I have never publicly given recommendations for coding purchases for students. Nevertheless, I often have families ask around this time of the year, what would be a good purchase for their student. In our classroom, we use both drag and drop, Scratch, and text-based coding, Junior Botball. With that in mind, I recommend to my families a tool that could do both. Drag and drop is nice to have for younger students who may get easily frustrated with text-based coding, but the text-based coding allows students to grow in their coding skills. You would need to decide what the goals are with your purchase.
This is in no way a comprehensive list, but just some of the ones I am familiar with. There are options beyond robots. I have listed a variety here.
Robots
Makebot mBot - (different robots, both drag and drop and text-based coding) https://www.makeblock.
mBot is a STEAM education robot for beginners, that makes teaching and learning robot programming simple and fun. With just a screwdriver, the step by step instructions, and a study schedule, children can build a robot from scratch and experience the joys of hands-on creation. As they go, they will learn about a variety of robotic machinery and electronic parts, get to grips with the fundamentals of block-based programming, and develop their logical thinking and design skills.
LEGO Boost - (I don't think this has text-based coding, but I could be wrong. As a LEGO product, he could add on with exist building pieces at home.) https://www.lego.com/
Bring your LEGO® creations to life with the new LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox—a fun and easy way for your 7+ builder to learn the basics of coding, engineering and robotics. Simply choose one of the 5 models available with the BOOST set, download the free, easy-to-use app and you’re ready to go! Choose between Vernie the Robot—a moving, talking robot; the M.T.R.4 (Multi-Tooled Rover 4)—a robust, versatile rover with 4 different tool attachments including a spring-loaded shooter; the Guitar4000—a musical instrument with pitch bend and sound effects; Frankie the Cat—an interactive robot pet that plays, purrs and expresses its mood; or the AutoBuilder—an automated production line that really builds miniature LEGO models! Then bring your creation to life with the app’s intuitive, icon-based coding interface and complete an array of exciting activities designed for each model. With LEGO BOOST, children learn about loops and variables, improve STEM and creative-problem solving skills and develop their imagination as they toggle between guided and open-ended play. The more activities you complete, the more coding blocks you unlock! The LEGO BOOST app is available for selected iOS, Android and Kindle smart devices. Please go to LEGO.com/devicecheck for a list of all compatible devices. The app offers regular updates with new challenges and coding options designed to encourage social play.
UBTECH JIMU Robot - (I taught virtual summer camps with this company's robots. They just donated 20 to the school. I do not think there is a text-based coding option, but I am not sure. I taught beginners.) https://www.
JIMU robots are interactive codable bots that help kids learn hands-on engineering by programming JIMU using Blockly code. JIMU robots can be programmed to navigate obstacles, pick-up objects, and much more! Some of the pieces and parts of this kit are proprietary and enhanced - which allows these bots to move more smoothly and sense things other bots on this list may not be able to. For the advanced builder/coder, this might be a very nice feature! You will need access to an iOS or Android-based device for this kit. The app that can help you build the robot of your choice can also work as a block-based drag-and-drop coding platform. If you are looking for a robotic kit that combines creativity, functionality, and education, you have found it!
Edison Robot 2.0 - STEM Customizable & Programmable Robot for Kids (Different ways of programming, but when I used them last, it wasn't as user friendly. That was four years ago and a lot could have changed.) - https://www.amazon.com/
Edison is one of the most affordable robot toys of it’s kind. It’s commonly used in classrooms across the country to teach kids coding. From drag-and-drop block-based coding to text-based coding with Python, one of the biggest benefits of Edison is the diverse robot programming skills available. Edison can be programmed using any of the robot programming languages. One of the best things about Edison is that it can be programmed right out of the box it comes in. When you unwrap your bot, the cardboard packing is actually your first code! Edison can scan barcodes as well as be programmed online with a device. All of the Edison learning documents are free and available online. This is one of the big reasons schools are making Edison a priority - free resources that cover learning from simply scanning codes to Python.
Non-robots
Raspberry Pi 400 Personal Computer Kit (can use Python or drag and drop, lots of add ons) - https://www.raspberrypi.org/
Microbit (I haven't used these, but they are on my to-try list.) - https://microbit.org/
MakeyMakey - https://makeymakey.com/
We also use the Ozobots in the classroom. We only use them in a basic way, but there are other ways to code them with a device. https://shop.ozobot.
I hope this helps. There are a lot of choices, it just depends on interests and the goals for the item. My first instinct if I was purchasing them for my child would be to get the mbot or the Raspberry Pi kit. I haven't used the mbot but like what I see. You would want to do some research on user reviews for your top choices.
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