Robby the Drummer Robotics for Kids Review
A robot kit that teaches our kids the behind-the-scenes programming, hardware, and electronics of robotics? Yes, we’re interested! And here’s our Robby the Drummer robotics for kids review.
If you are also a parent who wants to prepare their children for where tech jobs are now, and where they’re going in the future, check out the Robotics for Kids kit and classes.
It’s essential that our kids understand the “how” and “why” under the plastic covering of a toy robot.
However …
Incorporating information technology—programming, electronics, hardware, and the like—can seem daunting to parents who have little or no exposure. I know we want to give our kids the opportunity to learn these concepts at a young age, but where do we start?
I hope you’ll find this robotics for kids review helpful, starting with an introduction:
Vinod Agrawal is the founder of Robotics for Kids. He has a passion for making STEM accessible to kids. Vinod holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering, has developed a math curriculum, and has tutored math for many years. So, he brings his professional training and love of teaching together to help kids truly understand the important basics of coding and robotics.
We were given the opportunity to check out the Robby the Robot kit and classes from Robotics for Kids, and I can confidently say in this Robotics for Kids review that this is an excellent program for children interested in robotics and STEM education.
Prior to the classes, we received a kit with the parts to make the physical robot, a small tool for assembling the robot, and electronic parts, including a microcontroller, servos (motors), lights, wiring, drumsticks, the tambourine/drum, and the list of parts.
As you can see, the components were packaged in sealed (foil) packs, so it is professionally presented in a neat kit box.
What’s different about the Robby kit is that your child gets to see the actual parts that are used to make the robot move. They get to see the “brain” (the microcontroller) and the servos and how it all connects. Many robots come assembled and students program them, which is fine. But it’s a much deeper understanding when they get down to the wiring and electronic components to see how and why a robot moves when it receives commands.
Honestly, this understanding of how a robot works from the “ground up” is essential. Even if our children aren’t going into robotics, having that knowledge will help them as they move into adulthood. We have computers all around us – robotic vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, robotic lawnmowers, and so much more.
So, having this base knowledge of what a microcontroller is, how it is wired, how it links to the servos, and then how it is all programmed—all of this is helpful to our children not only for future careers but for life as a consumer!
Robotics for Kids Review of Online Class
This was our first online class. Our particular class was for kids ages 6 and up. My 8-year-old son and my husband did this class together.
I highly recommend that children aged 6 to 10 have a parent work alongside them, which is also the recommendation on the Robotics for Kids website: “We encourage parents to attend with kids so they too can learn about options to get kids involved with robotics for continued learning.”
A parent will need to download some programs and help with programming, which makes for a great parent-child learning opportunity. This is another reason we’re excited to provide this Robotics for Kids review post, as homeschooling parents will find great opportunities to learn alongside their children. There were many new terms my son and husband both learned, and it was our first time being exposed to the Arduino programming console.
Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. It consists of a programmable microcontroller and a software development environment used for creating and uploading code to the microcontroller.
Once we received the kit, my husband had to download and install Arduino and some programs. The instructor, Vinod Agrawal, did a good job of explaining the code and what was happening. My husband and son worked together on the coding.
This part was a little more challenging for my son, who is 8 years old. But at the same time, he learned a lot of new concepts and terms, including programming console, calibration, and loops. This was all new vocabulary, but it’s what they need to know to get down to building a robot from the “ground up” and making it move and do tasks.
What was especially interesting is that he got to see how LED lights are wired and programmed to go on and off. Think about it … our kids see LED lights at Christmas, on cars, and on home appliances, but do they know how they are wired and programmed to go on and off? With this kit and class, students get to see exactly how the lights are attached to the microcontroller and how the program works to turn the lights on and off when certain conditions are met.
Robby the Drummer Robotics for Kids Review
My son was thrilled to see his robot put together and functioning to play the drums. There were numerous steps he had to take to get there (with my husband’s help), but the process really teaches kids how robots are put together and programmed in the real world.
After your child has finished the course, there are other classes that dive further in-depth if your child is interested in furthering their knowledge and skills. In addition to the live classes, the program also provides access to a comprehensive library of video tutorials and resources.
The classes are held live, which can be a challenge to schedule when juggling evening activities. However, they will soon offer pre-recorded video classes as well, so families can choose to attend video classes on their own schedule and at their own pace. Families that choose the video classes will get the same type of learning content with added flexibility to work on the robot and code on their own time.
At the moment, their website offers a free workshop you can register for, as well as the Robby the Drummer and 3-class bundle, which is what our family got to do in advance of writing this robotics for kids review. They also have a number of additional class bundles, which include four weekly, live, instructor-led classes online. These class bundles move your child further in the realm of coding, writing apps, and even 3D design and printing.
Overall, I highly recommend the Robotics Workshop for Kids program to parents looking for a high-quality, engaging, and fun way to introduce their children to the world of robotics and coding. It is designed to help our children understand, from the ground up, how a robot works and expose them to the vocabulary and concepts at an early age.
Now, when we see robot kits or toys with flashing lights or moving parts, we can talk about how a microcontroller, servos, and a program are all working underneath the exterior covering to make all the movements and noises happen!
In summary, when it comes to our Robotics for Kids review, the program is well-designed, the instructors are knowledgeable and passionate, and the support provided is wonderful. It’s a great investment in your child’s education and future.
Why Does Tech Education Matter? Because it prepares our kids for the challenges of tomorrow and tech skills will become more important as time goes on.
Check out Robotics for Kids for yourself. They have lots of videos and photos on their site, as well as information on their classes.
