Most parents know coding is a valuable skill, but handing a tablet to a preschooler feels wrong—and research backs that instinct. This episode maps the complete progression from screen-free coding toys at age three all the way to writing Arduino code in C++, giving you a concrete roadmap for building computational thinking the right way. Dr. Priya Mehta breaks down exactly which tools work at each developmental stage and why the sequence matters more than the specific products you buy.

• Children as young as three can start building coding foundations through physical manipulation—pressing directional buttons on robot toys creates immediate cause-effect feedback that internalizes sequencing before symbols ever enter the picture.

• The cognitive skills that make programming intuitive later (sequencing, conditionals, d ...