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Mit dem neuen LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0 wird Sachunterricht in der Grundschule lebendig

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Heute wird auf der Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in den USA eine weltweite Innovation vorgestellt:

LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0, ein kabelloses, roboterbasiertes Lernsystem, mit dem schon Grundschüler projektorientierte Problemlösung und Grundzüge des Programmierens erlernen.


Anfassen, ausprobieren, umsetzen – das neue Lernkonzept WeDo 2.0 ermöglicht eine immense Vielfalt bei der Gestaltung eines lebendigen, handlungs- und forschungsorientierten Sachunterrichts in der Grundschule. Unter Einsatz der vielseitigen LEGO Bauelemente, der Software und der Unterrichtsmaterialien arbeiten Lehrerinnen und Lehrer mit ihrer Klasse an wissenschaftlichen Projekten mit lebensechtem Anwendungsbezug und schaffen so ein solides Grundverständnis für alltägliche Phänomene. Schülerinnen und Schüler erlernen durch das Anfassen und Ausprobieren technische, physikalische und biologische Grundlagen sowie die elementare Logik des Programmierens. Sie werden animiert, Probleme zu erkennen und kreative Lösungsansätze zu entwickeln. Die Kompetenzbeschreibungen basieren auf dem aktuellen Perspektivrahmen Sachunterricht. Die Unterrichtsmaterialien von WeDo 2.0 behandeln zentrale Themen des Sachunterrichts und orientieren sich an den aktuellen Lehrplänen der Jahrgangsstufen 2 bis 4 und sind ebenfalls für LehrplanPLUS geeignet.

Im Rahmen der verschiedenen Projekte beschäftigen sich Schülerinnen und Schüler intensiv mit Problemen und Fragen der Wissenschaft, Konstruktion, Technologie und Programmierung und entwickeln dabei Freude am Experimentieren und Untersuchen. Lehrkräfte werden durch Fortbildungen, Unterrichtsmaterialien und integrierte Leistungsbewertungen unterstützt. So ergibt sich ein Unterrichtsmittel, welches Schülerinnen und Schülern dabei hilft, kritisch zu denken und problemlösungsorientiert zu agieren sowie im Kontext zu handeln und zu urteilen. Nebenbei werden die Kommunikation und die Präsentationsfähigkeit gestärkt und die Entwicklung eigener Lernstrategien wird angestoßen. Neben dem Erkenntnisgewinn stehen auch Partner- und Gruppenarbeit im Fokus.

Die dazu gehörenden Unterrichtsmaterialien behandeln wesentliche Themen des Sachunterrichts und orientieren sich am aktuellen Lehrplan der 2. bis 4. Jahrgangsstufe mit 17 Projekten und Stoff für mehr als 40 Unterrichtseinheiten. Schülerinnen und Schüler beschäftigen sich mit wissenschaftlichen Verfahren und technischen Denkweisen, indem sie verschiedene Herangehensweisen und Entwürfe testen. Im „Transport“-Projekt sollen sie beispielsweise ein Gerät entwerfen, das die Auswirkungen eines heftigen Unwetters für Menschen, Tiere und Umwelt einer betroffenen Gegend abmildert. Schülerinnen und Schüler können Lösungen für eigene sowie vorgegebene Fragestellungen entwerfen. Dabei gewinnen sie einerseits Einblicke in die Vielschichtigkeit von Problemen und Systemen, andererseits erkennen sie, dass es bei Problemen unterschiedliche Lösungswege und -verfahren oder auch Antworten geben kann. Das unterstützt die Entwicklung ihrer Kreativität und die Fähigkeit, schwierige Probleme und Aufgabenstellungen eigenständig zu lösen. Zudem können Lehrkräfte mit Hilfe des Materials ihren Unterricht differenzieren und an die unterschiedlichen Lernvoraussetzungen ihrer Schülerinnen und Schüler anpassen.

