Finding the best robot for a 6 year old can be a bit of a challenge. There are so many options out there it can be hard to find a robot that’s fun to play with and educational at the same time. That’s why we put together this list of the best robot toys for children 6 and up, so you can find a robot that your 6 year old is sure to like.
Continue reading this article to learn more about each of the robots, or if you just want to know our top picks we recommend the Wonder Workshop Dash – Coding Robot for Kids (Buy Online) since it’s one of the most fun and educational robots you can buy.
Best Robot For A 6 Year Old
Best Robot For A 6 Year Old
Wonder Workshop Dash – Coding Robot for Kids 6+ – Voice Activated
The Wonder Workshop Dash – Coding Robot for Kids (Buy Online) is one of the most fun and easy to use educational robots for kids 6 and up. The Dash robot is an adorable robot that’s ready to play simple games and help teach your child how to program right out of the box.
This brightly colored robot can be programmed using a free downloadable App for both Android and iOS. It also has a microphone to listen for voice commands, so your 6 year old can tell the robot what to do without using the app.
Dash also has a wide array of sensors that allow it to interact with its environment and even other Dash and Dot robots. It has an IR transmitter and receiver that it can use to control other robots nearby. This opens up a wide range of possibilities if you have two Dash robots, or if you already have the stationary Dot bot.
Dash can also sense its environment using three proximity sensors to avoid obstacles and interact with other objects. The proximity sensors also work in conjunction with a gyroscope and an accelerometer to help make sure the robot is moving in the right direction at all times.
Once your child is ready to program the robot they can start with the Wonder App. This picture-based coding language makes it easy for children to program Dash using simple descriptive pictures to send commands to the robot.
Then when they get more accustomed to programming you can teach them to use the Blockly App. This app uses a graphical block-based programing language similar to MIT’s Scratch. This language will introduce your child to more advanced coding concepts and it will allow them to fully utilize Dash.
Dash also has a wide assortment of add-on kits that will allow it to sketch and draw like an artist, and it can even play an instrument with the xylophone kit. Overall the possibilities are almost endless when your child unleashes their imagination when they play with Dash.
Features
Voice Activated
Wireless: Bluetooth
IR Transmitter
Proximity Sensors
iOS and Android App
Picture Based Programming Language
Block Based Programming
Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (Included)
Pros
Dash is solidly built and it can withstand almost anything a 6 year old can dish out
The picture-based programing language is s great way to introduce programming to kids
Cons
Bluetooth can disconnect
Makeblock Codey Rocky Programmable Robot Ages 6+,
The Makeblock Codey Rocky Programmable Robot (Buy Online) is one of the best robot toys if you want to start teaching your child programming at a young age. The Makeblock Codey Rocky is designed to make it simple for a young child to learn how to code while they play.
This small little robot is made for children 6 and above, and it’s such a smart robot toy that it’s fun for people of any age. Codey is actually the face of the robot and you can easily detach it from Rocky which is the rolling base. Codey can be played with alone, or you can attach it to a PC to unlock extra functionality.
The best thing about Codey is his face which lights up with expressive eyes that have a nearly endless repertoire of animations that he can display. His face will change based on his environment or whatever game he might be playing. There is also a wide range of sensors that your child can interact with to get Codey to show his “emotions” with his expressive face.
When you hook Codey up to a PC or Mac you will be able to see more advanced options that will let you program Codeys “brain”. You can use block-based commands to program Codey using a simple graphical interface. Alternatively, you can even convert the commands into Python code to teach your child a real programing language that will let them control Codey in more interesting ways.
The Makeblock Codey Rocky Programmable Robot can also connect to other IoT devices, so he can interact with different smart home systems. That means Codey could turn your lights on and off or control almost anything. This robot also has built-in Wi-Fi, so you can operate it remotely over a long range.
All in all, the Makeblock Codey Rocky Programmable Robot can grow with your child as they get more used to programming as they age. First, they will probably play with it using the buttons and sensors on the remote and the base. Then once they get used to the toy you can teach them how to program it using the Scratch 3.0 graphical programing language on the mBlock App (iOS/Android).
Then you can teach your child Python once you think they have mastered the basics. Python is an industry leading programing language used in a wide range of AI systems and data science applications. I recommend you check out this COURSE on the Python programming language if you want to help teach your child once they are ready.
Features
Detachable Base
Expressive Animated Face
iOS/Android App
Mac/PC
Wireless: Wi-Fi
Scratch 3.0 Graphical Programming
Python Programming
Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery (Included)
Pros
Makerblock Codey makes it simple to learn the basics of programming
Scratch 3.0 programming language is well supported by MIT
Python support opens up the doors to AI programming
Cons
Needs other Makerblock products to unlock some of the advanced functionality
LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox Fun Robot Building Set
The LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox Robot Building Set (Buy Online) is the perfect toy for a 6-year old who wants to play robots all day. This LEGO Set comes with all the parts to build five different robots of varying complexity.
