Bot Shop is excited to announce our new coding and robotics range for kids. We have been well-known in high-end robotics and electronics education for more than 10 years and are excited to add a range for kids now.

This article discusses how you, as a parent, can help turn robotics and coding into a hobby that will keep your children engaged and excited without them giving up.

Yes, we said it! A hobby that kids actually stick with? It might sound impossible, but let’s explore how Bot Shop can make the impossible possible!

Robotics is a combination of these three components:

• Mechanics - building the robot
• Electronics - making the robot move or sense things
• Programming - giving it instructions

A microcontroller is great on its own, but it becomes much more useful when you add additional mechanics like motors or sensors.

Robotics basically makes mechanical things useful with microcontrollers.

Coding and robotics represent a new era in children's education, and parents are pretty confused about it. Some questions that come up are: What is it really? Will they like it? Is it actually learning? Am I spending money on something they are not going to do/ enjoy? And many more.

Coding and robotics teach invaluable skills like problem-solving and creativity, but we feel that's only the tip of the iceberg. The real value in learning coding and robotics lies in the skills that go far beyond the basics.

Where most subjects taught in school are through books, coding and robotics is more hands-on. Kids can build new robots and robotic projects in the classroom. This not only makes it attention-grabbing and interactive but creates a fun environment that allows them to learn faster, with the ability to apply the skills where needed.

Kids love their phones and computers; even more so, they love their parents' phones and computers ;)

Why not turn that love for their electronic devices into something fun?

We can help teach kids how to create their own STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths) apps through coding, allowing them to customise and rewrite these apps as many times as they want.

After-school activities can be expensive, especially when you have other bills. Most kids participate in netball, rugby, soccer, or cricket, and sometimes, it's just a phase where they try it out for a week or two and then don’t like it. So, is it worth it?

With coding and robotics, you turn an ordinary robotics brain into something extraordinary. This can encourage kids to want to build and create MORE.

Children would learn coding methods through their phones and computers and then take it a step further by building their little robots and using the code they made to control them through an app.

What parent doesn’t want the best for their kids? We all hope to see them thrive, but choosing the right educational path can feel overwhelming with so many options out there. We’ve been there—faced with decisions about what might make a difference, only to worry it could become just another passing interest for our children.

Not all kids want to be coding and robotics gurus—we have artists, sports stars, and more. But for those who do, we want to make it possible for them not to be left behind. With the X-O skeleton series, it is economical enough to let the children who are unsure try it out anyway.

Even kids who are not interested in coding and robotics will enjoy it. Surprisingly, even artists now use electronics like LED lights in their art and paintings!

That's why we created the X-O series with the Jitter:Bit, which has a corresponding free course. With these kits, knowing exactly where to start is no longer as intimidating. We've taken the same "robotics brain" that powers our most advanced systems and created a series of extraordinary coding and robotics kits for kids. Each piece, wire, and program inspires motivation in young minds.

When kids play with our kits, we want to encourage them to move from "I give up" to "What am I building next?"

Children are visually stimulated, and robotics allows them to see their progress tangibly. Working hands-on with a robot teaches kids to problem-solve and think critically while engaging in creative projects.

Through coding activities, they develop technical skills and feel accomplished when their ideas come to life. With drag-and-drop, block-based coding platforms, young learners can experiment freely without fear of failure, making it easier to grasp complex concepts.

Bot Shop’s commitment to educational quality shines through in this series, providing children with access to advanced technology that encourages and inspires engaged learning. So whether for classroom use or home projects, the X-O Skeleton series ensures South African kids aren’t just keeping up—they’re leading.

The X-O Skeleton series ensures kids have the tools and support they need to learn and grow at their own pace, turning challenges into opportunities for growth

Our core belief is that fun and excitement accelerate learning, helping kids grasp and remember concepts the first time. This approach keeps them engaged, turning challenges into curiosity and leaving them eager to ask, "What can I build next?"

With Bot Shop’s X-O Skeleton series, kids get a robotics activity kit and complete learning experience designed to make coding and robotics fun and accessible.

Each product in the series comes with 10+ video tutorials and 5+ hands-on activities that break down complex concepts into easy-to-follow, bite-sized lessons. These resources are constructed specifically for beginners, ensuring that every child, regardless of experience, can confidently dive into the fun of coding and robotics.

The value is all the free things you get with these kits: manuals, videos, tutorials and more!!!

1. Guided Video Tutorials:

Each tutorial is created to walk kids through setting up their kit and programming their first robot. These coding tutorials are designed for young learners, blending step-by-step instructions with visual cues to help them stay engaged and motivated.

2. Interactive Activities:

In addition to the tutorials, the X-O Skeleton series includes robotics activity kits that challenge kids to apply what they’ve learned. With 5+ activities per product, kids can experiment, build, and explore as they gain hands-on experience with coding and robotics for beginners.

3. Bonus Perks for Added Fun:

Bot Shop offers downloadable guides, exclusive troubleshooting support, and even challenges kids can complete to earn badges and certificates. These extra perks make it easy for parents and teachers to support kids' learning and keep them engaged at every step.

Through interactive learning for kids, Bot Shop ensures your child can experience the excitement of building, coding, and exploring.

The X-O Skeleton series is a fun after-school hobby that doubles as a curriculum-aligned resource that supports children’s understanding of subjects taught in South African schools. Each kit has been compiled to meet educational standards, ensuring that the skills gained through hands-on coding and robotics align with their learning at school.

Created with young learners in mind, this series brings robotics and coding to life, supporting classroom goals and at-home learning. This makes Bot Shop's robotics and coding kits a powerful learning tool that complements traditional classroom subjects.

The X-O Skeleton series introduces coding to kids in South Africa through age-appropriate, accessible projects. By working through programming challenges, kids improve their logic and reasoning abilities—skills necessary for modern education and career paths (and some jobs that don't exist yet).

With these educational robotics kits, kids develop a genuine interest in technology. This experience sparks curiosity and builds confidence, motivating kids to explore technology beyond the classroom.

These kits make robotics and coding accessible anywhere. Remote learners benefit from the same quality learning experience as kids in a school robotics classroom, with tutorials, guided activities, and online resources that make learning at home as impactful as learning in school.

For educators and parents, Bot Shop’s educational kits offer a unique way to reinforce learning outside the classroom. These kits allow kids to engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an interactive, practical way, helping them better grasp abstract concepts covered in their schoolwork

Let's start coding and building:

1. Purchase Jitter:Bit, the dancing robot.
2. Set up the Getting Started with Coding and Robotics course and follow along.
3. Let the kids play, program, and do the activity packs. It is so cool that they’ll do it all on their own, and they will have a blast.

Please note:

• When you order the Jitter:Bit, ensure you have a Micro:Bit board because, with this specific robot, we use drag-and-drop coding.
• Each kit covers roughly 20% of the CAPS curriculum.

AND THAT'S IT. THAT IS HOW YOU GET STARTED.

Next Steps:

• We suggest the car as your follow-up tool. This will align with the CAPS curriculum formula.
• Keep an eye out for Bot Shop's newest launches. Our fifth kit, an electromechanical kit, will be released on January 15th, 2025.