Thames & Kosmos Coding & Robotics

Suggested Age: 4-8 Years
CPSC Choking Hazard Warnings: Choking_hazard_small_parts
Educational Focus: Coding
• Early STEM learning: an introduction to the fundamentals of coding and robotics for grades K-2
• Unplugged: no software, apps, or smart devices required!
• Clear explanations: the 64-page, full-color experiment manual guides kids through the coding lessons and model building exercises.
• Story-based: six different storylines are included, each with a series of model-building and coding lessons, like a mouse moving through a maze to find cheese or a soccer player moving a ball into the goal!
• Correlated curriculum: The 30 coding lessons are aligned with the teaching standards developed by the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE), and Code.org.
Meet Sammy. This cute little peanut butter and jelly sandwich is actually a robot that teaches coding principles and skills to children in grades K-2. You don't need a tablet, smartphone, or computer to program this robot; programs are created by simply laying down a sequence of physical code cards. As the robot drives over the code cards, an OID optical scanner on the bottom of the robot reads the code cards one by one and loads the program. Next, place the robot on a grid made of map cards, and the robot runs the program. You can program the robot to move in different directions, activate its output gear, light up its LED, play sounds, and respond to different function cards. The integrated output gear makes it possible to build simple robotic creations with arms or other moving parts that respond according to the program's instructions.