This is a great way to introduce programming concepts to very young kids. It’s a board game, and what I find fun about it is that it gives kids a chance to play with control: both of the turtle, and of the adult moving the turtle.
Its stated age is 4+, but at 5 years old, our eldest has already outgrown it. 2.5/3 is probably a better age to attempt to start, depending on your kid.
Kids choose their turtle color,1 and then lay down a sequence of cards to direct their turtle to its treasure. The cards include basic directions: L, R, forward, jump, and you can add obstacles to increase the challenge. That is, this game offers the same kind of deal as a lot of online programs, but it’s nice to have something physical for a change. It’s up to the adult to move the turtle according to the directions laid down in the cards, and if the directions fail, you yell “bug!” and retrace your steps.
Oz likes to play this game in even more physical form, and get the kids to direct him to move about the house. So if your 2.5/3yo isn’t quite up to the board game yet, being a Robo-Parent is also a fun way to introduce programming concepts :)
The aesthetic is gender neutral with a side of sparkly gems (to signal to parents that it’s trying to encourage girls??)