„Aus unserer Erfahrung suchen Grundschullehrkräfte Lernmaterial, das eine zeitgemäße naturwissenschaftlich-technische Bildung ermöglicht, das auf die Lehrplaninhalte abgestimmt ist und im Unterricht funktioniert. WeDo 2.0 erfüllt diese Voraussetzungen. Obendrein vermittelt es Kindern auf spielerische Weise die Grundzüge des Programmierens und entfacht dabei eine enorme Motivation für das Lernen, Forschen und Entdecken“, kommentiert Prof. Dr. Daniela Schmeinck von der Universität Köln.

Jedes der neuen WeDo 2.0 Sets besteht aus einem LEGO Education Baukasten mit 280 Teilen und Software für iPad, Android, PC und Mac. Die Software wird direkt mit dem Bausatz geliefert und beinhaltet bereits ein Einführungsprojekt. Dieses erklärt Schritt für Schritt die Hard- und Software und zeigt anschaulich deren Einsatz im Unterricht. Die Software mit grafischem Drag&Drop-Interface stellt eine einfache und intuitive Programmierumgebung zur Verfügung, mit der Schüler ab 7 Jahren ihre LEGO Modelle zum Leben erwecken. Sie beinhaltet auch ein Dokumentationswerkzeug, mit dem Schülerinnen und Schüler ihren Problemlösungsprozess erfassen können, und das Lehrkräften eine Möglichkeit zur Leistungsbeurteilung gibt.

Die neue kabellose Plattform beinhaltet zudem ein Bluetooth-Niedrigenergie-Smarthub-Element – einen elektronischen Baustein, der Teil der LEGO Education-Technologieplattform LEGO Power Functions (LPF) ist, einen Motor, einen Neigungs- sowie einen Bewegungssensor.

Eine Scratch-Schnittstelle für WeDo 2.0 (sowohl webbasiert als auch stand alone) für Macs wird im Februar 2016 und für Windows ab Juni 2016 verfügbar sein. Chromebooks werden ab der zweiten Hälfte 2016 unterstützt. Informationen, wie Lehrer LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 in der Schule einsetzen können, finden Sie unter www.LEGOeducation.de.

LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 wird zur unverbindlichen Preisempfehlung von 154,69 € in den nächsten Tagen auf www.LEGOeducation.de/shop erhältlich sein. Die umfassenden LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 Unterrichtsmaterialien kosten 297,49 €. Ein Klassensatz für 24 Schüler kostet beispielsweise 2.106,29 € brutto.

In Deutschland wird das innovative System in Form eines lebendigen Klassenzimmers erstmals von 16.02.2015 bis 20.02.2015 auf der didacta in Köln am Stand C39 in Halle 6 präsentiert!

 

Über LEGO® Education

Seit über 30 Jahren arbeitet LEGO® Education mit Lehrern und Bildungsspezialisten zusammen, um Lernkonzepte und Unterrichtsmaterialien zu entwickeln, die den Schulstoff lebendig werden lassen und Freude am Lernen vermitteln. Das Angebot von LEGO® Education unterstützt Lehrkräfte im kompetenzorientierten Unterricht in Geistes- und Naturwissenschaften, Technik, Informatik und Mathematik und fördert bei jungen Lernenden das Erlangen von Team-, Kommunikations- und Problemlösungsfähigkeiten. Diese sollen Kinder letztlich dazu befähigen, den sich wandelnden Anforderungen ihrer Lebenswelt gewachsen zu sein und aktiv ihre eigene Zukunft zu gestalten. LEGO® Education hat seinen Sitz in Billund, Dänemark und Büros auf der ganzen Welt. Mehr als 200 Mitarbeiter teilen die Vision, alle Schülerinnen und Schüler für lebenslanges Lernen zu begeistern. Mehr unter www.LEGOeducation.de

PHIRO: A LEGO® compatible robot for all kids. Learn to Code in 5 ways.

