Blog

Investing in STEM Robot Kits that “Grow” with Your Students

Funding for edtech is a challenge for public, independent schools, enrichment centers…really any educational instutitution. Annual budgets are finite and dollars need to be stretched as much as possible to give students every opportunity to be successful. Of course there are funding sources and grants to be found, but getting the funding can be a challenge (check out the Case for KIBO White Paper and how it can help when writing that grant). That’s why, now, more than ever, it’s important for educators to implement technology that goes the distance…and by distance we mean “grow” with your student body. KIBO STEM robot kits do…from PreK through upper elementary.

KIBO, the screen-free coding robot, has made a name for itself in innovation labs, makerspaces, afterschool programs, classrooms, and throughout the hallways of early and elementary education. And what works best in early childhood education works best for throughout elementary – children working with hands-on experiences with playful self-directed opportunities. One little robot, KIBO, is a research-proven method to explore computer science, engineering, creativity, and AI concepts in childhood STEAM education.

From PreK to 5th grade, KIBO robot kits fully integrate into STEAM learning and engages students of a wide age-range. Introduced at the earliest stages of learning, and building upon those learned concepts year after year, KIBO becomes an anticipated part of elementary school projects and activities for kids.

From an administration standpoint, KIBO is a worthwhile investment that not only stands the test of time but helps educators with innovative lesson plans that span every elementary school subject. And the screen-free aspect of coding is appreciated by parents and teachers who are challenged with ways to keep young children off of devices.

STEM Robot Kits – An Investment that Grows with your PreK-Upper Elementary Learners

Take a look at the following infographic to learn how KIBO is used in early education and throughout elementary school curricula to demonstrate multifaceted lessons and different areas of learning with a single coding robot.

KIBO STEM Robot Kits for All Ages Infographic

From the moment students as young as 4 years old engage with KIBO, they are acquiring skillsets that will be used throughout their lifetime. With cause and effect manipulations and confidence building, KIBO teaches more than just fundamental concepts, KIBO teaches children to persevere. Throughout the early education experience, KIBO is there, providing more in-depth learning such that adapts to a child’s specific learning style with lessons on problem solving, interactive storytelling, automation all the way to using rudimentary coding for more complex coding languages like ScratchJr. KIBO moves through the school system as each child matriculates from one grade to the next.

By the time children are in Kindergarten through 2nd grade, children begin programming with repeat loops, understanding sensors and outputs, integrating KIBO into their school projects, and collaborating with their peers. And when in 3rd through 5th grade they are completing more complex coding concepts with the Advanced Coding Extension Set, advanced programming using conditional loops within loops, and even coaching younger kids within their school (the buddy program!).

No matter what the age, the KIBO STEM robot kit is there for your young learners to playful develop their computational thinking and STEAM skills!


Meet KIBO, a Screen-free Educational STEM Robot Kit

KIBO, the learning robot designed specifically for kids, offers an inviting, engaging platform for young children to start their journey into creating with code in a fun and creative way. KIBO’s block-based coding language gives children control over the robot’s movements, sounds, and sensors, allowing them to express their imaginations with code. The KIBO curriculum for educators also teaches children to tell stories, create characters, and explore the world around them through code. KIBO is the number one choice in screen-free coding for kids – trusted by more parents and schools to introduce today’s youth to the wonders of technology and robotics.

Archive

KIBO Little Red Riding Hood Image

How to Use Robots to Teach Coding

Robotics offers a unique way to teach coding to children, even the youngest of learners. Early childhood is a wonderful time to spark kids’ interest in coding, robotics, and engineering.

PBS Curiosity Classroom Program Image

STEM Robotics in Preschool Education

Have you ever imagined how today’s successful programmers and developers came into the world? The likes of Bill Gates, Linus Torvalds and James Gosling all started showing an aptitude for

Hour of Code Event AI Projects for Beginners

These one-hour robotics and coding lessons aim to help young students express their creativity through AI-inspired activities We are excited to announce our participation in the worldwide Hour of Code™

Horizons for Homeless Children with KIBO Image

Bringing Playful STEAM Learning to Homeless Children

This KIBO use study comes from Horizons for Homeless Children located in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Horizons for Homeless Children is the Commonwealth’s leading organization devoted to serving homeless children, focusing on

Boy putting a Sensor into KIBO Image

AI Teaching Tips Using A Robot Coding Kit

In recent blog posts we’ve explored why young children should learn how AI works and what they should know about AI. So having explored the “why” and the “what”, let’s

