Description
Product Description
See Why Let’s Start Coding Kits are More than Toys
When you get a Let’s Start Coding kit, you get so much more than a toy. With 100s of free online projects, kids learn real computer code that unleashes their creativity. Kids create custom programs at their own pace, then upload their code to their electronic kit for an immediate & tangible outcome.
Hands-On Review of Code Lab Mini + Rainbow LED Pixels by Katie
Katie takes a hands-on look at the Code Lab Mini with the Rainbow LED Pixels and shares her thoughts about whether it’s a good coding toy for kids 8-12+ who have an interest in gaming, tech, and coding. Katie’s thoughts:
“This is a super fun and unique coding toy. It’s a perfect gift for your tech-savvy kids.” | “It’s a great coding toy that can take you from beginner all the way to advanced.” | “It’s a really great coding experience for young kids”.
What kind of computer do I need?
Our kits are compatible with most Windows, Mac, and Chromebook laptops & desktops. This includes Windows 7 and up & Mac OSX 10.9 and up. Our kits are not compatible with tablets or smartphones. We do not support Linux computers, but they may work.
Do I need an internet connection?
Yes, our coding software is online. You can use a Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Opera web browser to code.
Do I have to subscribe to the coding projects/software?
No, our projects and resources are free and open for anyone with a kit. There are no logins or passwords for kids to forget – they can just open a web browser and start coding!
Can my kids share this kit?
Yes. When code is uploaded to the kit, it overwrites the last program that was loaded. You can share a kit and upload an infinite number of programs to it. Kids can also work together on the challenges – called pair programming – and most enjoy that.
Do I need to start with another Let’s Start Coding kit before I try this one?
No, all of our kits are designed for total beginners. Each kit covers coding basics like loops, variables, and functions. We recommend getting the kit that best fits your child’s interests and getting other kits over time as they complete them.
Whatever your child’s interest or your budget, we have a coding kit for them!
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Customer Reviews
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4.4 out of 5 stars
123
4.3 out of 5 stars
92
4.2 out of 5 stars
226
4.1 out of 5 stars
137
4.4 out of 5 stars
123
4.1 out of 5 stars
141
Price
$119.99$119.99
$164.99$164.99
$54.99$54.99
$114.99$114.99
$54.99$54.99
$199.99$199.99
$54.99$54.99
Included Projects
80+
100+
42
110+
29
110+
32
Loved By
Gamers
Kids who want to start fast
Kids with big imaginations
Action Figure / Marvel Lovers
Kids who are toy creators!
Older tween & teen coders
Musicians with a techy side
Size
Standard
Jumbo
Mini
Standard
Mini
Standard
Jumbo
Free Project Guides
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✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Awards Won
New for 2023!
Family Choice Award
National Parent Product Award
TechCrunch ‘Top 20 Gifts’ 2023
Purdue University Gift Guide
Family Review Center Gold
Parent’s Choice Award
Awards Won
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Tech Advisor Best ’21,’22,’23
Tillywig Brain Child Award
New for 2023!
Family Choice Award
Family Choice Award
Mom’s Choice Award
Awards Won
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Purdue University Gift Guide
Purdue University Gift Guide
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Modern Library Platinum Award
Purdue University Gift Guide
Block/Text Code
Text Code Only
Text Code Only
Block & Text Code
Text Code Only
Block & Text Code
Text Code Only
Block & Text Code
A Guided Experience that Encourages Creativity 
Hundreds of Sequenced Free Online Projects…
Kids need guidance on their coding journey. Our team of engineers, teachers, and parents have created hundreds of step-by-step projects that teach kids the basics of coding. Girls and boys can follow the lessons at their own pace, building up their skills over time.
…Teach Boys & Girls to Create Their Own Programs
Our goal is to get kids writing their own programs. Each of our projects includes example code, walkthrough videos, and challenges that help kids learn to experiment with programming. Let’s Start Coding kits are more than a toy, they are a learning toolbox for creative young minds!