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Cambridge, MA, November 2nd, 2015- Robotics Education Startup Robotix USA, LLC, lead by two sisters, Deepti Suchindran and Aditi Prasad, with a mission to inspire the innovators of tomorrow, announced today it is raising funds via a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to develop coding toys for kids, that makes learning to code fun and easy. The company set out to raise funds on Kickstarter to produce the first batch of their innovative robots, Phiro, that is going to change the educational robotics market. (Phiro on Kickstarter is selected as a Kickstarter ‘Staff Pick’. Link to Kickstarter http://kck.st/1SjqW7H)

Robotix has many years of experience teaching coding and robotics to several K-12 schools. They have evaluated educational robots from all over the world and found gaps. The robots are usually expensive, use proprietary programming languages and are not so fun for kids. Robotix has created Phiro, an affordable robotics & coding toy that helps kids learn to code and develop computational thinking skills. Kids can learn to code in 5 ways, either without a computer or with open-source programming languages that millions of kids use and love. Phiro is a LEGO® compatible robotics toy that kids can play, code & innovate with to develop 21st century skills.

“In today’s technology-driven and rapidly changing world, being computational thinkers to solve problems is an essential skill for children to learn. Computational thinking is a critical 21st century skill that is relevant to all fields from economics, sports, medicine, law, and engineering. Research shows that one of the most effective ways for kids, as young as 4, to learn computational thinking is through coding and robotics”- said Deepti Suchindran, PhD, CEO, Robotix USA.

“With Phiro children get to see the practical application of programmes they have created instantaneously”- said Dr. Wolfgang Slany, Professor of Computer Science & Head of the Institute for Software Technology, Graz University of Technology, Austria.

With Phiro, kids can play music, make a movie, create games, flash lights, detect faces and much more. Coding and playing with Phiro empowers and inspires kids to be creators and innovators of tomorrow.  Robotix has created two robots: Phiro Unplugged & Phiro Pro. Both robots come fully assembled and are ready to learn from & play with, right out of the box.

Phiro Unplugged for kids ages 4 to 8. Kids can learn to code & program the robot without a computer! Phiro Unplugged is a great robotic tool to learn Sequential programming and Binary Coding.

Phiro Pro for young people ages 9 to 18. Kids can program Phiro Pro with a computer, tablet or smartphone connected wirelessly via Bluetooth to Scratch 2.0 (MIT, USA), Snap4Arduino (UC Berkeley/Citilab, Spain), Pocket Code mobile apps (Graz University of Technology, Austria). Learners can connect to a community on-line enabling collaboration, sharing & learning. Phiro Pro also has all the capabilities of Phiro Unplugged.

“In one package Phiro does what a whole lot of other systems do individually so it really helps to bring all those together … and make it more cost effective for the classroom”- said Daniel Riles, Technology Integration Specialist, Brookwood School, Boston, USA.

Robotix has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to manufacture the robots for the global market, which will be ready for Kickstarter supporters in the 2nd quarter of 2016 with special Kickstarter launch prices at $99 (Phiro Unplugged) and $149 (Phiro Pro) during the campaign. Crowdfunding and detailed features of Phiro Unplugged and Phiro Pro can be found here:  www.robotixedu.com and on our Twitter at twitter.com/RobotixLS and Facebook at facebook.com/robotixedu

Personal Intelligent Robots with Android Phone and LEGO

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ELFi Robotics startup by Google Science Fair finalist Mark Drobnych is now on Kickstarter

 

28 of October 2015 – New startup ELFi Robotics based in Ukraine announced today that it is raising funds via  rewards crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to finish the development of their revolutionary Android apps for robotic applications. The company set out to raise £33,000 on KickStarter to finish development of innovative software platform for DIY smart robots built with wide-accessible construction sets of Lego, Tetrix, Arduino and Raspberry Pi .

ELFi Robotics offers a Minimal Viable Product – Robotic Platform for learning and building intelligent robots. This platform comprises of: Brain App for Android (iOS soon), Robots, Platform Tools, RoboMarket, Training program.