The Role of Arts in STEAM Education

This blog is brought to you from a guest contributor, Romina Jordan. There is a missing component in STEM education. As more and more schools choose to highlight the STEM

Screen-free Coding and Makerspaces in School

When you hear about Makerspaces in elementary schools, what immediately comes to mind? Creativity? Ingenuity? Hands-on engineering? Makerspaces in schools are popping up everywhere but what are they and how

Exploring Floor Maps with KIBO Robotics

One of the most wonderful aspects of working with KIBO is the ability to incorporate art, crafts, and building. Through a combination of imagination and art, students can transform KIBO

Views from the Classroom: STREAM Education

KIBO has found a home in every kind of school and informal educational setting we can think of, including many schools where religious education is a core mission. Within religious

Arts and Engineering with #KIBOCostume

Halloween is coming, and KIBO loves to dress up! With a costume, KIBO can become a character in any story. Share your KIBO Costumes with hashtag #KIBOCostume. Decorating KIBO engages

School’s out for the summer: Keep ‘em coding

It’s summertime and the living is easy. But if you’re like us, you want to make sure your children have fun, are occupied and never stop learning! Whether you’ve enrolled them in

Congresswoman Clark codes with KIBO

As you may have heard, we were excited to welcome Congresswoman Katherine Clark to the KinderLab Robotics headquarters last month. As an avid supporter of early education, Congresswoman Clark was keen to see KIBO in

Educators Getting Hands-on with KIBO

Earlier this year we announced our various professional development programs, following the move into our new manufacturing and office headquarters in Waltham, MA. Since then, educators and program coordinators from near and far have come

KIBO takes on the Cambridge Science Festival

Being based in Massachusetts has loads of benefits. Certainly not the least of which is all of the great tech events surrounding us. Last week, KIBO ‘took curiosity to the

The rising need for STEM skills

KinderLab Robotics is committed to making 15 years of research into child learning available to every young child. As hundreds of educators, teachers and parents have found out, KIBO does

Getting funding for technology in the classroom

Technology and innovation is increasingly important in education. Our world is increasingly immersed in, and controlled by technology, and children need to understand what it is and how it works

Join KIBO next week at Imajine That Academy!

Parents, teachers and children, get ready tocelebrate – it’s almost April vacation week! New England-based parents, if you’re looking for fun activities for your kids, check out Imajine That, which will feature KIBO

Brown Bear, Brown Bear: What Can You Code?

It’s National Robotics Week and to get everybody in the spirit, we thought we’d share a fun video about how our own robot kit – KIBO – has been used in the Kennedy-Longfellow Elementary School in

Fun with robots at the Women Veterans’ Spring Fling

Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services teamed up with the Military and Veteran Psychology Program  to host the second annual Women Veterans’ Spring Fling event at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP). This important

A case for continuous Kinder-innovation

Studies have shown that consistent investment in the education of younger children is beneficial to overall human capital. One study, by Nobel Prize winner James Heckman, referenced on the National

Local feedback: KIBO’s big Massachussetts move

KIBO was born and raised in Massachusetts. From the research labs of the DevTech Research Group at Tufts University, to the basements of our Arlington homes and now toour first KinderLab Robotics’ manufacturing headquarters

A few facts you may not know about Route 128

Not familiar with Route 128? It’s an iconic area outside Boston that is steeped in technology history as the home to some of the world’s most innovative and influential technology

KIBO heads to the big retail show in New York City

As we speak, KIBO is working the floor at retail’s big show. Held by The National Retail Federation, the largest retail federation in the world, the show is the 104th annual ‘Retail’s BIG Show’.

Sharing a KIBO – and sharing our mission

If you don’t follow us on social media yet (you can sign up to talk with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) then you’ve missed a chance to win a free KIBO. Our lucky winner

KIBO: Not just child-friendly but adult-friendly too

We recently conducted an in-person survey of parents, teachers and family members gauging their attitudes toward young children and coding. We found that almost two thirds, 65%, of those we spoke to considered it

KIBO: Good Old-Fashioned Play Meets Cute Robot

I don’t just have a personal fascination with robots, I’ve made a career of them. My technical career started at Honeywell Systems working on night vision applications in the late 1970s

KinderLab gets down to business – with robots

Being based in Boston, one of the world’s largest tech hubs, certainly has its perks. Last week, the KinderLab Robotics team grabbed KIBO and ventured out to the RoboBusiness conference, being held at the

Support for KIBO

Here at KinderLab Robotics, it’s been an amazing trip. From our successful Kickstarter launch, setting up the manufacturing of KIBO in Massachusetts, launching our online store, and attending events –