Top Brands: Sphero - Wonder Workshop - Makeblock - Amazon Kids
BLACK FRIDAY: Amazon Fire Kids Pro 10"
BLACK FRIDAY: Amazon Fire Kids Pro 10"
NEWS$show=/search/label/news
Here's where you'll find all the latest news about technology for children. We love to follow cool new inventions on Kickstarter and we hunt out all the latest announcements about tech toys and gadgets for the coming Christmas holidays. You'll also get our take on children's technology stories in the media.
REVIEWS$show=/search/label/review
Our kids technology product reviews are intended to help you work out whether a toy, gadget or kit is a good fit for your child or family.
There's lots of cool stuff available, but is it the right choice for the child or teenager that you are buying for?
We'll help you make the right choices and get the best value for money.
GIFT GUIDES$show=/search/label/gift%20guide
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends assemble. We create gift lists to help you make good choices for kids technology which helps them develop the right skills for the future. We research the best in Coding Toys and Games, Making / Craft Tools and Kits, STEM/STEAM related gifts, Programmable Robots, Electronics Kits and Gadgets for Tech Age Kids and Teens.
PROJECTS$show=/search/label/project
Get crafty with technology. Here we'll post all our ideas and projects using technology to get creative and making with kids. You'll find anything from making a lemon battery to a glow-in-the-dark Minecraft sword. Our projects are tried and tested on our own kids or at events we run, so we are sure you can have a go at home with your kids. Some of our projects use specific tech gadgets which we provide links for you to purchase.
STEM$show=/search/label/stem
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In recent years there is an increased focus in these areas of study. We like to include Art and Design too, so we often talk about STEAM (A stands for Art). At Tech Age Kids we believe Coding is a new literacy and children need to understand how technology works, practice making skills and grow in their curiosity to make a better future for us all.
CODING$show=/search/label/coding
Coding is increasingly being recognised as an important skill for children to learn. Some will learn to code at school or at a coding club, but it's brilliant if they get support at home too.
ELECTRONICS$show=/search/label/electronics
We think it's really important for kids to get hands-on with electronics and learn how to make circuits and write code to control hardware.
Younger kids can start with conductive playdough. For kids who like to combine craft and tech, littleBits are fab. And we love SAM Labs wireless electronics components for making it easy for kids to make Internet of Things inventions.
Lots of electronics kits for kids have support for the Arduino microprocessor environment. The DuinoKit Jr is one of our favourites. Arduino is a fab skill for older kids and teens to develop.
ROBOTICS$show=/search/label/robotics
We love robots at Tech Age Kids, especially programmable ones. We've got lots of them and write reviews and projects that use them.
Our programmable robots for kids buying guide is a good place to start if you're not sure what's available.
Roby the mBot Meccano robot dog is one of our popular projects and has been with us to lots of events. Our Ozobot LEGO trailer is fab for kids who love LEGO and robots.
MAKING AND CRAFT$show=/search/label/making
We're advocates of the creative use of technology, but this needs to be balanced with developing physical skills such as papercraft, woodwork, clay modelling, technical drawing and soldering. If children don't develop these skills as they grow up then physical making projects can become frustrating rather than fun.
The Maker Community uses the term 'making' as a broad term to include all sorts of artisan skills or craft activities. Being able to make things can lead to life-long hobbies or even careers. It's a great feeling to be able to take a project from an idea in your head to a real object that does something.
We're particularly interested to explore products that combine maker skills with tech skills such as electronics but others focus purely on the physical making skills that are still important to modern making.
We've tried out the KANO Harry Potter Wand kit, a new kids coding gadget and app which has been released in time for Christmas 2018. I love Harry Potter myself so this product really appeals. At Tech Age Kids we always try and put a purpose behind coding to make it more engaging and this product does just that.
I tried the kit out with an 11-year-old Harry Potter fan who loves technology.
Disclaimer: KANO sent us a Harry Potter Wand Kit for the purposes of this review. As always our opinions are our own.
Unboxing
The kit comes in a sizeable box with an outer slipcover with all the practical information and a very nice storage box that the wand can be kept in.
The wand is covered with gauze material which makes it feel like a premium product. The nice box makes the kit an impressive gift though it does mean it takes some space to store.
Getting started
Our tester was impressed that the wand not only came with batteries but also included a spare set. To assemble the wand you just add batteries and then insert the electronics into the wand, there's no complex assembly involved. There's a booklet that explains the assembly and introduces the wand. Our tester liked that the booklet introduces the term 'printed circuit board' (PCB) and isn't afraid to use the proper terminology.
We found that it wasn't particularly obvious where to go to get the app. It turns out that the Harry Potter wand content is just part of the generic KANO app. You can use the wand with Windows 10, iPads or Android devices. Our tester was disappointed that you couldn't use the wand with a phone, you need a bigger screen.