Designed from the Ground Up to Give Kids a Successful Coding Experience
All the fun of coding & circuits. None of the headache. Let’s Start Coding has combined easy-to-use electronics, online lessons & videos, & example code to bring your tween & teen kids the best way to start learning real code. Parents, you don’t have to be an expert to get them started; kids start with our pre-written example code & ‘tinker’, experimenting with the code & trying out our challenges through our free online software. Let’s Start Coding resources have been designed by educators & coders to teach the core concepts in a way that engages kids 8 & up, challenges their minds, & introduces them to core coding concepts while they have fun! Our team has spent hundreds of hours leading workshops, camps, & classes through the beginning of their coding journey, so the method is proven & based on feedback from real beginners. Our breadboard- & wire-free electronic construction makes it a snap to create circuits – imagine a Snap Circuits kit that is codeable. Finally, an introduction to real, typed coding that doesn’t require textbooks, in-person tutors, or searching for high-quality information online. If you really want your kids to get ahead with your coding skills, the Let’s Start Coding kits are the all-in-one product you’re looking for. The Base Kit includes: Maker Board microcontroller (programmable computer chip similar to Arduino, Microbit / Micro:bit, or Raspberry Pi used in the Piper Computer), Speaker, Buttons, RGB (red-green-blue) LED lights, Red, Blue, & Green LED lights (single color), turn knob, USB Cable, Component & code reference instructions, & a Carrying case. By following over 60 step-by-step projects with over 1,000 lines of example code & nearly 4 hours of video content, teen girls will learn about Analog vs. digital logic, How fast computers can process logic & sensor readings, How computers are programmed to “make decisions”, Building basic electrical circuits (ground vs. power), & Displaying ‘data’ in creative ways using the lights & sound & they will learn how to modify their programs & write their own creative code with these skills!Kids get immediate feedback when they build something with their kits. Our component guides & online resources help tweens build real electronic projects. At the same time, kids are introduced to real, typed coding concepts in the C++ coding language, used by major companies & government agencies like NASA. Ignite your kids’ passion for STEM & set them up for a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math! Even if your kids don’t become full-time computer programmers, they can use their coding skills in video game development, website design, robotics, design, mechanical engineering, or any number of other fields. Computing jobs are expected to grow much faster than other occupations over the coming decade. Getting your child started exploring code now is an investment that can pay off with huge benefits. Whether you’re shopping for a birthday, Christmas, graduation, Hanukkah, or other gift, consider a coding kit as the smart option that will keep both kids & parents happy. Kids can express their creativity through coding & electronics, building household gadgets like an random dance party, DJ booth, light & sound show, flashlight, adjustable pitch siren, or something as simple as a traffic light simulator. Though not a robotics kit like Sphero or Artie Max, the engineering & electronics skills that tweens & teens build with a Let’s Start Coding kit will cross over to those activities as they learn code logic, styling, syntax, loops, variables, functions, troubleshooting, & command sequencing. While options like Bitsbox offer a subscription for younger kids, the Ultimate Kit contains enough activities that you don’t need a monthly box to stay busy! Our 100+ example projects are just the start – typed code enables unlimited experiments & variations that kids can explore at their own pace, making games & gadgets. Coding for kids 12 & up has never been easier – our projects are relevant to kids of that age, but still focused on beginners & on building skills up one at a time. As broad as computer coding is, it can be broken into its component parts & learned sequentially. That structure is crucial in coding for beginners – they need the focus that our coding toys provide. Designed & shipped from the USA, we’re dedicated to your success & provide online support, email newsletters that keep kids going, & consistent improvement of our products & lessons online. Parents & teachers praise our kits because their kids are able to get started on their own, without much adult knowledge or guidance. This is important because kids may lead the way as the first coders in their household. Our online resources including videos & challenges help guide kids in their coding journey. Trust one of the most awarded STEM companies in the United States and try a Base Kit today and upgrade to an Ultimate Coding Kit when your kids are ready for their next coding step.
Ignite Kids’ Passion and Possibly Inspire a New Path!
