Learning to code may be almost as important now as learning to read. A new robot makes things more interesting: AntBo, which looks like an ant, is simple enough to program that kids can learn to code while they play with it. "We believe in the philosophy of learning through play … Seeing an ant-shaped robot come to life is definitely more interesting than reading code on a computer screen," says Ricky Ye, CEO of DFRobot, the Shanghai-based DIY robot company that designed the robot. Younger children can use visual programming tools like Scratch to make simple commands, like telling the robot to follow lines on the ground, react to a voice, or even simulate emotions. Once kids are old enough to code traditionally, they can also program the robot with Arduino IDE.