Learn to code with the littleBits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit this April

Toys that can code are all the rage these days, and you can add another one to the list beginning mid-April.

The littleBits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit is adding a coding capability in just a few months. This will mark the first time a coding has come to a littleBits consumer product.

Based on the Google and MIT-developed Scratch Books coding structure, the new coding canvas includes six new missions plus an open coding canvas, letting young coders flex their programming muscles.

With the new coding feature, kiddos (and kids at heart) can customize their DIY Droid, bringing even more fun and function to the toy. littleBits says the new missions build upon those already available on the Droid.

The coding capability will be available to those who buy the Droid Inventor Kit for the first time as well as those who already own it. It's just a matter of downloading the app, or updating to the newest version. From there, it's a simple drag and drop.

The Droid Inventor Kit retails for $99.95/£99.99 (it's currently on sale for £79.95 at Amazon UK). The kit lets anyone build an R2-D2 droid that can beep, whistle, move around and be controlled through the app. There's also a "Force Mode" that has the Droid move away from an extended hand, just like a Jedi. And builders don't have to stick to the script; the droid is modular, so anyone can build a droid to their liking, including one that features household items.

Now, with the new coding capability, there's even more room to get creative with the Droid Inventor Kit.