*AD – Unpaid review

At the moment, parents up and down the country are trying to find things to do with their kids that are vaguely educational, don’t take a lot of adult input, keeps them amused for a while and doesn’t involve letting them zombie in front of a computer or TV screen.

If you have a younger one, Coding Critters from my favourite kids brand, Learning Resources, may be the answer.

This cute kit is a perfect introduction to the world of coding for the little people in our lives but doesn’t need them to be in front of a screen. All it needs is a quick demonstration of how to use it and off they can go, making their critter move about and interacting with other toys in the range. I reckon as far as lockdown learning goes, that hits most spots!

There are a few different Coding Critters to chose from. This one is the Bopper, Hip, and Hop, perfect for Easter 2020, and they retail for £40. We were also sent the add on pack that complements it, which retails at £7.50.

These are ideal for children aged four and up, and they were perfect for Ben (aged 5). Harrison and Alex (8 and 7) found them a bit easy, but it didn’t stop them from having plenty of fun with them!

They’re pretty much ready to play with straight from the box. You just pop batteries (not included) in, click the parts together and it’s ready. To make the critter move, you simply press the arrow buttons on the critter in the direction you want it to move and off it goes.

Included is a storybook with directions, for children to use alongside the critter. It shows you how to code Bopper to find the carrots, which are magnetic and stick to her nose, and pull them along in her cart. They interact with the other bunnies included in the add-on kit.

It’s a lovely little set, and the simplicity of use kept the kids playing for ages without too much in the way of intervention from me. The only issue that we had was the swing kept falling off the tree, but that aside, I definitely recommend it as an early introduction to coding.

The Coding Critters and accessory packs are available from the Learning Resources website.

*We were sent this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. All words and thoughts are our own and have not been influenced in any way.