Mad Science: Learn to Code: MIT Scratch, Coji, and Lego Boost

Update: We are doing Mad Science Camp at home.  I will post ideas you could use for Science Camp at home.  Is your child interested in learning to code? Start with MIT Scratch.  Paul and I used 20 Games to Create with Scratch to learn how to navigate Scratch.  There is a Scratch coding book available in Kindle Unlimited.  Try your digital library, too.  My digital library has coding books—but, not MIT Scratch online to borrow.

 Buy Coji to try first.  Coji is available for $23 on Amazon right now.  The Coji robot needs an free app downloaded to an iPad which syncs by Bluetooth.  Kids tap on icon codes to program Coji.  This toy is easy to set up for play.  Start with Coji to see if your kid likes coding before you upgrade to Lego Boost.

Full disclosure: my son-in-law, Ken, is a software engineer and Lego fan.  He bought Lego Boost for our grandson, Paul (9) to program.  Ken has brought over many kits for us to explore with Paul, such as Little Bits and Go Pro with Hot Wheels.  I am the designated trouble-shooter.  I approach every new project with a great deal of trepidation.  Paul approaches every new project with enthusiasm.

Lego Boost was not terrible.  Here is the rub; there are few instructions.  Once I opened the kit, there was a plain box and a giant poster with a photo of the blocky object in the plain, white box.  To get started, you need to download the app for Lego Boost and put six AAA batteries inside the white block, the Lego motorized hub.   I loaded the Lego Boost app to my iPad.  (Here is the guide to compatible devices.  In my experience with other devices, iPads are much more compatible than Kindle Fire devices.)   The Lego motorized hub syncs to the iPad by Bluetooth.  So far so good.  Paul and I used the Lego Boost app to build the car in the first bag.  The build was straightforward and classic Lego.  (If you have built Lego kits, you have seen the numbered bags.)  Once we built the car, we added the motor and sensor from an unmarked bag.  Then we programmed the car.  Paul swipes instruction codes for actions.  We have Coji, a coding robot, which has similar coded instructions.  Paul found the coding intuitive.  I would have had to play with the settings for 15 minutes.

This is an expensive toy--$160.  But Paul and Ken love Legos, computers, and programming.  If you are familiar with Lego kits, the build is easy. You may need to fiddle with the app in order to program your new toy.   If your child is a Lego fanatic, he or she would love this toy.