Best Coding Robot for Kids? Makeblock mBot2 Hands-On Review and Giveaway!

When I was looking for a coding robot for kids, there were specific features I was looking for. The Makeblock mBot2 checked all the boxes!

Make sure you check out the full review and enter to win an mBot2 at the bottom of the post!

Why Buy a Coding Robot for Kids?

I did the ultimate test to make sure this was the best for my child! I gave it to my website developer, my 12-year-old son! He is a coding wizard, and I knew if he enjoyed it, it would be a hit for all my boys!

Coding is a subject children should be learning because it is becoming a big part of our everyday lives. It is just like a language; if they start at a young age, it will be easier to learn more advanced coding concepts when they are older. The robot brings coding to life and makes it more accessible and motivating to learn.

I set my son up with the more advanced Makeblock mBot2 Rover Robotics Kit. He built the original mBot2 in about 30 minutes, and then the add-ons took him a few hours. To program this coding robot for kids, it uses a program similar to Scratch, a free coding program from MIT.

It uses blocks to stack pieces of code to program the robot. You can then look underneath the coding blocks to see the corresponding Python code and start learning Python, the most common coding language.

Best Coding Robot for Kids

My son loved how easy it was to code the robot and was able to program it to move right away. It’s always great when your kids can figure something out quickly and immediately get a result from their work. We’ve only used it for a few days, but he has programmed the arms to move, made sounds and expressions, and programmed it to move back and forth. I know he’ll be using it all the time with over 22 learning cases, 4 complete projects, 8 courses he can try, and endless ways to customize the robot.

It’s also durable, with solid metal parts and heavy-duty wheels. It can even go outside and works over rocks and grass. My son has many rough-and-tumble little brothers, so this coding robot for kids must be built to last.

I can’t wait to see all my son can do with his robot as he learns how to program and control it! Maybe he can make it help with his chores! LOL

More Makeblock mBot2 Features

Some more fun features the Makeblock mBot2 has that we haven’t had time to explore is the remote control, Lego compatibility, speech recognition and programmable sensors!

The Bluetooth remote control will be great for hand-eye coordination and developing programs for item recovery or dueling. The programmable sensors can pick up on color, movement, expressions, and more! I’m really intrigued by the obstacle avoidance function because it is exactly what a lot of cars are using right now.

The mBot2 can also be customized with Legos and with the different components that are included in the add on Rover Kit. You can create anything you put your mind to with this coding robot for kids! “Robot, pick up my room!” Now wouldn’t that be fun!?

Coding Robot for Future Education

There’s a reason so many homeschoolers are adding this kind of robot into their curriculum. They know that coding and robotics is the future of work and innovation. More and more jobs require the understanding of basic coding principals. Proficiency in these areas will provide our children with a huge advantage in careers and in business.

Not only that, Coding robots for kids help them troubleshoot and think critically. When a program doesn’t work as expected, they’ll learn to debug it, test, and try again—valuable skills for any area of work.

I really think including a coding robot in your homeschool curriculum will give them vital skills in the fast changing technological world.