Blockly

There are typically two primary options for younger kids (or older students) to get started with coding: either physical tools or digital tools. Most of our expertise involves the physical coding tools, including educational robotics kits, circuitry solutions, or even programmable drones. Especially following the remote learning era, however, there are also strictly virtual platforms.

Coding proficiencies are becoming increasingly important as new tech has entered the world. Though some kids (and teachers) may be apprehensive about learning to code, there are lots of ways to make coding experiences more accessible. These five languages, from the fun and colorful blocks to the more advanced text, help kids naturally advance their coding skills.

Teachers could use Blockly coding to teach kids about inputs and outputs on a very basic level before progressing to various, more advanced coding concepts, like loops and logic. Best of all, there are a bunch of great STEM tools for introducing kids to Blockly programming, like the Dash Robot, the Ozobot Evo, Finch Robot 2.0, Edison Robot, and the

Robotics tools, in particular, are very valuable in K–12 classrooms because of the various sets of skills children can gain when coding with them. Most notably, teachers could introduce a variety of programming languages, like Scratch, Blockly, JavaScript, Swift, Python, and others—helping kids build a foundation for both their creative and technological development.

There are so many classroom robots that teachers could access and share with students—even those in the elementary grades. Whether they’ve tried coding in kindergarten or they’re just getting started, these are some of the top elementary robotics kits to consider for your classroom. From the Dash Robot to the Finch 2.0 and the Marty V2, here’s why we like

While computer code certainly can be powerful, it doesn’t necessarily have to be complex. Starting with core languages designed to ease children into coding, they’re often just as effective as those they would use in mastering more challenging elements. In fact, some of the best for helping them build a foundation are graphical or icon-based and various block-text hybrids.

The Dash Robot is designed for students who are six and older, making it a superb option for kids who have never tried robotics or coding. It allows all students to use block code to bring the robot’s actions to life on their desk or their screen. Whether you’re looking for good robots for students to use in afterschool clubs

From kindergarten through high school, coding helps all students develop real-world hard and soft skills—even if they are not planning on pursuing a computer science career. Plus, getting started isn’t intimidating either and, in fact, introducing programming often involves some extremely simple CS tools in kindergarten before working in those with more STEM possibilities.

Known simply as the UKIT, there are three versions currently on our store: the Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced kits. The basis of each of these UBTECH robotics kits, including the Beginner Kit, is that students use the pieces, which include wheels, servo motors, connecting cables, and other plastic hardware, to build programmable models using interactive guides.

When teaching STEM and coding skills with the Edison Robot, its unique features make it very popular among K-12 educators. This starts with its compact size, which helps make the Edison a true 1:1 STEAM solution in many cases. Some say it’s shaped like a brick and it’s also dense and tough, which helps make it a long-lasting option in