A few years ago, for our children to learn robotics at a young age would seem like an unattainable dream; something possible only for a lucky few. Fortunately, digital platforms have democratized tech skills education, allowing robotics classes at home to be just a few clicks away.
The first thing that comes to mind when we talk about robotics is perhaps a science fiction movie, or those funny viral videos of robots. We may also think of the geniuses who created them. The good news? Building a robot is for anyone with the right tools, and our children can be the scientists of the future and help us solve today’s problems tomorrow.
In this article we will learn about robotics, and how your children can design their own robots from the comfort of their favorite devices.
What is robotics?
Robotics is a science, a compilation of different skills, including design, electronics, programming, and math. Its goal is to build robots to fulfill many different purposes.
There are more and more applications for robotics in different areas nowadays, from manufacturing, to space exploration, to medicine. Robots are here to stay. What is a robot? A machine capable of fulfilling a function autonomously without human intervention. This means that even the automatic response systems in WhatsApp chats are, by definition, robots!
Learning robotics is learning to build the future.
Robots have the goal of fulfilling certain tasks that humans perform today. And that’s where our children come into the picture, because many of the jobs we do today will be filled by robots. For this reason, designing is and will continue to be one of the best jobs of today and tomorrow.
Robotics requires preparation in different areas, but the main skill it requires is creativity. Each step, from conception to development of a robot, is a constant maze of challenges that must be navigated through logical and creative thinking. Children have innate creativity. Our job is to teach them to direct that creativity with the logic required so that tomorrow they surprise us with a robot that picks up their toys for them.
Are there robotics classes for kids?
Yes! Various robotics courses for children around the world have recently become popular. Robotics is part of the curriculum in many schools, given the enormous number of benefits it brings. Research clearly shows the advantages of teaching robotics in primary and high school. It has also been shown that it is one of the most powerful tools to encourage children’s cognitive and collaborative abilities.
At Wonderly we have developed a robotics course for children and teenagers in which kids learn with our optimal hybrid model, that combines human instructors with Pixar-style animated characters.
What is the Wonderly online robotics course?
The best way to learn robotics is by practicing and building. This is the mindset with which Wonderly instructors have been trained and in which they lead robotics classes for children and teens.
At any stage of the program, the classes work in a fairly simple and friendly way:
The instructor and the animated characters will explain the concepts of robotics step by step, answering the questions that children have when it comes to building their first robot. These concepts are explained using common and culturally relevant terms that our children can easily understand, but implicitly we are talking about algorithmic thinking topics that are taught in the most prestigious universities in the world.
Once the concept has been grasped, students are presented with a challenge, a “problem” that they must solve with what they have learned within our learning platform.
You’d be surprised what incredible things a team of 10-year-olds can create!
Educational robotics building kits for kids: are they necessary to learn?
More than necessary, they are complementary. Of course, “physical” robots, those that can walk, move, drive cars, are interesting for our children. However, this also implies that we must make an additional investment.
Here is a list of the best kits you can get on Amazon:
Sillbird STEM 12 in 1 – Good value for money (For children from 8 to 14 years old).
This kit is great, mainly because it allows kids to build a robot with up to 12 possible predetermined ways.
LEGO Boost – High Quality (For ages 7 to 12)
This kit won the toy of the year award and has been one of the world’s best-selling toy and robotics kits ever since.
Makeblock mBot – Premium Quality (For children 12 years and older).
This is the most advanced kit and also the most expensive on the list.
Those are our recommendations, anyway, we encourage you to continue investigating on your own, you will surely find a kit that suits the needs, tastes and preferences of your children. Don’t forget to tell us which one you chose
Let’s make a virtual robot first! Give your kids a present with Wonderly’s robotics course!