A Parent’s Guide: Selecting the Right Robotics Classes for Kids – Updated

Creating robots is one of the most fun tasks and a great way to combine technology, science, and engineering. Robots are quite popular among kids because they’re simply very cool. Robotics is one of the fastest-growing industries and it is here to stay. It is predicted that by 2040, robots will be as smart as humans.

Robotics is not an easy subject to grasp, but it is not impossible to master either. Kids and adults can learn things faster if the working of robotics is presented in a fun and interesting way. 

In today’s world, robotics is promoted as a fascinating subject that introduces students to electronics, programming, and engineering in an engaging way. Exposing youngsters to robots can have numerous advantages in today’s rapidly evolving technology-driven world.

Does your child have a fascination with robots? Do they want to make their robots? If yes, you must be looking for a way to get your child into robotics for kids. 

It is important that you make your child familiar with robotics and allow them to learn how to code their robots. Once they get a head start, there will be no looking back. Only the sky will be the limit!

Source: World Economic Forum

How to know whether your child is interested in Robotics?

Unless your child directly comes to you and tells you his interests, there are some other ways to know whether your child is interested in coding a robot – 

• If your child gets excited at seeing a robot and tries to interact with it 
• If they generally showcase curiosity about how things are designed 
• If they willingly share their robotics project ideas 
• If they have an innate ability of problem-solving
  

If any of the mentioned points describe your child, you have a budding robotics engineer.  

What to consider when deciding if Robotics classes are appropriate for your child?

As they say, if you want to learn about something, you’ve got to give it a try. Before coming to any conclusion as a parent, you need to allow your child to garner the experience of a few robotics classes. The classes should be well aligned with the age of your child, the complexity of the subject could lead to a lack of interest or even frustration.

Before enrolling your child in any robotics classes, you need to make sure that the instructors come from a robotic background and are properly certified to teach robotics. Certainly, you’d want your child to learn from mentors, who are excited about teaching and sharing their experiences and knowledge about the subject. 

How do I get my child into Robotics?

Our traditional teaching system does not offer robotics classes. You will not see many schools offering robotics classes for kids. Therefore, you will have to look at after-school activities that offer robotics for kids as a subject. This is the modern age of virtual programs and there are many options available that teach robotics thoroughly. 

Many technology-driven educational institutions provide robotics as a course, marking it as a very important subject in terms of future-forward learning. Such courses are designed in a way that children engage and learn while they play.     

One such example is Moonpreneur which is offering robotics as a subject under The Innovator Program. 

The Innovator Program (Robotics) is a unique blend of gaining the technical knowledge of robotics and entrepreneurial skills. Students (ages 10-17) receive hands-on learning experiences with multiple instructor-led online classes and educational tool kits on robotics for experiential learning, right from its foundation to the process of prototyping robots, and commercializing the robots.

How to choose the right Robotics class for my child?

Choosing the right robotics class may seem to be a daunting task, but it need not be so difficult. Take into consideration the below-mentioned points, and you will end up selecting the right class for your child:

• Check their website for curriculum and offerings
  The best institutions provide the best offerings. Check if they have success stories of students and keep an eye out for the experience of their instructors in the robotics field.
• Check their pricing
  You don’t want to spend extravagant amounts of money at the beginning of the robotics journey for your child. Check if their pricing falls under your budget and also analyze if the pricing is reasonable. You can also conduct a comparative analysis for pricing to help yourself out.
• Look for reviews & testimonials
  If they’ve adopted the right teaching methodologies to teach robotics and have helped students take giant leaps in their journey, they’ll always have good reviews from students and testimonials from either students or parents. Make sure you listen to what others have to say.
• Check if they offer trial classes
  The institutions that are providing the right education always offer their customers a trial and a chance to trust their services. Look out if they offer trial classes.
• Check if they provide hands-on learning
  The hands-on learning experience is extremely crucial in robotics. Your kid wants a holistic learning environment where he can put all his knowledge into practical application.
• Check about the instructors
  The instructors are the backbone of the educational journey your kid is about to embark on. Your kid must learn robotics from people who belong to that background, someone who can share their knowledge and experience in the field of robotics.

The right age to get your child introduced to Robotics 

The development happens at different stages for all children. Some of the children are best suited to start with robotics for beginners at 6, while others could be better suited at 7 or 8. No one knows your child better than you. 

Young, inquisitive minds are transformed by robotics. It’s a chance for kids to tap into their creative side and create something unique. If you have a fundamental understanding of robotics, there are a plethora of fields to investigate. Robotics is an excellent subject for people who are already interested in learning how things work and how they function.

You need to decide whether they will be fine with age-appropriate classes, and if you think they will be, why not give it a try? If not, there’s always the option to wait until they are a couple of years older. 

Best Robotics kit for beginners

Your child is only starting with robotics, so you want a not-so-complex kit for them to handle. Embedded Learner Kit is one of the best robotics kits for beginners. The kit is for kids, aged 8-17. 

The kit offers a very simple programming interface that the kids find very easy to workaround. The important thing is to help your kids find a kit that’s easy and likable so that they don’t grow tired of it.

Embedded Learner Kit is a learning development kit designed for tech enthusiasts that they can use to gain hands-on experience in coding, programming, prototyping electronics, and IoT.

Embedded Hardware and Software such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and Robotics are some of the prominent elements of the technical world. The Embedded Learner Board provides practical knowledge in such embedded hardware and instills certain technical skills to make you well-equipped to create a venture of your own.

Final thoughts 

Robotics is an entire universe in itself with eternal opportunities for your child. Whether your child starts early or a bit late, robotics as a subject will always be fascinating to them as they’ll learn to create things that they could only dream of. 

Robots are a well-known figure in today’s world, and their global economic and social impact highlights the necessity for today’s youngsters to be technologically competent. Through robotic projects, children can learn the principles of science, physics, and engineering. Children who have a basic understanding of robotics have the potential to be the innovators of the future.

Nowadays, there are many different options such as robotics classes, virtual programs, robotics kits, and other apps to get your child hooked to robotics. You will have to figure out what’s the best option for your child.