Sphero Mini Soccer Coding Robot
Last updated: 5 October 2026
The Sphero Mini is an app-controlled robot ball about the size of a ping pong ball, and this Soccer edition wears a black and white football shell. Children drive it from a phone or tablet, play games with it, and learn to code it in the free Sphero Edu app. On 5 October 2026 the Sphero Mini Soccer cost £66.40 on Amazon UK, sold by GBAYAT LTD, for ages 8 and up.
Buy the Sphero Mini Soccer on Amazon UK, £66.40
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What the Sphero Mini does
Inside the shell sits a small robot with two wheels, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, motor encoders and a colour LED. The wheels push against the inside of the shell, so the whole ball rolls wherever the app sends it. The LED lights the ball from inside in any colour you pick.
The Soccer edition comes with three traffic cones and six bowling pins. Kids use them to set up goals, slaloms and a small bowling alley on the kitchen floor.
Driving and games in Sphero Play
Sphero Play is the app for playing at home. You can steer the Mini with an on-screen joystick, by tilting your phone, or with a slingshot mode where you pull back and let go. Kick Drive mode is built for the football shell, so two players can take turns trying to score.
The app also turns the ball into a controller. You hold the Mini in your hand and tilt it to fly a ship or dodge obstacles in arcade-style games on the screen.
Learning to code in Sphero Edu
Sphero Edu is the free learning app, and it is what schools use. It offers three ways to program the Mini:
- Draw: trace a path on the screen with a finger and the ball follows it.
- Blocks: drag and drop coloured blocks for movement, light and timing.
- Text: write JavaScript for the same robot once the blocks feel too easy.
So a child can start by drawing a line at eight and still be using the same ball when they move on to typing real code. Sphero Edu also has a library of activities and lessons, which gives younger coders a task to work towards.
Key facts
- Price: £66.40 on Amazon UK on 5 October 2026, Soccer edition, sold by GBAYAT LTD and usually dispatched within 2 to 3 days. The plain red Mini was £50.99 on the same day, and Sphero's US shop sells the plain Mini at $50.
- Size: 1.57 inches across, about 4cm
- In the box: the Mini with its football shell, a micro USB charging cable, three cones and six pins
- Battery: about 45 minutes of play from a charge of about an hour, according to Sphero
- Connection: Bluetooth, with a range of about 10 metres
- Apps: Sphero Play on iOS, Android and Amazon Fire; Sphero Edu also on macOS, Windows and ChromeOS
- Age: 8 and up
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5 from 863 ratings on Amazon UK
Who it suits
- Children aged 8 to 12 starting to code: drawing paths gives quick results, and the blocks lead on to text code.
- Football fans: the football shell, the cones and Kick Drive mode are set up for scoring goals.
- Families with a tablet already: both apps are free, so there is nothing else to buy.
For a Sphero that makes music instead, our Sphero Specdrums page covers the app-connected rings that play sounds when you tap colours. More presents for people who like gadgets are in our gift guide for technology lovers.
The limits
Forty-five minutes of play is short. A child who gets into a long session will need to stop for an hour while it charges, and the cable is micro USB rather than USB-C.
The shell is thin and pops off rather than screwing shut. One Amazon UK reviewer with hard floors found it breaks easily, and other reviews mention durability problems. Sphero says the battery cannot be replaced, so when it wears out, the robot is finished.
The Mini needs its shell to move and is not waterproof, so it stays indoors and away from puddles. Amazon UK reviewers report it runs on medium-pile carpet but not on thick carpet.
Cats chase it, as plenty of reviewers mention. Sphero's own advice is to keep the Mini away from pets and younger children, because the shell opens and exposes small parts.
On Amazon UK the Soccer edition comes from a third-party seller and costs about £15 more than the plain coloured Minis. If the football shell does not matter, the plain red Mini does the same things for less.
Where to buy it in the UK
Amazon UK had the Sphero Mini Soccer at £66.40 on 5 October 2026, with free delivery in early November. The Sphero Mini product page lists what comes in the box and which devices run the apps, and the Sphero Mini FAQ covers the battery, range and charging.
Sphero Mini Soccer on Amazon UK
FAQs
How much is the Sphero Mini in the UK?
The Soccer edition was £66.40 on Amazon UK on 5 October 2026. The plain red Mini was £50.99.
What age is the Sphero Mini for?
Sphero designs it for ages 8 and up, and the box warns that it is not suitable for children under three because of small parts.
How long does the Sphero Mini battery last?
About 45 minutes of play, and about an hour to charge through the micro USB cable, according to Sphero.
What can you code the Sphero Mini with?
The free Sphero Edu app, using Draw, Blocks or JavaScript text code, on phones, tablets and computers.
Does the Sphero Mini work on carpet?
Amazon UK reviewers report it copes with medium-pile carpet but not thick carpet. Hard floors are easiest.
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