Meccano Meccanoid

If your tween is drawn to robots but bored by simple snap-together toys, Meccano Meccanoid offers a more “real” engineering feel. These buildable robot kits use metal and plastic parts, servos, and a programmable “brain” to create walking, talking bots you assemble with tools. Developed by the century-old Meccano brand, they’re designed to teach mechanical design alongside coding through apps and motion capture. Parents like that the builds are substantial and reusable, encouraging kids to tinker beyond the main model. They’re ideal for roughly ages 10+ who are patient with multi-hour builds and comfortable following detailed diagrams. Instructions and app connections can be finicky, especially on newer devices, but once set up, the robots are impressive. Pro tip: treat the first build as a joint project—adult and child together—so you can troubleshoot tricky steps and model problem-solving.