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Introductory Robotics for Kids with Bitsbox!

February 10, 2017 by Selena Robinson

We’ve been working on STEM concepts with our middle schooler for the past several months and she’s been enjoying learning science, technology, and even math concepts along the way. Our Bitsbox subscription has been a huge help in this. This girl absolutely hated math a year ago, but now that she’s learning how to use it to make things, she’s seeing mathematics in a whole new way!

This month’s Bitsbox subscription box came with a new theme: Robots! And it was a perfect way to cover introductory robotics for kids with my sixth-grader! Read on to see what’s in the Bitsbox Robo Boogie box and how we used it to code a robot video game!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

See how we used our Bitsbox subscription box to cover introductory robotics for kids! My middle schooler loved it!

Bitsbox Robo Boogie Subscription Box

Last month, we got the introductory Bitsbox basic subscription box: Animal House. So this month we were on the next box with the theme: Robo Boogie! As you might guess, it’s all about having fun with robotics!

Bitsbox Subscription Box Review - Look! We're Learning!

One of the best things about a Bitsbox subscription is that it starts being fun as soon as you pop open the box. There’s absolutely no drudgery about learning to code with these kits.

Bitsbox Subscription Box Unboxing - Look! We're Learning!

The Robo Boogie box included a new set of app supercards, a miniature app trading card pack, a set of temporary robot tattoos, a super nifty deluxe binder for storing all of our cards, and a fun Cubebot toy. (As a mom nerd, I was most psyched about the binder. I am not ashamed of this.)

Bitsbox Robo Boogie Supercards - Look! We're Learning!

Each supercard contains a fun robot-themed app that kids can code using the code on the back. There are also cards with tips and tricks for making each app a bit unique.

Bitsbox Subscription Box Trading Cards - Look! We're Learning!

The trading cards are tiny little app instructions for mini coding sessions.

Bitsbox Cubebot Toy - Look! We're Learning!

And the Cubebot was a fun “extra” in the kit. It’s actually a really neat toy. It comes as a perfect cube. But if you move the pieces around, you get a robot! The challenge is getting him back into a perfect cube again. It’s hard!

Introductory Robotics for Kids with Bitsbox

Bitsbox Robo Boogie Mini Apps - Look! We're Learning!

After we organized all of the supercards into our brand new binder, Tigger decided to start with the app “Robodog Loves Robocat”. At the risk of sounding condescending, I knew she’d pick that one first. 🙂

Working on Bitsbox Robo Boogie Apps - Look! We're Learning!

So she read the coding instructions, signed in to her Bitsbox account, and got to writing the code. After completing the initial app, she wanted to add a bit of “flair”. So we flipped to another supercard and found a unique fill to add as the background.

Robodog Loves Robocat Bitsbox App - Look! We're Learning!

Ta-da! This is Robodog Loves Robocat with the Future City background. When you click Play, the robot dog chases the robot cat off the screen. Neat!

Keeping Track of Completed Bitsbox Apps - Look! We're Learning!

As you move through a Bitsbox subscription box, you can keep track of the apps you’ve completed with this fun sticker page. One down, eleven to go.

Bitsbox Castle Defender App - Look! We're Learning!

For the next app, Tigger really wanted to code “Castle Defender.” If you look at the top right corner, you’ll see that this app has an icon that shows the needle all the way to the right. That means this is an app with a higher degree of difficulty.

I pointed that out to Tigger, but she would not be swayed. She was determined to code that app. I love it.

Coding the Bitsbox Castle Defender App - Look! We're Learning!

She read the instructions, stopping to test it after each step. According to the instructions, the game includes two characters: a heroic, selfless rock and an evil robot. After double-checking the code and re-reading the instructions, we ended up with a pretty neat robot video game!

As you can hear, even my little ones came in to watch the game being played. They all wanted a chance to try!

The original coding instructions call for the rock to spin at a rate of 15, but when we tried to play it that way, we had a hard time hitting the robot. With a little tweaking (reducing the speed to 5), we got a speed we could manage better.

And that’s one of the biggest parts of engineering: tweaking code to suit your (or your client’s) vision. I love how easily she’s learning these concepts without feeling bored or overwhelmed.