You have to create an account before getting started which always adds a bit of friction to the process and requires that you have Wifi.
Starting Coding
Our tester was soon up and running with the app. The app is very nicely put together with a map of the Harry Potter world to move around and discover challenges.
The coding is block-based. You drag and drop blocks from a palette onto the main canvas. Lots of children will be familiar with this approach from learning Scratch or using Blockly-based tools at school.
There are blocks to detect wand movements and spell patterns and the actions are changing the colour of the wand itself plus making things happen onscreen with a variety of Harry Potter themed props.
The tutorial content is very much step-by-step which can be a bit frustrating for more able coders as if you get ahead of the tutorial the app makes you go back and redo everything in the order it expects. You can change the code and make it do what you want though.
Wand Movements
The app can detect wand movements that are made with the wand while holding down the button. The wand movements are displayed on the screen so you get instant feedback which makes it easy to see if you are getting the pattern correct.
We found that the detection is pretty reliable. There's a large library of spells (wand movement patterns) which can be used.
We found that the detection is pretty reliable. There's a large library of spells (wand movement patterns) which can be used.
The Coding
We found the combination of a physical wand plus onscreen props worked really well. One of the frustrating parts of learning to code is having to do lots of boring setup stuff before you get to the interesting bits. Here you have lots of precoded props that are available to use in programs.
Lots of the actions that can be performed using code create visual effects and apply physics. This works really well. We're reviewing this kit after the BFX Family Weekend - an event for introducing children to the skills involved in creating visual effects for games and movies so this is very timely! The focus on visual effects and physics also ties in well to the Harry Potter movies and the plethora of computer games.
Lots of the actions that can be performed using code create visual effects and apply physics. This works really well. We're reviewing this kit after the BFX Family Weekend - an event for introducing children to the skills involved in creating visual effects for games and movies so this is very timely! The focus on visual effects and physics also ties in well to the Harry Potter movies and the plethora of computer games.
There is also a JavaScript view of the code, our tester wanted to be able to type JavaScript too. This would be a good feature addition for more able coders.
The Learning
The tutorials introduce coding concepts gradually. There's not a lot of explanation about what is happening so sometimes it can feel like you are just going through the motions and following the instructions.
There are regular puzzle challenges to solve with code but some of these felt like they could do with a bit more scaffolding so children would understand what they need to do. But there's enough repetition of concepts that gradually you learn how things work. There's a lot to be said for learning by experimenting and trying things out.
I think some kids will learn more than others by going through the tutorials. Some will really think about what their code is doing and others will just be happy to achieve the end result.
There's also the opportunity to create your own projects which is where the more able coders can really put what they have learned into practice and consolidate their skills.
There's plenty of learning opportunity here but kids will need to put some effort in to get the most from it.
The Overall Experience
The app is really nicely designed with appealing modern graphics and atmospheric music.
You navigate the challenges via a map of Hogwarts and the nearby Hogsmeade.
You also get to dress up and accessorise your avatar with all manner of HP-themed items that you collect by solving challenges. There's plenty here for Harry Potter fans. The kit doesn't just have the Harry Potter label on it, it really brings in lots of locations and items from the wizarding world.
You can also share your creations with others and try out what they have made. There's plenty of scope for kids to get really into creating projects for others to try out.
Turning the Wand Off
At the end of play our tester wanted to turn off the wand to save the batteries. There's no button on the wand to power it off completely.
The FAQ states that the want can stay in a ready-to-play state for up to two weeks but we would rather be able to turn it off so that it will be ready to play with after a longer break.
We ended up taking the batteries out, but this isn't easy as the catch that opens the wand is quite tricky. We found that pushing on the release button with a pen did the trick.
Age / Difficulty
The Harry Potter wand is suitable for beginner coders. Kids who are old enough to enjoy the Harry Potter books or movies will fine with the difficulty level of the app. The age on the box is 6+ and some motivated younger children will be fine with the app as long as they have some adult support when needed.
Older kids with some coding experience will still enjoy the coding if they are motivated by making this happen in the Harry Potter universe and using the physical wand to make their code do its magic.
Experienced coders might find things a bit easy but if they love Harry Potter then they will be able to focus on the projects they can make. Some of the puzzles are more difficult and will offer some challenge to the more capable coders.
Price
The KANO Harry Potter Wand kit retails at $99/£99 which makes it a fairly expensive gift if you just look at the wand itself. But you have to take into account the extensive educational content in the app plus the Harry Potter branding. For a child who loves Harry Potter this might be just the product to get them into coding. When you compare the price to real-world classes or an online course then it comes out very favourably.
Verdict
We love the KANO Harry Potter Wand kit. Every now and then there's a kids coding product that I actually really enjoy testing myself and will happily carry on playing with after I've fully investigated it for a review. This is one of those products. For a Harry Potter fan, there's a real feeling of connection every time a new object from the HP universe is unlocked or discovered.
