Hello everyone. I hope my first post gets some amazing replies and input to guide me in the right direction.
My family and I were at Barnes and Noble this weekend just browsing around for magazines. But then I casually started making my way torwards the robot books and my heart started racing. I was soooo excited to read about how to build robots that I could not fall asleep that night. :) I picked up Making Simple Robots by Kathy Ceceri and looked through it for hours the day I bought it. The only thing that was missing was the electronics kit. :(
I really think this hobby is something my 4 yo son and I can really enjoy instead of the typical toys you get at toy stores. Can you guys/gals recommend a good starter kit for a beginner. I seen some kits on Amazon for about $150-200 (littlebits). I would love to actualyy go to a robot store though. Any other beginner book recommendations would be helpful too. Thanks in advance!
Elementary my dear
I’m not one to wrap my mind around the needs and wants of a four year old, but the owner of this forum has a large selection:
https://www.robotshop.com/en/robots-elementary-schools.html
There are drag and drop “programmers” for some robots. It’s not really my cup of t-nuts so I can not advise. Although this is a family friendly forum there are not so many of us in the junior league.
https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/want-feedback-suggestions-phiro-education-robot-kids-young-people-learn-coding-5-ways
With all that said, now that I have started this converstaion, someone can come along and correct me. I have more friends who are 80 than are 8, far more.
Lego Robotics
The Lego Robotics System is an option if you are looking for multiple projects with easy to understand instructions. A little expensive to get started but will last for years. Once the child (or you) is comfortable with building there is a huge online community. I have a couple and the grand-kids (5 thru 16) can spend a day engrossed in building. I have also been know to borrow parts for my projects.
Low-Tech Robotics for Littles
@daddie05 – Thrilled to hear you enjoyed my book! If you’re looking for robotics projects that are ultra kid-friendly, you should also check out my book “Robotics: Discover the Science and Technology of the Future.” It contains ~20 projects that teach younger kids (and older noobs) the basic concepts of robotics using only everyday crafts materials, household items, and a few easily-scrounged electronics. You can find links to all my books on my personal website in my sig below. If I can be of any more help, let me know!
Kathy Ceceri, Author and STEAM educator craftsforlearning.com
