis, too!
Yes, he’s a bit ridiculous due to his larger size, but if you’re after something that’s going to blow their socks off, the Ruko Smart Robot is where it’s at.
When you first turn on the Robo Shooter by ThinkGizmos, he says, “Greetings Master. I await your command!” Immediately, it sends a jolt of excitement through your child. This kids robot comes with a remote control that’s easy to hold, and it allows the user to move the robot into position. Once in position, they’re able to shoot mini foam discs from its chest, taking out foes in its path. But he’s not just a shooting robot — he dances as well! He has a dance button that will send him into a dancing frenzy. He can walk in all directions, and he stands at 30 cm tall. He requires 6 AA batteries, but it’s well worth the battery burn, as your kids will absolutely adore their new robot friend.
One of the big hot toys of the year is the WowWee Robosapien, a humanoid robot brimming with personality. This cool toy has actually been on the market for a few years. He has fluid motions and gestures, and he has two speeds. He has four programming modes that allow him to do different things, like react to touch, pick up, kicks or sound. His hands grab, and his eyes light up. He can dance, and his moves are sure to make your kids laugh.
While this Lego Star Wars BD-1 doesn’t move on its own, you can never ever go wrong with Lego. Lego is, and always will be, a cool gift girls and boys adore.
What’s great about this toy is it’s actually lifesize. Or at least it’s the same size as the BD-1 seen in the video game Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order.
There are 1062 pieces to this set. It’s also worth noting due to the complexity, it’s designed for ages 14 and up. Of course, you can always supervise and help kids a little younger to build it, but as a general rule of Lego, it’s worth sticking to that age recommendation.
So when something like this remote-controlled R2-D2 comes along, you know it’s going to be popular.
Artoo dances, moves, and is controlled via a mobile app rather than a remote control. The only downside is he’s quite small. At six inches, that’s a perfectly adequate size normally, but when you’re paying more, a little bigger would have been nice.
That said, when you get him out of the packet he feels nice and heavy, and does have an overall premium feel to him.
