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The kids' software directory

AI robots, toys and kits

Companion robots, talking toys, coding robots and AI kits, with what each records.

  • 39 researched
  • 5 to know about

Researched by Peabody

Facts from each maker's own pages (terms, pricing, privacy), with our one-line take. A to Z; we rank nothing until we have tried it.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Arduino Education

    Arduino S.r.l. (owned by Qualcomm) · ages about 7-18+ (varies by kit)

    A strong choice for schools and teens serious about electronics; younger kids or tight budgets may start with a micro:bit or Circuit Playground.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Bee-Bot and Blue-Bot

    TTS (RM Educational Resources) · ages about 3-7 (Blue-Bot also used into Key Stage 2)

    A proven, privacy-light first robot for ages 3-7; older kids will outgrow it quickly.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Botley the Coding Robot

    Learning Resources · ages about 5-9 (grades K-3)

    A good first coding toy for kindergarten to second grade, especially for families avoiding screens; kids already coding on tablets may find it too simple.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Casio Moflin

    Casio · ages Marketed to adults; not designed for children

    An adult comfort gadget that families might share, but parents should know Casio does not intend the app for children and it teaches nothing.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set

    Learning Resources · ages about 4-8

    A good first coding toy for ages 4-7 who learn best with their hands; older kids who already code on a screen can skip it.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    CrunchLabs

    CrunchLabs LLC (Mark Rober) · ages 6-10, 8-13 and 14+ by box

    A strong pick for kids who love Mark Rober's videos and building things; families wanting deep coding should weigh Hack Pack's price against a plain Arduino kit.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Cubetto+

    Primo Toys (MORAVIA) · ages about 3-6

    A strong choice for parents of 3- to 6-year-olds who want coding play with no screens and no data; older kids will want something more open.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Curio plush (Grem, Grok, Gabbo)

    Curio Interactive · ages about 3-12

    One of the more careful AI plush toys on paper, but it is still an open chatbot for small children; suits parents who will read transcripts, while families who want no AI conversations should skip it.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Dash

    Wonder Workshop (now MORAVIA Education) · ages about 6-11

    A dependable coding robot for ages 6-11 with clear privacy promises; families wanting no screens should look at Cubetto or KIBO.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Edison robot

    Microbric (Edison) · ages 4-16 (maker's range)

    A budget-friendly classroom robot that spans barcodes to Python; families wanting app control or AI features should look elsewhere.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Eilik (with AI Station)

    Energize Lab · ages not stated by the maker

    A cute desk toy for older kids and adults; skip the AI Station for young children, since it adds cloud voice chat and a camera under a policy written for adults.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    ELECFREAKS micro:bit kits

    ELECFREAKS · ages about 8-14

    Good value for families or classes that already have a micro:bit and want robots and sensors; families starting from zero may prefer an all-in-one kit.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    EMO

    Living AI · ages not stated by the maker (sold as a desktop pet)

    A fun desk pet for teens and adults; parents of young children should be cautious because the maker says nothing about how it handles camera, voice or children's data.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Enabot EBO home robots

    Enabot (Shenzhen Fuzhi Technology) · ages Terms say 18+; kids interact with it at home

    A home monitoring gadget for adults, not a kids' learning robot; families with young children should think hard about a remote-controlled camera plus open AI chat.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Finch Robot 2.0

    BirdBrain Technologies (part of CreXo) · ages grades K-12

    A privacy-friendly, long-lasting choice for schools teaching coding across grades; home buyers may find it pricey for one child.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    KAI: The Artificial Intelligence Robot

    Thames & Kosmos · ages 10+ with help, 12+ alone

    A good, privacy-friendly introduction to machine learning for ages 10-14; younger kids will need an adult for the build.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    KIBO

    KinderLab Robotics · ages about 4-11 (pre-K to grade 5)

    A well-researched, data-free coding kit for ages 4-11 that suits schools and committed families; the price is the main barrier.

  • Desk researchThrough schoolsNo ads

    LEGO Education Computer Science & AI

    LEGO Education · ages grades K-8 (three kits: K-2, 3-5, 6-8)

    A strong option for K-8 schools wanting hands-on AI literacy with careful data design; families should note it is sold in classroom kits.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Loona Petbot

    KEYi Tech · ages not stated (marketed to families with kids)

    Could suit families who want a robot pet and will supervise it, but its camera, ChatGPT chat and thin privacy policy make it a poor fit for unsupervised young children.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Luka AI Reading Robot

    Luka AI (Ling Technology; Lingverse Technology Pte. Ltd. and Luka (Beijing) Intelligent Technology Co.) · ages about 2-8

    May suit families wanting a picture-book reader for preschoolers, but read the privacy terms carefully first; families wary of cameras and overseas data handling should skip it.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Makeblock Codey Rocky

    Makeblock · ages 6+ (maker's age grouping)

    Suits early-elementary kids who want a ready-to-go coding robot; kids who like building should look at mBot2 instead.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Makeblock mBot2 (with AI Camera 2.0)

    Makeblock · ages about 8+ (maker lists mBot2 under 6+ and the AI Camera under 8+)

    A solid pick for upper-elementary and middle-school students learning robotics and how vision AI is trained; families wanting a no-account, no-camera toy should look elsewhere.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Marty the Robot

    Robotical · ages 4+ (maker says learners as young as 4)

    Great for schools that want a robot kids remember, from age 4 up; budget-minded families should weigh the $449 price and ask about the app's tracking.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    MatataStudio Coding Set Pro

    MatataStudio (Matatalab) · ages about 4-9 (maker recommends 5 and up)

    A rich, offline coding kit for ages 5-8; families who already have a button robot may not need it.

