Gift Guide for Kids: Sphero BOLT & Sphero MINI

This post was sponsored by Sphero as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

In the past week, I’ve seen several friends asking on social media for gift ideas they can give the preteen boys in their lives. As the mama of two such boys, ages 10 and 11, I’ve got the perfect idea for you. Let me introduce you to two options the kids in your life {including girls too!} are sure to love: Sphero BOLT and Sphero Mini.

My kids’ brains work differently than mine; I’m a right-brained artist, and they are all about science, technology, engineering, and math. They love coding and robots, and these gift ideas allow them to do both! The Sphero BOLT and Sphero Mini are app-enabled robotic balls that the boys can drive and play games with while learning at the same time.

Little Crafter’s favorite is the Sphero BOLT, the bigger of the two robotic balls. He can actually program it with the Sphero Edu app from his iPad, as well as discover awesome community-created activities, drive, and play. The Sphero BOLT has an 8×8 LED Matrix that animates and displays real-time data, as well as advanced sensors for direction, speed, and orientation. With the Sphero BOLT, kids can create and customize games and learn to code by drawing on their screen, using Scratch™ blocks, or writing JavaScript text programs.

Sphero BOLT also features infrared communication, allowing it to “communicate” with other Sphero BOLTs, enabling brand new games and advanced coding tactics. It’s equipped with Bluetooth SMART and a durable, waterproof, transparent shell that lets LC see the inner workings of the robot, which he loves!

My 11 year old, “Scout,” prefers the adorable Sphero Mini, ($49.99) which packs tons of fun into a tiny, app-enabled robot about the size of a ping pong ball. He likes to drive Mini using different modes with the Sphero Mini app, particularly to make it chase his brother’s Sphero BOLT. Mini’s games are just as addicting – he can use the ball as a controller to shoot his way through space, race a ship through a tunnel, or rotate the ball to destroy a polygon of bricks. Thanks to the beauty of app updates, there’s always more on the way. If he wants to practice his coding skills, he can download the Sphero Edu app and program his robot using JavaScript. Packed with teeny tiny tech, Sphero Mini has a little gyroscope, accelerometer, and LED lights. There are colorful, interchangeable shells available, so you can easily switch one out to suit your mood. With almost an hour of playtime, Sphero Mini is the next big thing.

The boys have literally been playing with theirs nonstop every free minute they get. Does this look like something the kids in your life would love? Here are some great deals you can jump on and get a head start on your shopping!

Cyber Monday (11/26) only!  Get the Sphero BOLT for $129 (regular $149.99)!
Other models on sale will be the Sphero SPRK+ for $99, R2-D2 App-Enabled Droid for $59.99, BB-8 OG for $39.99, and BB-9E for $59.99.

From 11/28 through 12/1, spend $100 on Sphero products and get 15% off your purchase at Sphero.com.

For more information and deals, be sure to check out Sphero on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.