⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

Fisher-Price's Cute New Toy Aims to Teach Preschoolers the Basics of Computer Programming The legacy toymaker is finally gearing up to cash in on to the trendy kid-coding movement with the 'Code-a-Pillar.'

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Fisher-Price

This article was updated on Jan. 6, 2015, at 1:08 p.m. ET.

Bill Gates was 13 when he started to code. Elon Musk was 12 and Mark Zuckerberg was 10. Compared to today's growing crop of software-savvy kids, they learned coding pretty late. Nowadays, when it comes to learning the ABCs of coding, you can't start too young.

Today, there's no shortage of books, toys, classes and camps to nudge the next generation of coders along the path to promising careers in technology. Among the latest are Dash and Dot, a pair of funky robots that school kids in the pillars of programming. There's also Hello Ruby, an entire ecosystem of exercises, games and apps designed to dole out the basics of coding to pint-sized geeks. Even Barbie went techie for a controversial minute.

Related: Your Next Vision Exam May Involve Playing Video Games

Not to be left out of the tiny tot tech toy trend, news arrived today that Fisher-Price is finally joining the race. Last night at CES in Las Vegas, the legacy mainstream toymaker debuted its first coding-focused toy for preschoolers -- yes, for preschoolers -- technically kids ages 3 to 8.

The colorful plastic toy -- which features an adorable motorized head, twists and turns from side to side and lights up -- is called the Think & Learn Code-A-Pillar. Mattel, long Fisher-Price's parent company, filed trademark paperwork for the product's clever name last January.

The interlocking segmented gizmo won't exactly educate preschool kids on the specific intricate nuances of writing code, but it will expose them to a handful of simple computer coding gateway skills overall.

Related: 12 Sites That Will Teach You Coding for Free

"As an early childhood development company, we wanted to create a new, fun way to expose preschoolers to critical thinking and problem solving, which are skills they'll need to be successful in life, not only in the computer programming profession," says Fisher-Price spokesperson Amber Pietrobono.

Code.org co-founder and CEO Hadi Partovi agrees that preschoolers aren't too young to pick up the basics of coding. "Any preschooler can learn the ABCs of computer science, which can help prepare them for a society that is increasingly interwoven with technology," he says. "Every 21st century child deserves a chance to learn some foundational basics about how technology works, and how to give complicated instructions to computers or robots."

As for how it works, the Code-A-Pillar's 8 removeable segments contain USB port-like connectors that enable them to be snapped together. The smiley-faced musical gadget executes different programmed movement sequences based on how kids arrange its illuminated command shape-emblazoned segments. It can also be programmed to travel to targets set up throughout a room.

Related: Meet Dash and Dot, Robot Toys That Teach Kids How to Code

"The future coders of 2035 may only be preschoolers today, but their journey to tech hubs around the globe begins now," reads the text of a promotional image for the toy. "When playing with the Think & Learn Code-A-Pillar from Fisher-Price, kids will be exposed to the foundational skills of coding, like thinking skills, problem solving and sequencing."

The Code-A-Pillar, which works in tandem with companion iOS and Android apps, will retail for $50, with various expansion packs priced at $15 each. Fisher-Price says the code-themed toy caterpillars will appear on store shelves next June.

The company will release additional details about the product at next month's Toy Fair in New York City. In the meantime, to see the Code-A-Pillar in action, check out this short video from Fisher-Price.

Related: What To Expect From CES 2016

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.