Completed Bitsbox App Tracker - Look! We're Learning!

Boom! Another app successfully coded in this month’s box!

Coding a Robot Video Game with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

Now that Tigger sees what you can code robots to do in an app, we’re going to start researching how robotics engineers use coding to program actual robots to move, speak, and more. This was a wonderful way to start learning about that field!

Introductory Robotics for Kids with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

Our Bitsbox subscription just keeps getting better. We’re looking forward to sharing next month’s box with you!

Be sure to check out the Bitsbox Basic Subscription and sign up! You can choose from one-month, three-month, or twelve-month plans – and they are all amazing! Or if you just want to buy a box outright, you can do that in the One-Time Shop! Great for testing the box to see if your kids love it! (They will.)

PROMO CODE: Save 20% on a new Bitsbox subscription of any length with the special Bitsbox promo code SELENA20! This code does not expire, but it does not apply to purchases from the One-Time Shop or to subscription renewals. New subscriptions only. All subscriptions renew automatically on the first of the month, unless canceled.

For more information about Bitsbox subscription offers and boxes, sign up for the Bitsbox mailing list! And get special tips for teaching with Bitsbox when you sign up for the teachers’ mailing list! Plus, keep up with Bitsbox online at:

  • Facebook
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  • Instagram

Want more details about Bitsbox? Check out our review of the first subscription box!

Stumped by how to teach computer coding? Make basic coding for kids easy and fun with Bitsbox!

Plus, learn more about teaching STEM to kids on my STEM for Homeschoolers Pinterest board!

Filed Under: Curriculum Reviews, STEM for Homeschoolers Tagged With: bitsbox, bitsbox review, introductory robotics for kids, middle school stem projects, robotics for kids, stem, stem for homeschoolers, stem for middle schoolers

Basic Coding for Kids with Bitsbox!

December 9, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My sixth-grader is a bit…shall we say, math-averse? She can do the work, but she really, really, really doesn’t like it. Teaching her math can be frustrating for both of us. And, since she has ADHD, keeping her attentive during lessons is a challenge all its own.

But, in today’s society, learning a STEM skill, such as computer coding, is critical to understanding the modern world and developing a stable career. There’s just no way around it.

Naturally, I want my daughter to feel comfortable pursuing a career in any sector she wants. But I was at a loss as to how to get her excited about STEM learning. Which is why I was so glad to be selected to try the Bitsbox monthly subscription box!

Read on to see how we’ve been using Bitsbox to teach basic coding for kids in a super fun way! Plus, learn how to save 20 percent on your first month’s subscription!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Stumped by how to teach computer coding? Make basic coding for kids easy and fun with Bitsbox!

Why Teaching Basic Coding for Kids Can Be Tough

I think that I might be a member of the last generation born before the widespread use of the Internet. I vividly remember the day we got our first modem. It was a huge event.

I’m mentioning that because writing computer coding is just not something I learned as a child. It wasn’t until after I became an adult and got started as a web content writer that I discovered how webpages are made. It was fascinating, but the learning curve was steep.

I knew that I wanted my kids, especially my daughters, to learn coding at an early age. But let’s face it: writing computer code is NOT the most glamorous thing in the world. And since my oldest daughter has ADHD, I was concerned that the required attention to detail would make it almost impossible for her.

Thanks to Bitsbox, though, I don’t have to even wonder how to make coding interesting. It’s all been done for me! This is the very first time my daughter said “That was fun. I want to learn more.” about anything involving a STEM-related skill. Which is a huge win for us.

How Bitsbox Makes Basic Coding for Kids a Snap

So what’s so special about Bitsbox? For one thing, the site is set up specifically for kids, so as a parent there’s very little direct instruction you’ll have to do. While I love teaching my children, by middle school I want them to develop some kind of independence and using Bitsbox really reinforced that with my daughter.

When you visit the site, you have the option to subscribe to the monthly box program or make a one-time purchase of a specific kit. Once you make your selection of either the Basic Bitsbox or the Deluxe Bitsbox, you just wait to receive your box in the mail. The first box is animal-themed, which was a perfect fit for our daughter, who loves all things animal.

Bitsbox Kit Unboxing - Look! We're Learning!