ELFi Brain App is a robotic brain which can be installed on Android device and connected to LEGO EV3, Arduino or Raspberry Pi controllers. So any LEGO Robot can receive its missed brain from now on!

ELFi Educational Program covers both hardware and software aspects required to understand basics of robotics. Both aspects start from very simple patterns and don’t assume any previous experience in robotics. ELFi Robotics WorkBook and Building Instructions Book by Mark allow a quick start for any beginner.

The powerful concept of RoboMarket and “Robotics for programmers”  book allows third-party developers to write applications for ELFi Robots and even sell them.

According to Mark Drobnych, 15 years old CEO of ELFi robotics: “Our main target is to provide robots to everybody. Nowadays, real robots are really expensive and rare. I think it’s time to enter  the new era of technologies. Build your own robot, with own design, and own set of functions! Our Brain app and platform are flexible enough to support new robotics ventures.”

The story begun two years ago when 13-years old Mark Drobnych worked on his personal scientific research: School Presentation of  Microscope. The results of this work were presented at the Final of Google Science Fair 2014 in Mountain View, California. As functions of microscope started being more complex Mark had an idea to create an universal Robotic Brain on top of Android operating system. This Brain had to create human-friendly spoken interface not only for his Presentation of Microscope but for ANY ROBOTIC BODY built with Lego, Arduino, Tetrix or Raspberry Pi parts. It was ELFi birth.

To enforce his progress on software part Mark involved his dad, Oleksiy Drobnych, PhD, into the project as an experienced software engineer.

In the UK Mark is represented by Androcommerce Ltd., registered in England family firm focusing on mobile e-commerce offering.

Fort Lauderdale team wins XPRIZE and Google’s STEM-based competition for kids, “MOONBOTS”

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Twin Girls, 9, Will Travel to Japan to Meet Google Lunar XPRIZE Teams

LOS ANGELES (September 24, 2015) – XPRIZE, the global leader in incentivized prize competitions, and Google today announced Linked Lunas, 9-year-old twin girls from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a grand prize winner in the 2015 MOONBOTS Challenge, also considered the “Google Lunar XPRIZE for Kids.” MOONBOTS is an international competition that encourages the next generation of space explorers and innovators by inviting kids ages 8-17 to design, create and program their own lunar rover, based on a legend or theory that inspires them about the moon.

Linked Lunas is comprised of twin sisters Hadley and Delaney Robertson and their team captain and mom, Shannon Robertson. The team bested 235 teams from 29 countries that entered competition in April. Next month, they will embark upon a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan to meet the official teams competing for a $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE, a global competition to land a privately funded robot on the moon.

Their entry was based on a historical tale and scientific theory that hits close to home for them – that the earth once had “twin” moons that collided and merged into one. The sisters used this tale as inspiration to build and program a one-of-a-kind simulated lunar mission using the MECCANO Meccanoid G15 KS robotic platform and demonstrated its capabilities during a live webcast with the judges.

“Team Linked Lunas showed ingenuity and innovation in their robotic building and programming, and were creative and imaginative in the way they interpreted their moon ‘tale,’” said Chanda Gonzales, senior director, Google Lunar XPRIZE. “Hadley and Delaney were incredibly engaging, and their mission will provide inspiration for kids all over the world.”

In addition to developing their lunar rover, the sisters contributed to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by sharing their innovation with children at the School is Cool initiative – a partnership between the Community Foundation of Broward and the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery & Science to provide underserved and at risk 6th and 7th grade Broward county students with a comprehensive after school program.

The kids’ competition attracted 235 teams from 29 countries, who entered phase one by submitting a written or video entry about what inspires them about the moon. Teams are comprised of 2-4 members (ages 8-17) and one team captain at least 18 years old. A panel of judges selected 30 teams to qualify for phase two, each of which was provided one of three platform systems (LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, VEX IQ, MECCANO Meccanoid G15 KS) to build and program a unique simulated robotic mission based on the moon tale they submitted in phase one. In addition, they were asked to contribute to STEM education by sharing their innovation with children and adults in their community.

