The Complete Guide to Buying Your Kid a Robot

Kids are no longer the same anymore, as generations change, so do preferences, and this is well observed in children. As technology makes things more accessible to people of all ages, the days where children used to clamor for toys are gone. Now they want high-tech devices to play with. This has given rise to a new market selling robots for children. Being new, it would be understandable for you as a parent to be lost with nowhere to start. Here are the things you need to keep in mind.

Your Kid’s Age

A two-year-old kid differs greatly from a 5-year old kid. That distinction gets wider as you advance up the age scale. Therefore, the robot you would get a two-year-old is not the same you would get an eight-year-old. An entertaining type of robot that can pull off dance moves, flashlights as they move or make funny sounds may do for a toddler. For an eight-year-old, an educational robot would be a better fit as they are in the inquisitive age where they try out new things.

Building Capacity

Some robots come pre-made, all the child has to do is get them out of the box and they are ready to go. However, to make things much more engaging for your child, get a robot that comes in parts, and let the child do the assembling on their own. This will make them become sharper as it is a good mental exercise figuring out where each piece fits into. Besides, you get to see their frustration turn into joy when they finally hack the whole setup.

The Price

The price plays the biggest role since you can only buy what your wallet can allow. There is absolutely no reason to blow a hole in your budget to get a robot for your child., The market is full of cheap but durable types of robots that you can find if you know where to look. On average, the price of kid robots varies between $85 for the simple rudimentary ones to $500 for the more complex types of robots. Do an online search to compare the prices, you are bound to run into a store that sells them at a much cheaper price.

Safety

Even with toys, there is always the danger of choking or injury when they are clumsily handled. When it comes to robots for kids, the same safety rules apply. Whether the robot has a miniature welding robot arm, a laser gun, or a makeshift sword, you have to ensure that they do not pose any danger to the child, especially if they are below 5 years. Older kids who are approaching teenage years are less of a concern as they know what not to do with toys and robots. However, to be on the safe side, check out the safety of each robot you buy.

Instructions Available

Some robots may be too complex even for an adult to figure out how they work. In the event of this, reaching out to the manufacturer may be out of the question and you may find yourself stuck with a dud, something your child will not appreciate. Before buying a complex robot, check to see if it comes with an instruction manual that explains how it can be assembled for instance. Instructions also come with precautions that will help you keep your kid safe while playing with their robot.

Complexity

Getting your child a robot that is too complex for their understanding will have the opposite effect of fun. First, you need to understand what your child is capable of, if they already harbor an interest in things like coding, then a coder robot that uses block-based programming would be a good fit for them. You cannot buy the same if their interests are aligned towards sports for instance. The complexity of robots increases as the age scales up.

Open-Ended Structures

These are robots designed to take any shape the child comes up with. They are the best value for money because the child will stay much longer with them, trying to crack all the possibilities before they tire of it. Open-ended robots and toys come in different levels of complexity and the higher you go the costlier they become. However, considering how long they last and how sharp your kid will become in using them, it is worth every penny.

The Size

The robot should be the right size for your child; not too small that they can lose it within moments of having them and neither too big that they cannot even lift them off the ground. The risk factor of having a robot that is too big is that there is an increased likelihood of injury if it falls on the child. Therefore, when selecting a robot for your kid, make sure it is proportional to their size and it should neither be too heavy.

Conclusion

There are countless robot makers who are starting to recognize how big a market the kids can be. As the demand for robots for kids goes up, more and more manufacturers are going to get into the game pushing the prices down while increasing the options in the market. For the parents, your focus should be on how the robot will improve your child.