I’m the Nerdy Father of Two Nerdier Kids. These Are the Gifts I’d Buy This Black Friday.

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Programmable Robots for Kids
STEM Coding Kits for Kids
Robotic Arms
3D Printers

Gifts for Kids

1. Programmable Robots
2. STEM Coding Kits
3. Robotic Arms
4. 3D Printers

Some fathers take their kids to the park and throw a football around with them. Others bring their progeny on fishing trips. I’m a different breed: My two children and I spend our free time making cool tech projects. Some days, we’ll put together a robot that’s powered by a Raspberry Pi or Arduino board. Other times, we’ll try programming an LED matrix to light up in just the right, colorful pattern. Still others, we’ll prototype interesting circuits on a breadboard, just to see how things work.

As we veer toward the heart of the Black Friday shopping season with holiday gift-giving just around the corner, there’s no better time for tech-obsessed parents like me to find cool gifts for their kids. While other parents will be looking for deals on gaming laptops, PS5s or Fire tablets, I’ll be shopping for maker and electronics projects we can do as a family.

If you’re like me and can’t resist teaching your kids about resistors or helping them learn to program, here are some shopping tips and recommended products.

Your skill level: Are you going to be able to help your kids complete the project if they need help? If it involves soldering do you have a soldering iron (preferably one of the best soldering irons)? If it involves programming in Python, are you comfortable working with code?
Your child’s skill level: Don’t look at how old your child is, but what they can do? My son, who is 11 now, and I were doing Raspberry Pi projects when he was 7. As soon as he could read, he could start understanding text-based code and Linux commands. But if your child can’t read well yet, go for a learning experience that’s based primarily on visual blocks.
Physical computing beats software alone: There’s a lot of programming software out there, but kids get the most out of projects that allow them to build something or see something light up. Go for kits that either allow them to build and program a robot or ones that feature lights, sensors and motors.
Is there a path to grownup skills? Some kids’ STEM kits teach children programming concepts, but not in a programming language that anyone actually uses. Look for kits that provide opportunities to code in Python, Arduino language or, if your child can’t read well yet, a common block-based language such as Scratch or Scratch Jr.
What boards are needed? Many robot kits require you to buy your own Raspberry Pi or Arduino board to use them. Keep in mind that Raspberry Pis can still be hard to find in stock so, if the kit doesn’t come with a board, make sure you can get one and include its price in your budget.

These are the types of STEM gifts I’d get for my kids, an 11 year old with a lot of programming experience and a 4 year old who is just getting started and can’t read or type yet.

Programmable Robots for Kids

There are a lot of great robot kits (or prebuilt robots) you can program. Most travel around via wheels and can be programmed either via an app or on a computer. Be careful to buy one that's actually programmable and not a toy that you move only via remote control. These are some of my favorite programmable robots for kids.

Makeblock mBot: now $63 at Amazon (was $79)
My son and I really enjoyed building and programming the mBot, which is powered by mBot's own controller board that itself is based on Arduino. There's a powerful app with block-based coding, an ultrasonic sensor and a stylish but sturdy metal body.

If you want to do more powerful coding, you can also program it in Arduino language, using the Arduino IDE.
There are also a ton of expansion options as mBot sells accessory kits that add more motors and sensors to the mix. There's a pink and a blue version and the company also makes a more expensive kit that's a tank.

Wonder Workshop Dash: now $166 at Amazon (was $169)
Another Piltch family favorite, the Dash is more appealing to younger kids, who are in the 6 to 9 range. It comes pre-assembled, looks cute and has a personality as it rolls around talking to you if you don't program it to do otherwise.

You program it through an app with a very simple block-based coding language so it's best for kids who are near the beginning of their programming journey. You can also buy add-ons such as a xylophone that it plays.

STEM Coding Kits for Kids

Instead of getting a single robot to put together or program, what about a complete kit that gets you started with one of the major microcontrollers or single-board computers. Some of these even come with a variety of lights, sensors, resistors and circuits that you can use to learn.

Robotic Arms

In addition to wheeled robots, getting a bot that can pick things up is really cool.

3D Printers

My kids and I have a lot of fun 3D printing toys and other models. But if you have younger kids, you need to be careful that they don't touch the hot parts or interfere with the print. See our list of the best 3D printers for a more comprehensive set of choices.

Avram Piltch is Tom's Hardware's editor-in-chief. When he's not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you'll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.