Along with Team Linked Lunas, other grand prize winners are: Mecaliks of Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico; Team GalacTECHs of Tustin, Calif.; and Moonshot of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Naples, Italy.

Since 2010, MOONBOTS has challenged thousands of young people from around the world. In addition to XPRIZE and Google, competition partners include FIRST® LEGO® League, Cogmation Robotics, VEX Robotics Inc., Spin-Master Ltd., the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (RECF), GeekDad, GeekMom, Robomatter Incorporated and Dexter Industries. More information, including the full list of finalists, can be found at moonbots.org.

 

About the Google Lunar XPRIZE 

The $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE is an unprecedented competition to challenge and inspire engineers and entrepreneurs from around the world to develop low-cost methods of robotic space exploration. To win the Google Lunar XPRIZE, a privately funded team must successfully place a robot on the moon’s surface that explores at least 500 meters and transmits high-definition video and images back to Earth. For more information, visit lunar.xprize.org/.

 

About XPRIZE 
Founded in 1995, XPRIZE is the leading organization solving the world’s Grand Challenges by creating and managing large-scale, high-profile, incentivized prizes in five areas: Learning; Exploration; Energy & Environment; Global Development; and Life Sciences.  Active prizes include the $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE, the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE, $10M Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, and the $7M Adult Literacy XPRIZE. For more information, visit xprize.org.

Team from Brooklyn, New York, and Naples, Italy, wins XPRIZE and Google’s STEM-based competition for kids, “MOONBOTS”

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Two Cousins, Ages 10 and 12, Will Travel to Japan to Meet Google Lunar XPRIZE Teams

LOS ANGELES (September 24, 2015) – XPRIZE, the global leader in incentivized prize competitions, and Google today announced Moonshot, cousins ages 10 and 12 from Brooklyn, New York, and Naples, Italy, is a grand prize winner in the 2015 MOONBOTS Challenge, also considered the “Google Lunar XPRIZE for Kids.” MOONBOTS is an international competition that encourages the next generation of space explorers and innovators by inviting kids ages 8-17 to design, create and program their own lunar rover, based on a legend or theory that inspires them about the moon.

Moonshot virtual team members Dario Cipani, 12, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y with his mom and team captain Sara Cipani; and Sasha Cipani, 10, who lives in Naples, Italy; didn’t let distance and time zones get in the way of their shared love of the moon. They worked together online from their respective countries to build and program a one-of-a-kind simulated lunar mission using the LEGO MINDSTORMS robotic platform. Their inspiration was Luna, Dario’s sister and Sasha’s cousin, and the idea that the moon we all share can bring people together — just as it brought their family together.

Next month, they cousins will take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan together to meet the official teams competing for a $30 million dollar Google Lunar XPRIZE, a global competition to land a privately funded robot on the moon.

“Team Moonshot showed ingenuity and innovation in their robotic building and programming, and were creative and imaginative in the way they interpreted their moon ‘tale,’” said Chanda Gonzales, senior director, Google Lunar XPRIZE. “Dario and Sasha were incredibly engaging, and their mission will provide inspiration for kids all over the world.”

In addition to developing their lunar rover, the cousins contributed to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by sharing their innovation with underprivileged children through Associazione Quartieri Spagnoli Onlus – a nonprofit organization in Italy.

The kids’ competition attracted 235 teams from 29 countries, who entered phase one by submitting a written or video entry about what inspires them about the moon. Teams are comprised of 2-4 members (ages 8-17) and one team captain at least 18 years old. A panel of judges selected 30 teams to qualify for phase two, each of which was provided one of three platform systems (LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, VEX IQ, MECCANO Meccanoid G15 KS) to build and program a unique simulated robotic mission based on the moon tale they submitted in phase one. In addition, they were asked to contribute to STEM education by sharing their innovation with children and adults in their community.

