Robotics is a fun and educational area of science for kids of all ages. Robotics allows students to explore engineering, advanced mathematics, and artistic creativity. With robotics, the possibilities are endless! Read to learn about robotics activities that will engage all types of learners!
1. Make a Light-up Friendbot!
Building a STEM curriculum around literacy materials can be challenging. Connect the two areas with this adorable light-up Friendbot activity. This is a great introductory robot activity that will get students excited both about books and robot design.
Learn More: Vicky Fang
2. Amazing Fruit Electricity with a Lemon Clock
Teachers who love using alternative materials with fall in love with this creative lemon clock. Create a full-day lesson plan filled with STEM activities with unconventional materials. Both elementary students and middle school students will find tremendous joy and excitement in this project!
Learn More: Carrots Are Orange
3. Rainbow Salt Circuit
For teachers looking to better develop circuit-building and robotics engineering skills, this rainbow salt circuit will have your students fully engaged! Using salt, food coloring, two AA batteries, and a few more materials, students can watch their rainbows light up and learn more about circuits.
Learn More: Steam Powered Family
4. Potato Battery
One feature or characteristic of robots is the inclusion of electricity or battery power. For teachers looking for activities on simple robots, this cute activity will get your students learning about the basics of robotics. Watch the video for the step by step on how to build a potato battery!
Learn More: Science Love To Know
5. Dirt Battery
In another introductory robot activity, students use an ice cube tray, dirt, and some more traditional robotics materials to create a dirt battery. Students will watch in amazement as the simple materials turn into a complex science project. This is a great activity for using recycled materials!
Learn More: Teach Beside Me
6. Homemade Wigglebot
Students embrace creative thinking in this fun robotics project. When students create their finished Wigglebot, they will be able to use it to create pieces of art. With the funny faces and cool outcomes, this STEM lesson will be a favorite of your robotics class.
Learn More: Research Parent
7. Coin Battery Experiment
Take the classic coin cell battery activity to the next level with this handheld coin experiment. Students will complete a series of steps that ultimately allow them to feel the electricity of the coins buzzing between their fingers. This activity will convert hesitant students into robotics lovers!
Learn More: Fizzics Education
8. Snap
Snap is a website designed to get kids of all ages interested in coding! The options of what students can create are endless! Coding will introduce robotics into your curriculum and will set your students up to be interested in potential careers in software development and engineering. This is one of our favorite coding activities!
Learn More: Snap Berkeley Edu
9. LED Robot Pop-Up Card
Circuits can be a challenging concept for students. Transform any negative attitudes toward robotics into positive ones with this fun robotics craft! In between two pieces of construction paper or card paper, students will use the LED kit to create the circuit. Then on top, create an environment for student collaboration and have students sit together to decorate these incredible light-up cards!
Learn More: Learn Sparkfun
10. Kodu Game Lab
This all-virtual platform integrates interactive resources and programming skills to have students create online video games. Students will go beyond the basics of robotics to create interactive games that they can use for years to come.
Learn More: Kodu Game Lab
11. What Are Gears and What Do They Do?
This complete lesson plan connects to a series of lessons all about robotics. In this lesson plan, students learn about the design of robot bodies through the inclusion of gears. The lesson plan includes quizzes and a complete answer key.
Learn More: Teach Engineering
12. Lego Mindstorms
Lego Mindstorms is a favorite hands-on project for kids of all ages. With these lego kits, students can build advanced robots. Students will love having an actual robot that they built with just a set of pieces.
Learn More: Lego
13. Calculator-Controlled Robots
In this set of activities, students learn about real robots and how to build them using mathematics. These sophisticated robots are built carefully over many steps and calculations. There are many activities in this lesson set to ultimately create advanced robots.
Learn More: Texas Instruments
14. Robotic arms and forward kinematics
If you’re looking for intriguing lessons for National Robotics Week, look no further than Australia’s Robot Academy. This series of lessons focuses on robotic arms and how they are useful for humans and have many purposes. These videos would be great for a digital classroom for students to complete independently.
Learn More: Robot Academy
15. Swift Playgrounds
Swift Playgrounds is an online platform that allows students to use computational thinking to create their own online games. Students use code and move virtual manipulatives and make a game that is both functioning and interesting.
Learn More: Apple
16. Code Wars
Practicing coding is an excellent exercise for students of all ages, particularly older students. Code Wars is a high-level educator resource that creates coding challenges for students that they have to solve. Code Wars is a great addition to any digital lesson.
Learn More: Code Wars
17. DIY Smartphone Controlled Humanoid Bipedal Robot
This smartphone-controlled robot activity will have your students jumping out of their seats in joy! A five-part lesson plan is included with this activity to teach step by step how to make this adorable, walking robot.
Learn More: The STEMpedia
18. Engineering Ozobot Mazes
A popular activity for robot lovers is this Ozobot activity in which students create mazes that they control their mini robot through. Students will love implementing their very own robot design. This obstacle-avoiding robot activity will have your students asking to continue learning about robots.
Learn More: Learning Chambers
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