Holiday Gifts for Techie Kids - Part I Discovery Tech Favorites

 Gift Guide Overview - Discovery Tech - Morrisville/Cary, NC

Every year there are an increasing number of Tech gift options for children. I know with my 3 children, it can take a good amont of time and research to find the right gift. I definitely want to make sure my child will use the gift, especially for gifts that require a greater investment. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a gift, to have it  only be a used a couple of times. This guide will highlight popular technology products we use at DIscovery, as well as other products families have recommended. Ultimately, you know your child best, but hopefully these ideas can help steer you in the right direction. 

Favorites from Discovery Tech Summer and Track-Out Camps 

 Dot and Dash Robots (Ages 6+, $199 for both, they can be bought separately)

Why We Love It
This is a great product to help teach children about coding and programming. Children can design obstacle courses to program robots to complete obstacles courses, go bowling, and the free software apps have many different challenges. It is controlled by using a smart phone or tablet. I also really like that it can grow with the child. There are apps with basic challenges and then others that are great for older children.

Discovery Tech Camps Featured In

• Adventures in Coding
• Robotics Olympics

da Vinci Minimaker 3D Printer ($199.55)

Why We Love it
There are a lot of great 3D printers on the market these days, but many of them require more advance technical skills and are not as user friendly for parents and children. There are also safety concerns with certain printers when used with children. This product is not only more affordable than most 3D printers, but is also very easy to use.

Lego Classic Brick Set - (Ages 3+, $49.99)  

Why We Love it
​Lego themed sets are great, but I know many children do not use their sets again after they are built. With the classic brick set, they can continue to create new models and develop their creativity. 

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Minecraft Stop-Motion Animation Studio (Ages 7+, $27.99)

​Discovery Tech Camps Featured In

• Lego Stop Motion Animation
• All camps at Lego table

Why We Love it

This product is exciting because it takes a child's love of Minecraft and engages them in storytelling and animation. There is an app for the product, but you can also use another stop-motion app on a phone or tables. Another alternative are the Minecraft Papercraft products. 

Discovery Tech Camp Featured In

• Minecraft Stop-Motion Animation

Snap Circuits (Ages 6+, prices vary depending on kit)

Why We Love it
Snap Circuits are a great way to introduce chilren to circuits and electricity. Depending on the kit, they can create projects such as alarm sirens, remote controls, 

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Discovery Tech Camps Featured In

• Go Green
• STEM Engineering Challenges

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Additional Tech Gift Ideas 

Here are some additional tech products that I have heard good things about this year.

Fisher-Price's Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar (Ages 3-6, $39.00)

 This looks like a great toy to introduce children as young as preschool to coding. To program the codeapillar, children arrange the segments in a certain order. All the programming is done directly on the toy and you do not need to worry about using a phone or tablet.

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littleBits Kits (Price and ages vary by kit)

My son received the Rule Your Room Kit for his birthday last week. He is having a great time with this product. It builds off their makey makey board to teach children about conductivity. They can create different alarms, sensors, a pop-up puppet and more. littleBits offers a number of different sets and I am already looking at ones for my son to get in the future.

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Jewelbots (Ages 7-14, $69)

These are like no friendship bracelet you have seen before. Kids can send secret messages to their friends through these bracelets. It is open-sourced, and children can come up with their own programs for their bracelets. 

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 Sphero Star Wars BB-8 App Controlled Robot, ($129, $199 with force band)

With the release of another Star Wars movie this year, this toy will be a big hit with children. They recently added a force band accessory capable of guiding the robot into action. Your child will feel like a jedi master!

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3Doodler Start ($49.99)

With this product, kids can write in 3D. Soon your children will be writing in the air! It dries quickly and there are no hot parts.