The year is 2583. After centuries of environmental pollution, Earth became uninhabitable, and humanity was forced out into the vast expanse of space. However, four courageous robots still roam the planet, surviving by scavenging discarded parts to perform makeshift repairs on themselves. They call themselves Rebotz.
Thames & Kosmos’ ReBotz 4-Pack Bundle is a collection of robot building kits that comes in four styles: Scootz — The Cranky Crawling Robot, Pogo — The Jammin’ Jumping Robot, Knox — The Wacky Walking Robot, and Halfpipe — The Shredding Skater Robot.
Designed for kids ages 6 and up, each kit contains no more than 30 pieces, making it a quick and easy-to-build project that incorporates STEM learning. Once assembled, kids can make each robot move in a unique pattern with a simple switch! To power each kit’s electric motor, kids will need three AAA batteries (not included). Scootz scoots along the floor with two wheel halves from an old pirate ship, a repurposed iron, and a snow ski. Pogo jumps around using two rubber bands, the tracks of an old snowmobile, and a waffle iron. Halfpipe cruises through kids’ rooms with a skateboard, using an umbrella and a broom to propel itself forward. Knox “walks” on its two front legs that are made from an old tennis racket and a hammer, and rolls with two rear wheels.
Watch how each robot moves around in the video below.
In addition to building and playing with the four robots, aspiring robot engineers can also disassemble them and reuse their parts to create their own original creations! The sets feature customizing options that extend the play value as kids experiment with cams, gears, springs, wheels, cranks, pistons, motors, and levers.
Though easy to build, some robots’ parts are quite stiff and require a lot of pressure to snap them together and pull them apart. For example, kids may struggle to push the broomstick and the umbrella into Halfpipe’s hands and may need an adult’s help. Additionally, each robot comes with many small parts that could pose a choking hazard for young kids. Therefore, adults’ assistance during kids’ playtime is recommended.
Because each robot’s movement is reliant on many interconnected parts, if kids receive the wrong parts in their Rebotz set, they can fill out this form, and Thames & Kosmos will replace them with the correct ones.
Overall, the Rebotz Bundle gives kids a great introduction to robot engineering in a simple way. The characters’ engaging backstory is also a cautionary tale that teaches kids a valuable lesson in the importance of protecting our environment and practicing the three Rs — reduce, reuse, and recycle — just like our robot friends do!