Look at all these goodies!

What's in a Bitsbox basic coding for kids kit? - Look! We're Learning!

Our Bitsbox, which is the most like the Deluxe Bitsbox, featured a slew of animal-themed apps written as code language on individual “Super Cards”. There were also stickers, temporary tattoos, miniature cards (for bite-sized coding), an envelope holder for our cards, and a VIP button.

Bitsbox Animal House Safari Origami Kit - Look! We're Learning!

Plus, we got a mystery toy – a Safari Origami set!

Bitsbox Coding Cards for Kids - Look! We're Learning!

Each card gives a four-digit code that allows users to begin working on an app of their own. Once a student enters the code, he or she can write code in basic HTML that creates and animates an app on a virtual tablet that appears on the screen.

Using Bitsbox to introduce basic coding for kids - Look! We're Learning!

The cards progress from very, very easy to a bit more complex. The first app my daughter tried was called “Food Fight”, which walks you through coding that changes the background color of the tablet screen, places a piece of pie in the center, and then makes it explode. Fun, right?

But what caught my eye right away were the additional questions included in each Bitsbox app’s instructions. How can you change the background to a different color? Can you make an icon dance instead of explode?

Those are great, because they encouraged my daughter to look at coding as instructions that tell a webpage, program, or document what to do. Rather than just copying down the coding on the card, she started to think about what the instructions were actually implementing. That’s how you encourage kids to become engineers – by developing critical thinking.

Introducing coordinate geometry with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

After a few of the other basic apps, she wanted to move on to one of the more complex appls – Run Dodo Run. The coding actually lets kids make their (basic) computer game!

The instructions include a primer on working with coordinate geometry – something we’ll actually be talking about in math this year. So I copied the coordinates on the board and had her find a few ordered pairs.

Coding a first computer game with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

As she learned, the numbers in the coding can mean anything from the places on the screen you want icons to appear to how fast you want objects to move or how high you want them to stand.

When she first entered the coding, the game wouldn’t work. And guess what? I refused to help her find the mistake. After a few minutes, she called out “I found it!”, corrected it, and voila! Her game worked just fine.

Coding a computer game with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

This is a child who can get so frustrated with a mistake in a math problem that she wants to quit. But she wanted to see her Bitsbox app work, so she stuck with it. The fact that the program encouraged her to see her project through was one of the biggest benefits I saw from using the box. And this was on the very first day.

http://vid1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag98/lookwerelearning/MVI_7789_zpsvdxj82pn.mp4

Take a look at how her coded game works in the video above!

Teaching basic coding for kids with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

She had such fun with this program that she wants to work with it everyday. I see a future coder in our family!

If you’re ready to get your kids excited about computer coding, I cannot recommend Bitsbox enough. It’s worth a try to see how much it helps your children learn just how awesome writing code can be!

And now for the really awesome news: You can score a 20 percent discount on your first month’s subscription to Bitsbox! Just use the unique promo code SELENA20 at checkout and – boom! – 20 percent comes off the price of your first box! And you can use it on a one-month, three-month, or twelve-month subscription. So there’s no length requirement to get your discount!

Just a note: You can use this 20 percent off code on any Bitsbox subscription, but it is not valid for purchases from the one-time product shop or for subscription renewals. All subscriptions renew automatically on the first of each month, so if you want to cancel, you’ll have to contact the company before then. But I really don’t think you’ll want to cancel. 🙂

How to teach basic coding for kids with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

To learn more about Bitsbox, subscribe to the company’s mailing list for news about products or sign up for the special mailing list for educators to get tips for how to use Bitsbox for your kids!

Plus, you can keep up with Bitsbox on social media using the following networks:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Don’t forget to use the special promo code SELENA20 to save 20 percent off your first month’s subscription! And when you sign up and receive your first box, be sure to let me know how you and your children like it!

Get more tips for teaching STEM to your kids with my STEM for Homeschoolers board on Pinterest!

Filed Under: Curriculum Reviews, STEM for Homeschoolers Tagged With: basic coding for kids, bitsbox, bitsbox review, coding, coding for kids, teaching kids to code

Hi! I'm Selena, a veteran teacher and homeschool mom to four. I'm so glad you're here!
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