I bought this for my 4-year-old daughter. It was very easy to set up and get started. The “action” cards were a bit difficult to figure out without using the manual, and made sense after I read what they were but she had trouble remembering which was which in the middle of it. (This is not really an issue- it was just the only little problem we had). We ended our first session with her comment “Mom, I’m sweating!”. I loved this because her brain was working hard, but she was moving around a lot, too. I’d make it harder sometimes by having her find an alternate pathway after she found one. She really enjoys this game!
This game is great for kids. My 4yo and 7yo played together beautifully. The 7yo set it up for the 4yo to solve. The only issue is that it only has so much play life. Once you have figured out how to solve a level, that's really it.
My 4 year old son loves this game! He’s not old enough to grasp the timed or “fewest movements” effort but it’s a game he can grow into! He gets super excited about the enteractive squares!
This game sort of reminds me of twister in a way, but with no bending over. This is a game where you lay down a 5 by 5 mat and then proceed to lay out cards to represent moves encouraging the learning of coding. The mat is large so play is roomy and fun. This is definitely for younger children but my eight year old liked it none the less. The cards you put down represent different functions such as dance, stop, turn around, move forward. There are challenges you have to complete by putting down the cards and seeing if someone can follow the coding to complete the challenge and by doing so in enough time. Your child has to think out how to lay the cards in sequence to command action that will meet the challenge which is how they learn some basic coding techniques. there is a battery operated timer included.The game is fun because you can throw in actions like dancing to make it funny. The really fun part is you get to make your own robot hat with stickers and eyes and such. My son loved that part and then he loved wearing his hat. We played together, and there is only one robot hat, but several kids could play. I think they should have included more hats to decorate for multiple children, but that is really my only complaint. The game is well made, fun, educational, and STEM oriented
I would recommend this game for pre-schoolers through first or second grade. It is a group game challenge that requires one player to act as a robot while other player must discover how to direct the robot around obstacles or challenges placed in its way. To begin, you or one of the children decorate the paper robot hat with the included stickers. Then the children take turns being the robot. A challenge card is drawn. It shows where the robot should begin, where the robot should stop and a number of obstacles in between those two points. a large mat, about the size of a Twister mat, features a grid. Place the "start," "stop" and "obstaccle" cards on the mat to match what is shown on the card. Then let the children direct the robot. This game teaches logic skills that can be used later for coding. Coding is becoming an important part of education today. This is a friendly, "no screen" way to introduce those skills.
Feature Product
- Become the robot and race to solve each challenge
- Teaches early coding logic by asking kids to map their path from point A to point B
- Place direction tiles on the mat as you race to the finishing square
- Includes a Play Mat, 30 Direction Tiles, Robot Hat, Googly Eyes, 20 Level Cards, 44 Stickers, Timer with battery and Instructions
- Recommended for children 4 years of age and older
Description
ALEX Toys Future Coders Robot Races lets you decorate your own robot hat with stickers and become the robot as you race around a track and solve challenges! Dance, spin and jump your way to the finish line, playing an active game that teaches early coding logic ideas, by asking you to map your path from point A to point B. Choose a challenge card, then place direction tiles on the mat to map out your path. A digital timer adds to the frenetic fun as you race to the finishing square. Timer requires 1 “LR44” battery (included). Includes a Non-Woven Floor Mat (5ft x 5ft /15m x 15m), 18 Arrow Tiles, 2 Start/Stop Tiles, 6 Obstacle Tiles, 4 Action Tiles, Robot Hat, 2 Googly Eyes, 20 Level Cards, 44 Stickers, Digital Timer and Instructions. Recommended for children 4 years of age and older.
My kids (6 & 5 yrs old) really enjoyed this. It's great for boys or girls. The game is simple and easy to follow and is great for problem solving skills. Set up just consists of laying out the mat, putting on the hat, and setting the timer if you desire. Then you just follow the "level" instruction cards and play the game!
The robot hat comes un-decorated, but with all the sticker to decorate and googly eyes. I thought that was a fun extra activity! My kids loved it. The hat is adjustable for all head sizes.
The mat is simple, but sturdy. It is a little slippery, though, which they do state in the instructions. We had it on our dining room floor, but will probably do it on the carpet next time. Instructions are super simple and easy to follow. You have a set of "level" cards, that each time a player is up, you follow for that turn's set up. So whatever that card says you place particular tiles down, like the stop and star tiles, in the particular spaces. There are other tiles that you place like, circuit boards and such, that are spaces you cannot go. So you have to get from start to stop without touching those "forbidden" spaces. So you lay down arrow tiles as you go to get to your stop space. So, you have to problem solve to get from start to stop and which way the arrows need to point.
My kids loved it and it was fun and simple! We didn't use the timer, but I think it might add to the excitement to "beat the clock!" It's a great concept for a game and I love how visual and hands on it is. And it's cute and fun!
My 4 and 6 yr olds enjoy this game, though it is more basic than I anticipated. I still think it is a great "Start" to coding skills if your kids are young enough.
To succeed, they must be able to figure out a solution in the correct order. If they make a mistake, they have to start over. Very simple, but also effective at teaching this basic coding concept.
The challenges are best completed in order as the complexity of the challenges builds on the previous challenge.
I like that there is plenty of walking, bending, picking things up, setting things down, balancing, spatial reasoning, etc. And the best part is they actually ask to play this game so it is a hit.
Thanks for reading. I hope this review is helpful!
our 10-yo belonged to the robotics club at school this year.
brought this in to try during club time.
it's definitely way more fun with more people!
i think this really helped some of the kids connect with the idea of coding.
the club leader asked if we would bring it back again and we said we would.
so, i think it is best used with more people instead of just 2.
easy to follow instructions - but definitely a challenge to "master" it. which keeps this interesting!
i think this is a great tool to get kids to start thinking along the "logic" lines of coding.
really nice game made with good quality materials.
recommended.
This is an active game for preschoolers or young elementary age children.
First, there is a crown to decorate as a robot while parent reads the instructions.
Then you place the mat on the floor, set up green, red, orange and purple cards according to the task cad, give the kid a stack of big arrow cards, and have him go from green card to the red card, going around orange obstacle cards and stepping on the robot cards. To go they have to lay the arrow cards pointing in the direction they need to go next. It is pretty simple. They also included timer so if more then one kids are playing, they can see how much time they needed to finish the path, since they cannot play at the same time. Timer can count up and down and it beeps when the time is up.
The game is not actually teaches coding per se, but it is makes kids aware of sequencing, and following directions if they choose to repeat the path, and to problem solve.
This was a lot of fun on a recent snow day when I had children in a range of ages here. I found that the 9 year old and 10 year old were willing to help the smaller child succeed. It turned out to be a good cooperative game. They especially liked setting up the robot hat.
I like the problem solving skills and cooperative skills that are used in playing this. This truly is a STEM experience.