  • Desk researchPaid

    MatataStudio Nous AI Set

    MatataStudio (Matatalab) · ages 12+

    Promising for teens learning how machine learning works, but schools and parents should ask the maker for an app privacy policy before students use its chat features.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    MatataStudio Tale-Bot Pro

    MatataStudio (Matatalab) · ages 3+

    A gentle first robot for ages 3-6 that keeps screens out; kids past kindergarten will want something with more depth.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Miko 3

    Miko (Emotix) · ages about 5-10

    Suits families who want a full-featured talking robot for ages 5-10 and are comfortable with a camera, cloud AI and a subscription; privacy-minded families should look at screen-free, offline robots instead.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Miko Mini

    Miko (Emotix) · ages about 5-10

    Suits families who want a talking learning robot for ages 5-10 and accept a camera, cloud processing and a subscription; families wary of always-listening devices should skip it.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Ozobot Evo

    Ozo EDU, Inc. (Ozobot) · ages grades K-8

    A strong classroom choice for K-8 coding that starts without screens; families on a budget may find the single-robot price steep.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Petoi Bittle X

    Petoi · ages 10+

    A rewarding project robot for motivated kids 10+ and teen robotics clubs; younger children will need a lot of adult help.

  • Desk researchFree

    PictoBlox

    STEMpedia (Agilo Research Pvt. Ltd., India) · ages about 4-7 (Junior Blocks) and 8-16

    Worth a look for teens and clubs doing AI with robots; parents of younger kids should note the unclear under-13 privacy wording and supervise camera use.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Robo Wunderkind

    Robo Wunderkind (Vienna, Austria) · ages about 5-12

    A sturdy hands-on robot kit for ages 5-12 that suits classrooms and committed families; check the reseller's support and app updates before buying.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Sphero BOLT+

    Sphero · ages grades 3-10 (about 8-16)

    A solid classroom coding robot for grades 3-10; younger children are better served by screen-free robots like indi or Cubetto.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Sphero indi

    Sphero · ages grades PreK-3 (about 4-9)

    A good fit for pre-K to grade 3 classrooms and families who want screen-free coding; children past early grades will outgrow it.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Thymio

    Mobsya (Swiss nonprofit association), designed with EPFL and ECAL · ages about 6-18 and adults

    A sturdy, privacy-friendly robot for schools and coding clubs; families in the US may find it harder to buy than local brands.

  • Desk researchPaid

    UBTECH Alpha Mini

    UBTECH Robotics (Shenzhen, China) · ages about 8-14 (maker does not give an age range)

    Only for families comfortable with a camera-and-microphone robot from an overseas maker that publishes little about product data; most families will find better-supported coding robots.

  • Desk researchThrough schoolsNo ads

    UBTECH uKit Explore

    UBTECH Robotics (Shenzhen, China) · ages about 9-15 (upper primary to junior secondary)

    A fit for schools building a robotics and AI program for grades 4-9; families looking for a home kit should pick something sold directly with clear pricing.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    Vector 2.0

    Digital Dream Labs (anki.bot) · ages not stated by the maker

    Suits teens and adults who want a desk robot and will pay monthly; younger kids should skip it, since its chat features are general-purpose AI and stop without a subscription.

  • Desk researchPaidNo ads

    VEX IQ

    VEX Robotics · ages grades 5-8 (maker's target)

    A strong pick for schools and clubs teaching robotics to middle schoolers; families wanting a cheap home toy can find simpler kits.

Know before you buy

Shut down, exposed children's data, or said unsafe things in tests.

  • WarningPaidNo ads

    Bondu

    Bondu · ages about 4-8

    A cautionary tale: the parent controls are real, but full chat histories were once open to anyone, so families should weigh that before giving a young child an AI friend that records everything.

  • WarningPaidNo ads

    FoloToy Kumma

    FoloToy (FoloToy Creative Pte. Ltd.) · ages not stated by the maker ("for both kids and adults")

    A cautionary tale; families should skip it for children, since its safety fixes are self-reported after independent testers found it gave dangerous and sexual answers.

  • WarningPaidNo ads

    Moxie

    Embodied, then Moxie Robots, Inc. · ages not stated on the current site (sold as a children's robot)

    Skip it; Moxie is the clearest example of a cloud-dependent companion robot that stops working when the company does.

  • WarningPaid

    ROYBI Robot

    Roybi Inc. · ages 3 and up

    Hard to recommend now: with the company's exit and no privacy policy online, families should skip it unless the new owner publishes clear terms and support.

  • WarningPaid

    Unitree Go2

    Unitree Robotics (Hangzhou, China) · ages teens and adults with supervision; not designed for children

    A cautionary pick: amazing tech, but its security and data record make it a poor choice for homes with children unless kept on an isolated network with Bluetooth off.