
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Julian Sequeira from PyBites joins Sean and Kelly to share their top holiday gift picks for coders, makers, and educators. This episode features 15+ gift ideas ranging from budget-friendly maker tools to classroom robots—plus book recommendations, coding platforms, and a few surprises.
Hoverboard with Go-Kart Attachment (~$299 AUD) - Two-wheeled self-balancing boards that can convert to a go-kart with a third wheel attachment. Available at Hoveroo in Australia.
Secret Coders Book Series (~$10-20 USD each) - A six-book graphic novel series that wraps coding puzzles and concepts into mystery stories. Recommended by Faye Shaw from the Boston PyLadies community. Great for ages 8-15.
3D Printer (~$200-300 USD) - Entry-level printers like the Bambu Lab A1 Mini or Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro have dropped significantly in price. Look for auto bed leveling as a key feature.
Duolingo Chess (~$13/month with subscription) - A new addition to Duolingo that teaches chess tactics, strategy, and formal terminology through structured lessons. Great for building problem-solving skills.
Classic Video Games (Zelda, Pokémon) - Story-driven games that build resilience and problem-solving skills, as an alternative to dopamine-heavy platforms like Roblox.
Soccer Bot (~$59.99) - An indoor soccer training robot that challenges footwork skills. Works best on hard floors.
"The Worlds I See" by Dr. Fei-Fei Li - Memoir of the computer scientist behind ImageNet and modern image recognition, covering her immigrant journey and rise in AI. A must-read for anyone interested in AI.
LEGO Retro Radio Building Set (~$99) - A 1970s-style radio that you build, then insert your phone to play music. Features working dials that create authentic radio crackle sounds.
Spydroid Loco Hex Robot (classroom investment) - A large spider-shaped robot that codes in Python and block programming. Features LIDAR and AI-based mapping. Seen at ISTE.
Richtie Mini from Hugging Face ($299-$449) - An adorable AI desktop companion robot with onboard models. Two versions: one that connects to your computer and one that's self-contained.
LED Pucks (LED 001 Kit) (~$6-13) - Small USB-powered LED discs perfect for 3D printed projects like planet lamps. Available from Bambu Labs or Amazon. RGB versions include remote controls.
Daily Desk Calendar (~$15-20) - A throwback gift that provides daily doses of humor, trivia, or inspiration. Suggestions include The Far Side, "They Can Talk," or "How to Win Friends and Influence People."
PyBites Coding Platform (subscription) - Bite-sized Python challenges for sharpening coding skills. Great for teachers, students, and professionals looking for practical coding practice.
Digital Calipers (~$40-50) - USB-rechargeable precision measuring tools essential for 3D printing and maker projects. Great for teaching geometry and measurement concepts.
Deburring Tool (~$10) - A small tool with a curved swiveling blade for cleaning up 3D prints. A quality-of-life improvement for any maker's toolkit.
Special Guest: Julian Sequeira.
Support Teaching Python
By Sean Tibor and Kelly Paredes4.7
2323 ratings
Julian Sequeira from PyBites joins Sean and Kelly to share their top holiday gift picks for coders, makers, and educators. This episode features 15+ gift ideas ranging from budget-friendly maker tools to classroom robots—plus book recommendations, coding platforms, and a few surprises.
Hoverboard with Go-Kart Attachment (~$299 AUD) - Two-wheeled self-balancing boards that can convert to a go-kart with a third wheel attachment. Available at Hoveroo in Australia.
Secret Coders Book Series (~$10-20 USD each) - A six-book graphic novel series that wraps coding puzzles and concepts into mystery stories. Recommended by Faye Shaw from the Boston PyLadies community. Great for ages 8-15.
3D Printer (~$200-300 USD) - Entry-level printers like the Bambu Lab A1 Mini or Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro have dropped significantly in price. Look for auto bed leveling as a key feature.
Duolingo Chess (~$13/month with subscription) - A new addition to Duolingo that teaches chess tactics, strategy, and formal terminology through structured lessons. Great for building problem-solving skills.
Classic Video Games (Zelda, Pokémon) - Story-driven games that build resilience and problem-solving skills, as an alternative to dopamine-heavy platforms like Roblox.
Soccer Bot (~$59.99) - An indoor soccer training robot that challenges footwork skills. Works best on hard floors.
"The Worlds I See" by Dr. Fei-Fei Li - Memoir of the computer scientist behind ImageNet and modern image recognition, covering her immigrant journey and rise in AI. A must-read for anyone interested in AI.
LEGO Retro Radio Building Set (~$99) - A 1970s-style radio that you build, then insert your phone to play music. Features working dials that create authentic radio crackle sounds.
Spydroid Loco Hex Robot (classroom investment) - A large spider-shaped robot that codes in Python and block programming. Features LIDAR and AI-based mapping. Seen at ISTE.
Richtie Mini from Hugging Face ($299-$449) - An adorable AI desktop companion robot with onboard models. Two versions: one that connects to your computer and one that's self-contained.
LED Pucks (LED 001 Kit) (~$6-13) - Small USB-powered LED discs perfect for 3D printed projects like planet lamps. Available from Bambu Labs or Amazon. RGB versions include remote controls.
Daily Desk Calendar (~$15-20) - A throwback gift that provides daily doses of humor, trivia, or inspiration. Suggestions include The Far Side, "They Can Talk," or "How to Win Friends and Influence People."
PyBites Coding Platform (subscription) - Bite-sized Python challenges for sharpening coding skills. Great for teachers, students, and professionals looking for practical coding practice.
Digital Calipers (~$40-50) - USB-rechargeable precision measuring tools essential for 3D printing and maker projects. Great for teaching geometry and measurement concepts.
Deburring Tool (~$10) - A small tool with a curved swiveling blade for cleaning up 3D prints. A quality-of-life improvement for any maker's toolkit.
Special Guest: Julian Sequeira.
Support Teaching Python

383 Listeners

26,344 Listeners

9,570 Listeners

3,058 Listeners

585 Listeners

302 Listeners

215 Listeners

486 Listeners

209 Listeners

6,444 Listeners

142 Listeners

9,930 Listeners

1,331 Listeners

5,525 Listeners

2 Listeners