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A Cute Little Dog My Kids Can Code

My kids have tested more than a few coding robots, but this little doggie looks fun.

Bree Fowler Senior Writer
Bree Fowler writes about cybersecurity and digital privacy. Before joining CNET she reported for The Associated Press and Consumer Reports. A Michigan native, she's a long-suffering Detroit sports fan, world traveler, wannabe runner and champion baker of over-the-top birthday cakes and all-things sourdough.
Expertise cybersecurity, digital privacy, IoT, consumer tech, smartphones, wearables
Bree Fowler
An image of Pyxl.

Pyxel: The robot dog you code. 

Bree Fowler/CNET

Toys that teach kids to learn to code can be great, especially if they're cute and fun to play with.

Pyxel aims to be just that. The codeable robot dog from Educational Insights, on display this week at CES, teaches kids to program in the kid-friendly Blockly language, as well as the more sophisticated Python.

Designed for kids ages eight and up, kids can use Pyxel's app to make their doggie do tricks like sit, speak and shake, as well as run around and light up in various colors. Along the way, they'll learn coding skills that might become useful down the road.

My kids have tested more than a few of these kinds of toys over the years with mixed results. Do they need another one? I'm not so sure, but I'm guessing a lot of parents might be willing to buy if they think Pyxel will someday lead their child to a career in computer science.  

For those willing to roll the dice, Pyxel is set to go on sale this spring through Amazon and Educational Insights' website for $125.