Along with Moonshot, other grand prize winners are: Mecaliks of Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico; Team GalacTECHs of Tustin, Calif.; and Linked Lunas of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Since 2010, MOONBOTS has challenged thousands of young people from around the world. In addition to XPRIZE and Google, competition partners include FIRST® LEGO® League, Cogmation Robotics, VEX Robotics Inc., Spin-Master Ltd., the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (RECF), GeekDad, GeekMom, Robomatter Incorporated and Dexter Industries. More information, including the full list of finalists, can be found at moonbots.org.

 

About the Google Lunar XPRIZE 

The $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE is an unprecedented competition to challenge and inspire engineers and entrepreneurs from around the world to develop low-cost methods of robotic space exploration. To win the Google Lunar XPRIZE, a privately funded team must successfully place a robot on the moon’s surface that explores at least 500 meters and transmits high-definition video and images back to Earth. For more information, visit lunar.xprize.org/.

 

About XPRIZE 
Founded in 1995, XPRIZE is the leading organization solving the world’s Grand Challenges by creating and managing large-scale, high-profile, incentivized prizes in five areas: Learning; Exploration; Energy & Environment; Global Development; and Life Sciences.  Active prizes include the $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE, the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE, $10M Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, and the $7M Adult Literacy XPRIZE. For more information, visit xprize.org.

Dexter Industries Launches First Ever Robot Subscription Service!

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GoBox is a GoPiGo Raspberry Pi robot with a new Mission and a new sensor delivered to your door every month, starting this Holiday 2015 season.

Washington, D.C. September 1, 2015 – Dexter Industries, an educational robotics company, today launched GoBox, their fourth Kickstarter project. GoBox is a monthly subscription of robot Missions that are designed for a child (ages 7 and up) to do with the help of an adult. The intent of GoBox is to make learning computer programming and technology accessible to everyone. It doesn’t require any prior knowledge of robotics, and takes you step-by-step through building your own robot and learning how to program it to do all kinds of cool things!

The first month’s GoBox Mission comes with a complete robot kit, the GoPiGo, for you to build and start learning how to program. The GoPiGo is based on the Raspberry Pi, a $35 single board computer developed by a UK foundation designed to teach young people how to program. Each month, subscribers will get a new sensor to attach to your GoPiGo robot, along with a Mission complete with beautiful illustrations and links to helpful videos.

This past Father’s Day, ten parent-child teams gathered at NOVA LABS, a community Makerspace in Reston, VA, to try GoBox for themselves. Parents of all skill levels worked side-by-side with their child to build their GoPiGo robot car, and decorate and program it to look and act like an animal of their choice. Within a few hours, there were cheetahs, bats, moths, and spiders crawling around the floor of the lab!

“I’ve really never done anything like this before with my son, and it was so easy and fun – I couldn’t believe it!” said participant Lily Griffin, mother of 12-year old Ryan.

Dave Bock, a software developer, came to get one of his triplets more interested in technology. “It was fun to see the creative side come out, along with learning technical concepts about motors and programming.”

Key Features of GoBox:
* No prior experience or knowledge required – beginners welcome!
* Monthly Missions that slowly build on each other and keep you engaged – the key to success!
* Missions use Scratch, an easy-to-use drag/drop language developed by MIT.


About Dexter Industries
Dexter Industries, a growing educational robotics company, was founded in 2010 by John Cole to develop products that make open source robotics technology more accessible to everyone.

GoBox Kickstarter link: www.DexterGoBox.com

More information on the GoPiGo Raspberry Pi robot car: http://www.dexterindustries.com/GoPiGo

“Matrix have a Formula for success with latest Kickstarter”

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West Yorkshire technology firm, Matrix Technology Solutions are poised to launch their first ever Kickstarter campaign with a state of the art robot buggy and robotics course they are hoping to launch early next year.

