💻 Coding · 🤖 AI robots, toys and kits · 🏫 Classroom tools
Sphero BOLT+
By Sphero. Visit Sphero BOLT+
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
BOLT+ is a ball-shaped coding robot for students in grades 3 to 10. Students program it in the Sphero Edu app to explore STEM concepts, create interactive stories and design solutions to real-world challenges, much as engineers do. Teachers can buy educator guides, challenge cards, code mats and self-paced training. It is sold as a single robot or in 15-robot power packs with a charging case for classrooms.
Our take: A solid classroom coding robot for grades 3-10; younger children are better served by screen-free robots like indi or Cubetto.
Checked in a browser
A browser check on 2026-10-25: what loads, the ads and trackers we saw, and what a child meets first. Not a hands-on test.
| Child safety: 3 out of 5 | No ads shown, but it is a store page with buy buttons and a cookie banner, with links out to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
|---|---|
| Data: 1 out of 5 | Seven ad networks (Google, Amazon, AppNexus, Taboola, OpenX, Bidswitch) and data brokers / ID-sync services (Neustar agkn, id5, Nielsen exelator, Zeotap, Adobe demdex) fired before the cookie banner was answered; no ad was shown on the page. |
| Ease: 2 out of 5 | A shop page for teachers and parents; the cookie banner covered the middle of the screen. |
| Cost honesty: 3 out of 5 | Paid hardware with clear prices; the 15-robot Power Pack is $3,688, with Add to Cart / Quote buttons. |
What we found
- 55 third-party sites contacted on the first visit
- 7 known ad networks and 11 trackers, including agkn, id5, exelator, zeotap and demdex
- 53 cookies set before consent, from 21 third-party domains
- A cookie banner with OK and Cookie Settings covered the screen; the product shown was a $3,688 classroom pack
From the test: The robot's store page is for adults and sets off ad networks and data brokers before any consent; nothing here is for a child.
| Ages it suits | grades 3-10 (about 8-16) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Sphero's terms ask people under 18 not to create a Sphero account except in the Sphero Edu app; Edu accounts for children collect a parent's email, and the apps also work without an account. (terms) |
| Price | Paid. Single robot $199; 15-robot Power Pack $3,499 to $3,718 with code mats (Oct 2026) |
| Works on | A device, iPhone and iPad, Mac, Web |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Long-running classroom platform with lessons and guides
- Sold singly or in classroom packs
- No camera or microphone listed; account optional
Watch for
- Needs a phone, tablet or computer to program
- Classroom packs are costly
- Shared projects can include student content
Data and privacy
No camera or microphone is listed for the robot. Sphero Edu's privacy policy says child accounts collect age, first name, username and a parent's email, school sign-in may share a username and course ID, and Sphero does not sell data or target ads. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study found; the maker's own claims only.
In the Big Index
- On the list 15 AI gifts for kids under $50 (Christmas 2026)
- On the list 14 AI and tech gifts for kids under $100 (Christmas 2026)
- On the list 13 best AI robots for kids, by age
- On the list 15 best coding robots for kids
- On the list 12 AI toys for toddlers and preschoolers, and what to check first
- On the list 17 best screen-free learning toys for the AI age
- Sphero BOLT+
- Sphero indi
- Sphero RVR+
- Sphero
- The maker in the who's who: Sphero
Alternatives to Sphero BOLT+
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.
Where these facts come from
- https://sphero.com/products/sphero-bolt-plus
- https://sphero.com/collections/bolt-plus
- https://sphero.com/pages/apps
- https://sphero.com/pages/terms-of-use
- https://edu.sphero.com/child-policy
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.