The easiest robot to construct is “Vernie the Robot”, who is a cute little robot that cracks jokes and dances, and best of all he looks like Johnny 5 from the movie Short Circuit. After Vernie, they can move on to “Frankie the Cat” that plays games and purrs like a cat.
Then once your child is ready for a more challenging robot they can start building the “Guitar 400”, which is a musical instrument they can actually play. After your rock star has mastered the guitar they can build the “M.T.R 4”, which is a rover that can drive around and explore, and it has four different tool attachments that allow it to play different games.
Once your budding robot builder has mastered the first four models they can move on to the piece de resistance and build a LEGO factory. The “Auto Builder” is a complete miniature production line that will build small LEGO models for your child automatically.
Each one of the models can be programmed and controlled using the Android or iOS app. The app has built-in games that will teach your child programming concepts along the way. The app also comes with a simple graphical programing language that your child can use to create custom programs for any model they make.
Features
5 Robot Models
iOS/Android App
Graphical Programming
847 LEGO pieces
60+ Games
Batteries (Not Included)
Pros
The robot models start off easy and then get harder, so your child will enjoy endless hours of learning and play
The drag and drop programming language makes coding easy for kids of all ages
Cons
Small parts
Might require some parental assembly
WowWee – MiP the Toy Robot
The WowWee – MiP Toy Robot (Buy Online) is a cool robot toy for kids of all ages. This self-balancing robot can play a wide range of games, and he has a fun little personality that will definitely keep your 6-year old engaged.
The WowWee – MiP Toy robot has a wide selection of game modes like tracking where it will follow your hand or leg. Dance mode will make the MiP robot play songs and spin around and gyrate. MiP can also roam around and sense his environment so he can avoid obstacles along the way.
You can also teach MiP tricks since this robot can hold up to 50 commands in its memory. MiP can also play a game where you lock him in a virtual cage and then he has to escape.
The MiP robot can be controlled remotely using an app that works on devices that run iOS or Android. The app can be used to steer him from a distance since it uses Bluetooth. The app also has a path tracing feature where you can draw a line on the screen and MiP will follow any meandering path your child’s mind can create.
There are almost limitless games your child can play with MiP over the course of a day. It also will grow with your child over the years as they learn how to use it in more complicated ways.
Features
Self-Balancing Robot
Wireless: Bluetooth
Gesture Control
Sound Detection
iOS and Android App
50 Command Memory
7 Interactive Games
4 AAA Batteries (Not Included)
Pros
You don’t need to use a smartphone app to play most of the games
Comes with lots of built-in games and programming modes
Cons
A little loud
Batteries not included
Learning Resources Botley the Coding Robot Activity Set
The Botley Coding Robot Activity Set (Buy Online) is one of the best ways to introduce a 6 year old to basic coding concepts. Botley makes it easy for a 6 year old to put together simple little programs to control how he moves and interacts with his environment.
Programming Botley is simple using the included remote control. The remote control has large buttons that your little toddler can use to enter a string of commands that the robot will obey. They can program up to 120 steps into the controller and Botley will follow them until the program ends, or they can even send looping commands that can repeat the commands indefinitely.
This little robot can also detect obstacles and move around any objects in its path. Botley can also follow hand-drawn lines, or he can even follow the circuit paths on the cards that come with the activity set. The activity set comes with everything you’ need to play a wide range of games, and it comes with a user guide and coding challenges for kids of all ages.
If you’ve been looking for a robot that will also teach your 6-year-old programming then Botley is definitely worth a try. It’s also one of the more affordable programmable robot toys, so it will cost less money than most of the other robots on this page.
Features
Programmable Remote Control
Removable Robot Arms
40 Coding Cards
27 Piece Obstacle course
User Guide
Coding Challenges
5 AAA Batteries (Not Included)
Pros
Botley will teach programming concepts in a fun and easy to understand way
The obstacle course will provide endless hours of play
Cons
Batteries not included
Takes time to learn
Fisher-Price Think & Learn Teach ‘n Tag Movi
The Fisher-Price Think & Learn Teach ‘n Tag Movi Robot (Buy Online) is a fun little robot toy for 6 year old children. Toddlers will love playing games and learning with this robot everyday. It can play games like Red Light, Green Light and “Movi Says”. Movi can also teach your 6 year old about shapes, and it can help them learn to recite their ABC’s.
You can also switch Movi into active play mode where it can play games like tag and follow the leader. Movi will also explain the rules of each game to your 6 year old, and his face will also light up and change colors depending on the current state of the game.
Movi runs on four C batteries that are already included in the packaging, so your 6 year old can start playing with it right away. This robot toy is also very durable and affordable, so you won’t have to worry about a little bit of rough play. Overall Movi is a great little robot toy, and best of all it won’t cost an arm and a leg.
Features
3 Ways to Play
360 Degrees of Mobility
Light-Up Face and Buttons
60+ Different Faces
Four C Batteries (Included)
Pros
Movi makes it fun to teach your kids their ABC’s
Movi will keep your 6 year old active all day playing games
Cons
Robot sometimes get stuck in tight spaces
Can be a little noisy
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