Arduino kits are awesome for kids who are looking to learn about electronics and technology. Everything you need to build digital or electronic objects is included in an Arduino kit. This is the era of STEM, and more than ever, teenagers and younger kids need to be well equipped with technological trends to prepare them for their careers. Arduino kits have the perfect combination of electronics and programming, two germane subjects in STEM.
Knowing that Arduino learning can be very broad, getting started with Arduino can be overwhelming for beginners. This article provides a comprehensive guide on getting started with Arduino kits with your kids, as well as simple Arduino projects for kids.
Getting Started with Arduino with Kids
An Arduino is a microcontroller that operates using an open source system. It is divided into software and hardware. This is why it remains very effective for teaching electronics and programming to kids. An Arduino can read information from sensors and control elements like light and motors. At a first glance, when learning how to use an Arduino starter kit, kids will understand the basic elements of programming, as well as the physical components of using an Arduino kit.
Another factor you should consider when getting your kids started with Arduino is the kit type. Arduino kits come in different types and complexities. For beginners and younger kids, the Arduino starter kit is perfect for them to begin with. There are several Arduino starter kits kids can choose from, including the Arduino Uno Ultimate starter kit and Makeblock Mbot Ultimate Robot kit.
- Expert-Designed Courses: Teaming up with Circuit Basics, SunFounder 3-in-1 Starter Kit offers comprehensive videos and online tutorials for well-rounded learning. Suitable for age 8+ beginners.
- Complete Component Kit: Our kit includes high quality sensors, actuators, power supplies, and an Arduino-compatible Uno for diverse projects and skill-building.
- Progressive Learning Journey: With Circuit Basics, the courses cater to your skill level, covering essentials and advancing to complex topics like IoT, robot cars, and sensor integration.
- Entry-level Coding Robot Toy: mBot robot kit is an excellent educational robot toys, designed for learning electronics, robotics and computer programming in a simple and fun way. From Scratch to Arduino, this STEM projects for kids ages 8-12 helps kids to learn programming step by step via interactive software and learning resources
- Easy to Build: With clearly building instructions, this building kit can be easily built within 15 minutes. Kids will learn more about electronics, machinery, and robotics components through building mBot. You can also play this STEM projects for kids ages 8-12 as a remote control car with its multi-functions: line-follow, obstacle-avoidance and so on
- Rich Tutorials for Programming: With Offerring coding cards and lessons, children can easily use all fonctions of mBot and creat projects by themselves. Matched with 3 free Makeblock apps and mBlock software, kids can enjoy remote control, play programming games, and coding with mBot robot kit. Note that the remote controller needs a CR2025 battery(NOT INCLUDED), and the robot kit needs 4 AA batteries (NOT INCLUDED)
Contrary to popular opinion, Arduino kits are simple and easy to use once you get oriented with it. There are easy projects that are suitable for learners with no experience that are also freely available as online resources. The possibilities for learning are endless.
What is Arduino?
An Arduino is an open source platform made up of a microcontroller, also called the physical circuit board, and an Arduino IDE, a software used to write codes on the physical circuit board. At first glance, learning with Arduino kits may look difficult for kids, but really, Arduinos are super easy to learn. Just with the right supervision, kids as young as the age of 7 can easily learn how to program an Arduino.
The open-source electronic platform extends beyond teaching kids how to code. Experienced programmers have also created numerous inventions based on Arduino, and their contributions continue to inspire learners to stay focused!
Benefits of Using Arduino
In addition to its low-cost and simple nature, there are other perks of using Arduino that stand it out from other microcontroller outlets.
- Arduino is super easy-to-learn, flexible, simple, and fun.
- Both the software and hardware use an open source system, which means that users can always expand, modify, and copy project codes and IDEs.
- Unlike most microcontroller platforms, Arduino is not limited to one platform, but is also available across several platforms, including Windows, Linux Operating Systems, and Mac OSX.
