Are you looking for a creative and educational way to engage your child with coding fun and robotics? Look no further than the Sphero Bolt! In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the exciting process of coding your Sphero Bolt to become a rolling school bus. Your child will have a blast as they learn to program the bus to roll, stop, flash its lights, and even pick up a passenger. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Assemble Your Tools
Before we dive into coding, let’s make sure you have everything you need:
- Sphero Bolt
- Sphero Edu app (available for iOS and Android)
- A smartphone or tablet
- A flat, smooth surface for your Sphero Bolt to roll on
- 16 oz clear or yellow cup
- Craft supplies to make a bus or use template provided
Step 2: Design Your School Bus
Now it’s time to get creative! Encourage your child to use arts and crafts supplies to decorate a clear or yellow 16 oz. cup to resemble a school bus. To save time use the free template included in this post.
Step 3: Connect Your Sphero Bolt
- Turn on your Sphero Bolt by pressing its power button.
- Connect your smartphone or tablet to the Sphero Bolt via Bluetooth using the Sphero Edu app.
Step 4: Code Your Rolling School Bus
- Open the Sphero Edu app and create a new project.
- Be sure to code your bus to:
- Roll
- Stop
- flash red lights on and off
- show child getting on
- roll again to next bus stop
Continue coding more stops and making sure to flash lights at each stop. Some stops may have more children getting on the bus.
Below is a sample of what your program might look like.
Step 5: Test and Refine
Test your program to see how the bus behaves. You may need to adjust the timing, speed, or direction to achieve the desired results. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make improvements.
Step 6: Have Fun!
Now that your Sphero Bolt is transformed into a rolling school bus, let your child’s creativity shine as they drive it around, stop at imaginary bus stops, and pick up passengers.
Coding with Sphero Bolt not only provides a fun and engaging activity for your child but also teaches them valuable STEM skills. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to spark their interest in technology and robotics.
So, grab your Sphero Bolt, start coding, and let the adventures of your rolling school bus begin! Happy coding! 🚌🤖
(This post was created in partnership with Sphero.)
I also have a class set of Spheros I use in my classroom that was purchased by our school.
