Robots – 30 STEM Links a Week

Robots are fun to build for most kids. These robots also can be programmed to move around rooms, one way for kids to learn programming. They’re also fun for parents to try with their kids or for older kids to master on their own.

Dash and Dot

These cute round robots from the Wonder Workshop are for kids elementary school age. Kids play with them to have fun and learn about technology. The Dash and Dot robots can be programmed with Blockly, a fairly easy language to master like Scratch. With Blockly you create a step, for example, play a sound, then define the sound as a lion roar. The combination of steps determines how the robot will move, when it will move, and what it will do.

LEGO Mindstorms

Take the LEGO idea — easy to snap together parts to build things — and add icon based programming, wheels, legs, and other mobile pieces and you have LEGO Mindstorms. While you can build simple robots, it’s more fun to build more complicated robots to do things and perform tasks. They can respond to touch and controlled by a remote control. Mindstorms also includes an active online community with lots of ideas to try.

KIBO

A simple roll along kids toy with blocks that can be pushed into the top of the toy to control its behavior. The blocks represent simple concepts such as on and off, conditions, lights on or off, and sound on or off. Kids use their hands to make the robot work.

Finch

Created by the Carnegie Mellon’s CREATE lab, this bird shaped robot is designed for computer science education. The Finch can move around and flash lights in response to code. Supports a dozen programming languages and environments so kids from Kindergarten and older can use code to direct the robot.

Sphero and Ollie

A cute set of rolling robots, you control them with a phone or tablet. The robots change color and race around rooms and hallways. They’re lots of fun to play with out of the box. Motivated kids can program these robots, as well.

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