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There’s so much more to digital toys than your typical video games and computer programs. These eight innovative picks bring STEAM education to life through coding, robotics, animation, and more—plus they’re a   lot   of fun.  By Liz Schnabolk from   Family Fun 1 of 8                                               Jimu Robot Meebot Kit Not your average toy! Made by high-end robotics company Ubtech,   Jimu   uses cutting-edge technology and six impressive robotic motors to follow your child’s commands. Kids start by building the bot with help from the iOS app’s 3-D, animated instructions. Then they can make him wave, walk, dance, and more with three levels of play that help them advance from learning basic coding concepts to writing their own programs.   Ages 8 and up, $130. 2 of 8 Think & Learn Code-A-Pillar Preschoolers can learn early programming skills while this wiggly worm works his way across the floor! As little ones rearrange the pieces i

Coding isn’t only for big kids, and the basics—like learning cause-and-effect and problem solving—don’t have to be mastered on a computer. These fun picks will get your child thinking like a real programmer. By Michelle Crouch from   Parents Magazine 1 of 7                                                If This, Then That As simple as it gets! Color-match one of the figures to the correct spot on   Kid O’s Myland Houseboat tub toy and a light goes on. Place the other correctly to sound the horn.   2 years+, $45. 2 of 7 On the Right Path The  Learning Resources Code & Go Robot Mouse set’s changing board challenges kids to direct the critter to cheese.   5 years+, $60. 3 of 7 Chain of Command The  Osmo’s Coding Game   adds on to its iPad-based system. Your kid orders actions for a monster, then watches a story unfold.   5 years+, $49 plus $79 for Osmo Starter Kit. 4 of 7 Bit by Bit The   Kano Computer Kit   ha

By Ellen Wall / Parents Magazine What's the latest craze in kid products? Toys that teach (yep, that's right! Cue the Hallelujahs!). Even better? They're all centered on science, technology, engineering, and math, also known as STEM. Here are five of my favorites: Ozobot ,   a tiny robot, follows lines to teach kids computer coding basics. Works on an iPad, too! ($49.99,   ozbot.com ) Snap Circuits , introduced in 2000, are classics. Since they were in elementary school, my boys have loved putting the pieces together to make all sorts of gadgets, including buzzers and fans. (Starts at $19.95,   snapcircuits.net ) I absolutely adore the picture book   Mesmerized .   Author Mara Rockliff weaves a rollicking true tale of how Benjamin Franklin schooled the French in the scientific method. It's the perfect way to teach the concept to kids (and, um, some adults we know). ($17.99,   amazon.com ) Do your kids want to make their own video games? Download the free iOS a

By Berit Thorkelson from  Parents Magazine Your child may already be learning the basics of coding in school or an after-school program, but here's how to help her hone her skills at home. Learning the language that computers speak can seem like a steep technical challenge for an adult, let alone an elementary-school kid. But learning to code is the kind of parent-approved “gaming” kids need more of: It builds problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and it’s creative too. “Computers are changing every field. Having a basic understanding of how this stuff works is just as important as learning math,” says Hadi Partovi, the tech entrepreneur behind  Hour of Code  and  code.org . The Basics Many experts recommend that kids begin with visual block-based coding, in which they use a mouse or a finger to “drag and drop” blocks of language on a computer or a tablet screen. Following commands that appear in each block, such as “move 10 steps” and “repeat 4 times,” programs the

The summer is the perfect time to check out some great bilingual titles with some fun themes. Included also are rhymes, finger plays and craft ideas. Creativity  Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by Isabel F. Campoy and Theresa Howell. Gr. 2-5: This book begins with a girl named Mira who tries to make her city less gray by giving colorful drawings to the people in the neighborhood.  She meets a man whose pocket is full of paintbrushes. He looks at the dull gray walls and sees something beautiful.  He gives Mira a brush. She paints and the neighbors join in, painting and dancing and singing to Latin rhythms.  Mouse Paint/ Pintura de raton .  by Ellen Stoll Walsh PrS-K: When three white mice discover three jars of paint, the stage is set for children to learn how mixing the colors in different ways creates entirely new but familiar colors. Activities: Paint Craft : Provide rojo, amarillo, and azul paints, crayons, or markers and blank sh