Artie 300 The Coding Robot

My father became a computer programmer in the early 80s, so I’ve been around computers since I could remember - when I told him about this little robot he was skeptical but intrigued. I had him help my children (ages 10, 8, 5 and 4) set it up and go, and we were ALL impressed. First, Artie is adorable; not necessary for function, but definitely worth a mention. Setup is a breeze, and although we didn’t need it I later saw the quick setup video tutorial which easily shows the steps so much that my 8 year old could have gotten it up and running. Truly the most difficult part was unscrewing the battery compartment, which wasn’t too bad. I also really appreciate that although he comes with a few felt tip markers we can use almost any without worrying about stocking up on specialized markers or hoping that they don’t discontinue the product and subsequently the accessories. This has happened more times than I can count and I truly appreciate the flexibility. The user interface is simple but backed by powerful commands when you see what Artie is capable of executing. All 4 of my children have loved having this as an addition to our educational toys, and I’m an artist so I love having the combination of coding with creativity. It was amazing to see how much my older daughters already new from their schools STEM and Maker Space activities, and how quickly my younger children adapted to the coding principles. We absolutely LOVE this little guy, he’s a welcomed addition to our family computer and homework area, ready to go whenever we are ready to experiment.