Wonder Workshop Dash The closest I ever got to owning a robot when I was a kid was covering my Ken doll in tin foil and wrapping some pipe cleaners around him, these days children can own their very own robots which are not only fun to play with but teach them valuable skills for the future. The Dash from Wonder Workshop is a sweet little robot suitable for children from the age of 6 and up, it arrives pre-assembled and partially charged which allows for play straight away. To get started simply press the on button and the Dash comes to life, it has a USB charging cord for when the battery runs low, and you get about 2-3 hours play time per 1-hour full charge. Also included in the box are two building box connectors which can be fixed to the head or legs, these can then be used to attach Lego constructions to customize Dash. For interactive play there are a five age-appropriate apps that can be downloaded for free on a smart device, Path, Go, Xylo, Wonder and Blockly, once downloaded all the apps can be used via Bluetooth 4.0 without needing a WiFi connection. Go is used for steering Dash around, like a remote-control car, it can also be used to play with the sounds and lights.
Path allows for control over movement too but this time it is from drawing a path on the screen which Dash will then follow on the floor and various challenges to complete. The Xylo needs the Xylophone attachment (sold separately, $39.99) allowing you to compose music that Dash will play back to you. If there is access to multiple Dash robots an entire orchestra can be created or a marching band. Blockly and Wonder are for older children and introduce coding, Blockly sequences steps by dragging and connecting blocks of code together and then pressing the green arrow to run the program, Wonder is similar in that it builds programs but uses state machines instead of blocks. Dash can also respond to voices and sounds, it can dance and sing, and there is a wide range of accessories sold separately to expand on what Dash can do and games it can play. Dash is super cute, fun and educational, for the price we would love a few more accessories included just to get started with, but its cheeky nature won us over anyway.
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