Playing and Learning with Dash & Dot, Robots that Teach Kids How to Code

Wonder Workshop was kind enough to send us complimentary samples of they’re products.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

One thing in life that makes me very, very happy is finding a toy that my kids will absolutely love, but that also has educational value.  I am so excited to share something with you today that my kids (and I) have fallen in love with, courtesy of Wonder Workshop.

Wonder Workshop has created personal robots (yes, robots!) called Dash & Dot, and I am absolutely certain both you and your children will love them.

Dash & Dot aren’t just electric toys that drive around and make noise.  They are smart, they are capable, and they are designed as a development platform to help your kids learn programming and coding skills in a way that is super easy and super fun.  Dash & Dot can sense their environment and can be programmed wirelessly using a touch device like an iPad.  If this sounds a little confusing, I understand.   But believe me, after you watch this video, you will totally get it (and if you’re like me, you’ll be ridiculously excited about it):

See what I mean?  Children ages 5 and up have a terrific opportunity to have fun and learn the basics of coding.  As you saw in the video (and already knew), computer science is a non-negotiable skill for our children.  Most of us didn’t have the opportunity to play with (and program) robots at age 5, but our kids are beginning a lifelong relationship with computers and programming from an early age.  Even for kids who will never go into the computer science field, computer literacy and problem solving skills are critical.  Your future artists, teachers, lawyers, nurses, et al., will find themselves in a world where the skills Dash & Dot can teach them will be undeniably necessary.

Let me share a bit of what Dash & Dot can do.  Dash is an explorer, a mover and shaker.  Dash drives around, senses objects, hears and responds to sounds, and comes to life with sound, lights, and head motion.  Dot is an instigator.  Dot responds to how it is moved, sends signals for Dash to see where it is, hears and responds to sounds, and transforms with sounds, lights, and imagination.  When put together, that means a world of fun and learning.

There are several apps already available for kids to learn with Dash & Dot.  At my house, we are loving the Xylo app.

Dash has an actual xylophone accessory!  Unlike other toys, your child won’t be the one playing the instrument; instead, he or she will use the app to compose songs and program Dash to move around while playing the music.  Here’s a sneak peek of the Xylo app interface:  it’s easy for your kids to coordinate movement with music.

How cool is that?  So cool.  Not only can your children write their own songs, they can program a robot to turn the composition into a live show.  This app teaches sequencing and loops.

We’ve also been playing with the Bunny Ears accessory for Dot.  (They work for both Dot and Dash, and give either robot a cute new look).

Our other favorite app is Blockly, which is a visual programming tool that lets kids control both Dash & Dot, making them move and interact with each other.  The app teaches sequencing, events, conditionals, and loops.  With Blockly, your kids can set up a maze around your entire house, and program Dash to make it all the way through the maze using its sensors and alarms.  You can also use Dot to control Dash (by mimicking movements, for example).

There are other apps for Dash & Dot, like Go (which gets you started exploring their world and getting the robots off and running), and Path (which takes Dash on adventures as your kids draw paths for Dash to travel).  Wonder Workshop even allows others to use its API so older children and developers can create their own apps to offer on Google Play and the Apple App store.  I love how encouraging that is!

Speaking of Wonder Workshop, just in case you’re wondering who they are:  Wonder Workshop was founded in 2012 by veterans from Amazon, Apple, and Google.  Dash & Dot have been used in schools around the country for “Hour of Code”, and were invited to the White House for the launch of the 2014 program.  In other words, Wonder Workshop is as serious about teaching as it is about providing ways for kids to have fun.

If you want to learn more about Dash & Dot or Wonder Workshop, check out MakeWonder.com.  Also, make sure you don’t miss news and announcements by following them on Facebook and Twitter!