<h1>Robotics
for Kids</h1>
Robots
and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly, ice cream and cake, shoes
and socks resistors and capacitors. Today there are many low-cost construction
kits — and many popular movies that glamorize automatons. Today more and more
children are exploring the exciting world of robots.
<h2>Robotic toys educational value</h2>
Kids
excitement about robotics is not a bad thing. Robotics and education go hand in
hand. There are multiple disciplines
involved, including software programming, mechanical engineering, electronics, and
potentially human psychology. For each child there is a potential for many
options for further study and exploration.
<h2>Play time as education</h2>
The
best use of educational time is experiential.
That is not book learning, but learning from actually doing. While building a robot can be a time
consuming affair, there are many simple assembly kits that can combine playtime
with learning about robots. These ready
to go kits provide the necessary components for quick assembly and educational
value. The award winning kits of OWI
Robots are a good example of these kinds of kits. There are many such kits
available, at prices starting at about $20.
For
example, the robot may merely react to sound, or follow a line. The OWI-9910 Weasel is an
example. Weasel is a tenacious little robot warrior
that embodies two sensors that allow it to “see” a line or “feel” its way along
walls and around corners. Weasel
has been selected by the Children's Institute For Childhood Resources as one of
the "100 Best Children's Products" and "10 Best Software/High
Tech Products" for 2003.
