Sharpen Your Child’s Mind With the Best Coding Games

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. The newsroom or editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content.

Buying Guide: Choosing a Premium Coding Game

Raising a child is one of the hardest jobs in the world. They always want something to entertain them, whether that’s some kind of a toy or the latest video game. A coding game can keep them immersed for hours on end while also enhancing their critical thinking skills — two birds with one stone, right? But with so many of these games available, which one is a good choice for your child? Coding games have a certain learning curve — they’re not too hard that they’ll stump your child, but they’re also not too easy, offering them no challenge at all. If you’re not familiar with coding games (or coding in general), it can be difficult to evaluate which coding game is most suitable for your child. To make your life easier, we’ve put together a list of some of the top coding games available in 2023. Check it out below:

First up on our list is the Osmo Coding Starter Kit. Your child can use an iPad (not included in the kit) to interact with this coding game, improving hand-eye coordination right off the bat. The game mainly focuses on developing problem-solving skills by combining digital gameplay with physical interaction to create a fun, engaging learning experience.

This coding game puts a great deal of emphasis on problem-solving, and you could say that it even lays the foundations of coding in your child. By solving puzzles, the game allows for visual and audio learning that gets your child’s imagination working and challenges them to interpret things in a way different than usual. All in all, this coding game is a multi-functional, interactive learning tool, and these things have helped earn it the top spot on our list!

Pros

• Provides auditory and visual learning experience
• Doesn’t require WiFi to use
• Introduces your child to coding

Cons

• Reliant on iPad battery

This Think Fun coding game is one of the most enjoyable out there, featuring around 120 levels of increasing difficulty to offer your child extensive learning at their own pace. This coding game is essentially a board game — you don’t have to worry about batteries while playing it, which has the added bonus of making the game highly portable and convenient.

This coding game can also be played by adults, making it a great way for parents and children to bond. Not only is this game fun, but it also provides a decent challenge for your child as they learn the ins and outs of coding. This game’s challenging logic puzzles can test and improve your child’s critical thinking skills while taking part in its fun cybersecurity game mode, making it one of the better coding games out there.

Pros

• Can help develop critical thinking skills
• Small, portable, and doesn’t rely on batteries
• Fun for kids and parents

Cons

• Not suitable for colorblind children

Next on our list is Botley by Learning Resources, one of the most unique coding games we’ve seen so far. This “game” is a movable robot with a directional panel on its back that your child can program to move the robot in different directions. This robot coding game features 16 different interactive modes that can keep your child entertained and their mind engaged in multiple cognitive activities, all while teaching them fundamental coding concepts without having to be glued to a screen.

This coding game can instill in your child the ability to observe and analyze their surroundings in a fun, enjoyable way. This robot can also be set up and played with right away, making it a great gift on birthdays or the next time you swing by your niece’s and nephew’s house!

Pros

• Small, portable, cute design
• Helps improve hand-eye coordination 
• Screen-free coding experience

Cons

• Can be a choking hazard

The Makeblock mBot is considered one of the most technically impressive coding games available, so it should come as no surprise that its internal software is extremely interactive. Alongside online tutorials, this coding game can help introduce kids to robots and learn all about their internal workings.

This coding game can tap directly into your child’s imagination and let them expand their creativity by taking advantage of the learning tools that come with it and the many available add-ons. Even better is that this remote control robot car is relatively easy to assemble — it only takes around 15 minutes to put together, and this, plus its high-quality software, makes this coding game a great choice and the most educational on our list.

Pros

• Helps children learn about robots
• Easy to assemble
• Many tutorials and add-ons available

Cons

• Can strain eyesight

The CoderBunnyz Coding Game checks all boxes when it comes to providing your child with a fun learning experience. Invented by a 9-year-old named Samaira, this coding game combines fundamental programming concepts and enhances your child’s problem-solving skills by having them navigate their robot bunny through a maze-like simulation.

This coding game can teach your child a wide range of programming concepts, from loops and functions to inheritance and parallelism, giving them a comprehensive introduction to the world of coding. This game is most fun when played with family, and this was what Samaira had in mind when she decided to fuse her love for board games and coding.

Pros

• Makes coding fun for everyone
• Portable, easy-to-store box
• Award-winning, child-designed game

Cons

• Not suitable for colorblind children

Can my child learn to code without a coding game?

While coding games are generally guaranteed to produce results, your child doesn’t need to own one to learn how to code. A coding game is simply a stepping stone that teaches coding in a very specific way to cater to as many children as possible. 

How old does my child have to be to learn to code?

A general rule of thumb is that the younger a child starts to code, the more time they’ll have to learn about coding and its advanced concepts. Regardless of age, coding games are generally designed in a way that your child can learn to code no matter how old they are. If a game does have an age restriction/suggestion, it will be indicated on the product.

How does coding help my child?

Coding helps children improve their problem-solving skills, a skill set that’s generally very useful in everyday life. Coding games challenge young minds to think critically and encourage brain development, making for a fun, educational time.