I love Harry Potter and read all the books as they came out. It's really great to see a brand-aligned coding toy that appeals to girls and boys (there's a lot of superhero stuff out there with a much stronger appeal to boys.)
It's also brilliant to have an alternative to robots. We do like coding robots and have had lots of fun with them, but it's great to have alternative ways to introduce children to coding.
We think the KANO Harry Potter Wand kit should be a big success this Christmas and holiday season.
We think the KANO Harry Potter Wand kit should be a big success this Christmas and holiday season.
/fa-fire/ MONTH TRENDING$type=list
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It's getting close to December so we've been thinking about coding,tech and video game themed advent calendars for kids and teens....
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/fa-dice/ RANDOM$type=blogging$m=0$cate=0$sn=0$rm=0$c=3$va=0$src=random-posts
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- battling robots
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- big kids
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- catroid
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- conductive playdough
- connected toys
- construction
- conversational ai
- cozmo
- craft
- craft cutter
- creative thinking
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- crowdfunding
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- cubs
- curiosity
- curious chip
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- gift guide
- gifts
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- giveaway
- glow in the dark
- grace hopper
- grove
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- hacksoton
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- high school
- history
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- hot toys
- hour of code
- html
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- kids
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- leapfrog
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- leappad ultra
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- leapreader
- learning
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- learning tablet
- learning tablets
- leds
- lego
- lego boost
- lego chain reactions
- lego mindstorms ev3
- lego power functions
- lego technic
- lego wedo
- let's start coding
- lights
- lightseekers
- little kids
- littlebits
- logiblocs
- logic
- logical thinking
- loom
- machines
- magnetic
- make it
- makeblock
- makedo
- maker
- makey makey
- making
- mardles
- mars
- mars rover
- marty
- math
- maths
- mbot
- mbot ranger
- me arm
- meccano
- meccanoid
- meccanoid 2.0
- merge vr
- mews
- michael faraday
- micro:bit
- microbit
- microcontroller
- microscope
- microsoft
- middle school
- miles kelly
- mindstorms
- minecraft
- minecraft mods
- mixed reality
- mobile
- modular electronics
- monsters university
- morse code
- mothers day
- motion capture
- motors
- mover kit
- movie
- movies
- mu
- mu toys
- munzee
- music
- my first robot
- national dog day
- nature
- new
- new year
- news
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- nikola tesla
- nintendo
- nintendo switch
- ohbot
- ollie
- on the web
- opinion
- origami
- osmo
- outdoors
- ouya
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- papercraft
- paperwhite
- parental controls
- parenting
- parrot
- pc
- people
- pet tech
- pets
- phone
- photography
- photon
- physics
- pi day
- picks
- pimoroni
- pinoccio
- pixel kit
- pixelart
- play
- playstation 4
- plezmo
- pocket code
- pocket money
- pokemon
- pokemon go
- poll
- pre order
- pre-teens
- prehistory
- preschoolers
- primary
- printable
- products
- professor einstein
- programming
- project
- projects
- puzzles
- python
- racing
- raspberry pi
- reading
- reivew
- remote control
- research
- resource
- resources
- retro
- review
- rights
- robot
- robot dog
- robot fish
- robot wars
- ROBOTERRA
- roboticals
- robotics
- robots
- role models
- role play
- romo
- romotive
- root
- rover
- safety
- sam labs
- samuel morse
- sandbox
- schools
- science
- scratch
- scratchjr
- screen time
- screenless
- screens
- sensors
- servos
- simbrix
- skills
- skylanders
- skylanders superchargers
- skylanders swap force
- smart pens
- smartphone
- smartwatch
- snap circuits
- social media
- solar power
- soldering
- sonic pi
- sony koov
- sound
- space
- sparki
- speaker
- speech sythesis
- sphero
- sphero mini
- spider
- star wars
- stars
- STEAM
- stem
- stikbot
- stop motion
- stop motion studio
- storage
- story
- strawbees
- students
- subscription
- subscriptions
- sugru
- summer
- swift
- tablet
- tablets
- tangible coding
- tech
- tech age
- tech craft
- tech is bad
- tech is good
- tech toys
- tech will save us
- technology
- technology will save us
- teens
- teknikio
- tekno
- teksta
- tenka labs
- tesla
- textiles
- thames & kosmos
- the extraordinaires
- tim berners lee
- tinkercad
- tinybop
- toddlers
- toot-toot
- top pick
- touch
- toy
- toys
- travelling
- TTS
- TV
- tween
- tweens
- tynker
- typing
- ux
- vehicles
- videos
- view-master
- views
- virtual reality
- voice assistants
- voice recognition
- vr
- vtech
- web
- websites
- wifi
- wii
- wii u
- windows 8
- wonder workshop
- wowwee
- writing
- writing. education
- xbox one
- xyzprinting