The BBC micro:bit was designed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), with the first boards being released in February 2016.

The micro:bit was created to encourage children to get involved with the writing of software and building of new things, rather than just consuming retail products without an appreciation or education on how they work.

Being aimed at children and beginners, the micro:bit is much simpler than other microcontrollers and , as a result, is much easier to learn how to use.

The micro:bit is powered via micro USB and includes lot of fun on-board features to start coding with. It holds 25 small LEDs in the middle of the board for making blinky programs, a compass and accelerometer for movement detection, two buttons to trigger actions and an easy to use edge connector for connecting external components.

The micro:bit also includes on-board Bluetooth for sending your code to the board wirelessly, or alternatively you can connect your PC to the micro USB connection.

With its feature-packed board and fantastic learning materials, it really is a top choice for a new coder or young aspiring programmer.