Formula AllCode as it is known, is a robotics course which includes a high spec, Bluetooth enabled robot compatible with Android, iOS, Windows and Raspberry Pi devices.

The project consists of:

  • The Formula AllCode robot itself
  • A FREE PDF course in robotics
  • Accessories used to learn including graphical mat and maze walls

Find out more here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/11644483/486244280?token=3567a2f2

Kickstarter is an online crowd funding website full of projects, big and small, that are brought to life through people’s direct support. Since launch in 2009, 9.1 million people have pledged more than $1.8 billion, funding 89,000 creative projects.

You can get behind the Formula AllCode Kickstarter and pledge your support when the project launches in early August. Keep an eye out at www.matrixtsl.com for more details.

Short News: VEX IQ User Guide, Build Instructions & Build Tips Poster

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This might be interesting especially for all the teachers here: Now you are able to buy additional copies of Building Instructions and User Guides–> for a really good price. No more need to use the copier before class!

http://www.vexrobotics.com/…/…/vex-iq-printed-materials.html

MakerBloks Launches Four New Games, Including iOS App

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MONTREAL, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Today, MakerBloks introduces four new games, including a new iOS tablet app, to empower the next generation of makers and inspire STEM education. With MakerBloks, more than 40 million children across North America can now create, build and design real electronic circuits, without any prior technical knowledge.

MakerBloks Logo / MakerBloks Launches Four New Games, Including iOS App (PRNewsFoto/MakerBloks)

MakerBloks are reactive color-coded, magnetic blocks that guide children through the basics of electronic circuits in a simple, fun and immersive way. To keep kids engaged, MakerBloks is introducing four games to pre-order on Kickstarter, including:

  • Light and Sound Intro Kit – featuring the basics to building circuits
  • Music Kit – featuring keyboard, microphone and flute games
  • Spy Kit – featuring voice changing and burglar alarm games
  • MakerBloks World – an interactive tablet game that combines the virtual and physical worlds

MakerBloks World is a state-of-the-art tablet game that combines the virtual and physical worlds. The tablet’s front camera uses unique MakerBloks visual recognition software to read and react when a child assembles the blocks correctly, all in real-time. With MakerBloks World, the child advances through an educational game that uses puzzles, rocket launchers, and imaginative settings such as candy land, water world and outer space, creating a truly immersive way to teach kids how to build and use electronic circuits.

„With over 15 years specializing in designing children’s games and toys, I understand how games should look, function and feel,“ saidFrancois Poirier, CEO and founder of MakerBloks. „I also know how important longevity is. Parents want their kids to use games and toys for as long as possible. The best part about MakerBloks is its ‚hack-ability‘ – the instructions are just the beginning. Teaching kids about science and technology is a great start, but helping them to be more resourceful, more creative and to feel empowered is what MakerBloks is really about.“

Founded in 2014, MakerBloks was inspired while Francois was shopping for a game or toy for a six year old that was fun, easy-to-use and educational. Since everything was either too complex or had no educational component, MakerBloks is designed for children starting at six years old. Each kit features:

  • Colorful blocks that magnetically connect together on all four sides
  • A guide that explains what each block’s electronic symbol means
  • A set of instructions that is optional! Follow the instructions or troubleshoot your way to success!
  • A hacking hint: every game can be assembled multiple ways – the possibilities are only limited by your imagination

MakerBloks is available for pre-order today on Kickstarter, with intro kits starting at $45 and advanced kits, including intro kit and additional blocks, begin at $85. The MakerBloks iOS tablet app will be available for download once the kits begin to ship in Fall 2015.

For more information about MakerBloks, please visit http://makerbloks.com/en

About MakerBloks

Francois Poirier founded MakerBloks in 2014 after he realized that there are no simple ways to teach young children about electronics. Pairing beautiful design with functionality and fun, MakerBloks gives parents the tools to set their child up for successful learning in science, technology, engineering and math. Easily identified and connecting flawlessly every time, MakerBloks start with a battery, but are powered by imagination.