Bitsbox is a subscription service that teaches grade-school children (ages 6-12) how to code apps! Isn't that amazing? I am well on my way to raising my two boys to be complete nerds, and this subscription may be the key piece to the puzzle.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Bitsbox
The Cost: There are 3 options. Digital Book is $20/month, Bitsbox Book is $25/month with free shipping, and Bitsbox Original is $40 + $9.10 shipping = $49.10/month.
The Products: All subscription types come with an online account for kids to create their apps. All subscriptions come with a book of projects, although the digital book option is a download. The Original Bitsbox also comes with toys and swag that support the little coder lifestyle.
Ships to: Worldwide
Good to Know: If you have multiple grade school children in your household, they can each set up an online account for free for working on their apps. There's no need to purchase multiple subscriptions!
Also Good to Know: You need a computer for your kids to work on; Bitsbox's interface won't work on a tablet or phone yet.
Check out all of our Bitsbox reviews and the Kids Subscription Box Directory!
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This is a review of the Bitsbox Original.
This is the book of projects, and it's probably the coolest technical manual I've ever seen! This month there are 18 different projects in it for the kids to try, ranging from super easy and short to quite lengthy and complex. This month's theme is "Lights! Camera! Action!"
Here's a look at a couple of medium complexity projects from the book. Every project contains the code for the kids to copy to make their app work. Additionally, there are snippets of info such as "What's a Flag?" that help explain what the child has just copied, plus little challenges to see if the child understands the code well enough to alter the app a little. This technique works really, really well!
This month, Bitsbox sent a clapperboard and some chalk to support the theme. My ten-year-old is a thespian, and he is obsessed with clapperboards! He is so excited to have this!
They also sent this poster, which is a complete listing of all the screen backgrounds the kids have to choose from when creating their apps, plus the word to use for each when coding. There are so many! The kids were really impressed!
Bitsbox also seems to include stickers and temporary tattoos as a regular inclusion in every box. They are two things that kids can't seem to get enough of!
When the kids log in to their home screen, this is their "tablet" where they can see all the apps they have built. They can also go back into them and edit at any time.
This is the coding interface the kids use. Obviously the graphics and sounds are already there for the kids to use, but they are writing real, honest-to-goodness code! Bitsbox makes it a really fun experience.
Now onto the apps! Feel free to click the links and actually see the apps in action! (They will run in your browser, no download required.)
My eight-year-old made this app that creates a light trail when you wave the magic wand.
He also made this app where you tap the screen to repel the troll.
My ten-year-old made this app where you tap the screen to make Justin Bieber's head talk.
He also made this app that's a game where you try to drive the Mars Rover to collect potatoes. So fun!
Verdict: Bitsbox has become one of our favorite boxes! The apps are funny and engaging, and they're not hard at all. I'm still astounded that they actually teach the kids how to code! It's a great value since both kids can share one box with separate accounts online for working. It's one of the rare boxes that last the kids all month because they can keep returning to it whenever they like to try new projects - and they do! We are huge fans!
Have your kids tried Bitsbox? What do you think?
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