Coding fundamentals like variables, loops, functions, styling, syntax, and more are taught by Let’s Start Coding kits, and those concepts cross over to all major coding languages like Python, Javascript, Rust, R, C#, C, Java, SQL, and are even valuable in programs like Excel. At the outset kids need to be inspired and engaged by their coding projects, not focused on careers – the coding languages that are in use in 10 years when they are career-ready will be different than those today! We focus on a fun introduction to coding that doesn’t require outside expertise from a parent, tutor, or teacher. Our self-guided and self-paced projects give kids a “sandbox” that they can explore while getting support from our videos, walkthroughs, challenges, and even our staff (for customers 13+ or via a parent) through email or chat.Kids who enjoy memory games, brain games, strategy games, computer games/video games, puzzles of all kinds and science are likely to enjoy our kits. They require some perseverance and grit, but provide kids a wildly rewarding experience through their own creative custom programs that they would never be able to build in some of the more “hand-holding” code environments that really just guide kids about which buttons to click in which order. At Let’s Start Coding, we want to be the bridge between programs like Hour of Code or Scratch and the AP classes, theory, and textbooks that come later in kids’ coding education. This is not a robot like Sphero, Ozobot, Dash & Dot, or Botley. While there is value to Lego Mindstorms, Vex, First robotics, etc., our kits benefit from not needing battery charging, bluetooth connectivity, an app (with potential compatibility issues), or the other hassles that often accompany robots. As opposed to Minecraft, Roblox, or Scratch, a Let’s Start Coding Kit offers tangible, real-world, real-time feedback to kids as they get started, which is critical to their deeper understanding of how the code works and it improves their excitement when the feedback is immediate. There are products like the MicroBit / micro:bit, Arduino, elegoo, and Raspberry Pi that are a bit closer to “bare metal” hardware coding, but many of those projects require breadboards, resistors, capacitors, and yards of wiring that we find actually slow kids down rather than give them a jumpstart. One loose wire can render an Arduino project useless, or worse, “fry” an entire kit! With our circuit style, everything is built-in: just plug it in and start coding! We strive to keep kids excited about coding in their “crucial middle” – the formative years where they start to identify with activities that will define their high school years and beyond. If coding is fun with a Let’s Start Coding kit, kids are more likely to identify with coding or, at the very least, not fear it. With this confidence, they may join the club, class, or group that helps them uncover their passion for the creativity that coding provides. Every kid who uses a Let’s Start Coding kit will not become a professional programmer, but we hope to present the concepts and process in a way that gives coding a chance in the swirl of activities that kids today are able to choose between. If you want to be that person that invites a kid to explore new hobbies, passions, and interests, get them a Let’s Start Coding Kit and see where it takes them!
Look Like a Game Controller, but it’s a programmable circuit board; Kids’ love of gaming will attract them to Code Lab Mini, where they’ll learn the coding skills that will enable them to become video game developers themselves; The familiarity of the game controller appeals to kids and helps them get excited about coding; Turn your gamer into a coder
Great Gift for Kids 8-12+; Curious kids who love brain games, puzzles, memory games, strategy, and tech can get started with coding in a fun and hands-on way; They don’t need any experience to get started coding; Plus, you don’t have to know coding to get them started – our free online guides, videos, and sequenced projects take care of that
Tons of Self-Paced Fun; We have published over 80 starter projects and 1000+ lines of example code to get your kids started; Projects “level up” just like gaming levels, but kids can also jump forward, experiment, or create their own code from scratch; Why give just a software login card as a Christmas gift this year? Get a hands-on circuit board that pairs with guided videos, examples, and challenges that get your kids coding hands-on
Packed with Electronics; We took our popular Base Kit and packed its electronics parts into an easy-to-use, no-circuit-building package; Code Lab Mini has Jumbo LED lights (single and multicolor), arcade-style buttons, jumbo speaker, turn knob, volume knob (parents thank us!), and a vibration motor to appeal to all of kids’ senses and give them the chance to experiment with all sorts of electronic components – with no troubleshooting
Take it Further with Add-Ons; The easy-to-install add-on boards bring rainbow LED pixels, an LCD screen, and a trio of sensors (light, sound, and tilt) to the Code Lab Mini; These can be purchased separately, installed in about 5 minutes, and unlock 20+ new projects per add-on; If your kid loves their Code Lab Mini, you’ll have the perfect next gift already lined up
Grab and Go; Code Lab Mini is a rugged, all-in-one kit that comes with a retractable USB cable, guidebook, and sturdy storage box; You can take Code Lab Mini on vacation, a trip to the library, after school clubs, or anywhere with your laptop; Don’t worry about losing pieces or organizing tiny bits in a box – all of Code Lab Mini’s electronics are securely attached to the circuit board and ready for action
Loved by Kids, Parents, and Teachers; Kids love that our kits feel like games, but challenge their brains; Parents love that we have provided the content and guidance, so they don’t have to learn coding just to teach it to their kids; Teachers love that we have provided the bridge between Scratch / Hour of Code and more formal coding like AP classes
Real Code, Real Skills; Code Lab Mini teaches real, typed coding, without the pain of starting with a blank screen; By combining example programs with real C++, we can teach kids the coding fundamentals that apply to all major coding languages like Python, C#, Javascript, PHP, Java, C, and Perl; Don’t be wary of typed C++, we have built the supporting projects to make your child successful
Trust the Experts; Our team is experienced in getting kids coding; We have helped tens of thousands of kids learn coding with our products, which have won awards from several parenting, educational, and technology organizations; Our sole focus is a fun introduction to coding, rather than being a toy company that is trying to introduce a trendy “coding” product
Compatible with Most Computers; Our web-based code platform is free and only requires a Google Chrome browser on your Windows, Mac, or Chromebook computer; It is not compatible with phones or tablets; Some customers have been able to successfully use the kits with the Linux operating system, but there is no official tech support for that route