What is the Best Age for Kids to Start Learning Arduino?
There are some Arduino kits are super easy to understand and targeted towards younger kids starting at age seven. Generally, most kid-friendly Arduino kits are suitable for kids aged ten years and above.
All About Arduino
Here is everything you need to know about Arduino before purchasing an Arduino kit for teaching your kids and motivating them on learning circuitry and computer programming.
The Code
Arduino has its own coding language, called Arduino. It is written in C++, an advanced text-based programming language. While C++ might not be the best programming language, it is comprehensive and best for kids to be properly grounded in coding from scratch.
Arduino is also compatible with C and Python programming languages.
The Software
Arduino IDE or software is an open source software that makes it easy to write and upload codes to the hardware Arduino board. Arduino IDE/software contains several tools that make writing, modifying, and uploading codes.
You must download the piece of software and run it on your computer.
The Hardware
The hardware part of an Arduino is the physical programmable circuit board, also called a microcontroller. After writing codes on the software, you upload and activate it on the physical board/hardware.
Arduino hardware teaches about electronics, while the software handles the programming aspect.
Simple Projects with Arduino
Arduino projects for kids provide a solid foundation for kids who want to start their careers in STEM. Below are some of the amazing projects you can do with Arduino.
Digital Pet
The Digital Pet project is awesome for kids to learn the basics of electronics and programming. It is a simple, low-budget project that requires a 12C OLED display, Arduino Pro Mini, 150 mAh LiPo Battery, a 10K Resistor, and a mini speaker. It is an easy project to make, but kids, especially younger kids, need to be supervised when fastening the parts.
Kids can have fun with their little digital dinosaur pet game. They can feed it, give it water, and even put it to sleep.
Bluetooth Controlled Toy Car
Car races for kids? Fun! Building your own digital car? Super fun! Using an Arduino kit, kids can learn how to build an electronic toy car and control it with Android Bluetooth. Kids can move the vehicle front and back, left and right. Kids can drive their little car anytime, including at night, thanks to the LED lights.
Blinking LED
The Blinking LED is a popular Arduino project for kids. It is simple to make, and the aim is to create blinking LED lights. The tools needed for this project include an Arduino Uno Kit (most recommended), an LED, a solderless breadboard, and a resistor.
Traffic Lights
The Arduino Traffic Lights project is perfect for introducing kids to the concepts of electronics and programming. It is suitable for beginners, but parents need to supervise their kids closely to ensure the cables are arranged accordingly. With an Arduino kit, 10 LED lights, jumper wires, resistors, switches, and a solderless breadboard, our kids can create amazing traffic lights.
Simple Interactive Robot
Robots are fascinating and kids totally love robots! The Interactive Robot is a simple, educational, and incredible robot. The idea behind it is to give kids a sneak peek into the amazing things they can create with Arduino, robotics, and programming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Arduino kits are absolutely easy and recommended for kids to use. The programming complexities and jargon have been simplified to make it one of the easiest programming kits for kids.
Arduino kits are designed specifically with kids in mind, and they are perfectly suitable for young children. Kids aged 7 years old and above can learn how to use Arduino kits.
Arduino kits come with hardware and software. After assembling the kit, which is the hardware, you write and upload your program (code) to activate your project. Arduino has its own programming language, called Arduino, and it is based on C++, a text-based programming language.
Summary for Beginner Guide to Arduino for Kids
Arduino operates on written programming, and the focus is on the hardware. If you want your kids to learn circuitry and programming, Arduino is a great first kit that they'll have immense fun learning.
More Inspiration on Arduinos for Kids
- Overview of Arduino Kits for Kids – Ultimate Guide for Parents and Teachers
- Choosing Arduino Kits for Kids
- Getting Started Guide for Arduino for Kids and Students – What You Need to Know
- Comparing Arduino Kits and Raspberry Pi for Kids
- Beginner Arduino Projects for Kids - Simple and Easy
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