I did a thing. Whilst searching Amazon for the best tech Black Friday deals I ran into something I didn't absolutely need but couldn't ignore: An awesome Raspberry Pi-powered robot tank kit.
Take a look at the Amazon listing and you'll see why. It does all sorts of cool stuff like using ultrasound to avoid strategically placed obstacles, using software to follow a little red ball or a black line on the floor, and it also works as a remote control vehicle with your phone as the controller.
Combined with forward-facing sensors that look like a pair of eyes and a claw that works and can grab stuff made it the best thing I could have bought myself this year. My wife isn't so sure about that and says I will end up "being stupid" with it and she is half-right. But "being stupid" in a way that makes you actually learn is pretty great.
Before I attach a saddle and let my pet parrot ride into battle, I'll need to put it together. That's where the learning comes into the picture. Everything except the Raspberry Pi itself and the batteries are included, even the tools required. If you need a Raspberry Pi those are on sale, too so you're covered.
The kit comes with directions (which I probably won't read and wish I did) and all the code required to get things up and running. The code itself is written in Python, which makes it a great way to introduce an older kid to programming.
For me, this will be fun way to have a little mischief at the expense of my beloved pets and family. For a child though, it's a great way to learn about mechanical engineering and coding.
If you know a kid (or a middle-aged man) with an interest in STEM topics like robotics or engineering it makes a great gift.
