Motivated with a curious mind, a toddler looks up at their grown-tired grown-up and once again, prompts their parent, “Why?” After a sigh from their parent and a brief explanation of why, the little one nervously squeaks out a “But how come?” It is true—the constant question toddler phase is a little bit trying. But curiosity is a beautiful thing that not only helps brain connections grow but also breeds a lifelong love of learning.
Inquisitive children who take things apart just to figure out how they work are dabbling in reverse engineering. Brick enthusiast kids who spend hours making block buildings and elaborate cities could very well have a future career as a civil engineer! Parents, take a deep breath and embrace the “Why” and “How” phase. In fact, encourage it! Dig into STEM discoveries with your child! One such STEM activity that will enrich a child’s mind and expand their way of thinking while having tons of fun is the growing world of robotics.
ALL ABOUT ROBOTS & ROBOTICS!
In case your curious child asks, let’s get some history out of the way. The first digitally programmable robot, Unimate, was invented in the 1950s by George C. Devol, an inventor from Louisville, KY. Since then, robots have been used as industrial tools to lift heavy things, twist levers, and so much more. The robot craze grew as Robert the Robot was sold as a children’s toy in a 1954 Sears catalog. However, millennial parents may remember asking their parents for the first AI-enabled robotic toy in 1998: Furby! Now robots have even infiltrated the world of chores with the Roomba vacuum cleaner’s debut in 2002.
The awe and wonder of watching a robot whir about captured the attention of many. Organized robotics competitions started in the 1970s–80s and the popular FIRST robotics team was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen. Today, FIRST robotics competitions are still going strong in schools across the USA. Many additional robotics organizations and competitions have also sprung up around the world, including The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, VEX Robotics, and more.
STARTING OUT SMALL WITH A SUBSCRIPTION BOX
Curious kiddos who are still a little too young to join an official robotics club don’t have to miss out on learning through STEM play! Several subscription boxes are available, which offer kids a chance to tinker with scientific principles to make insightful discoveries. Three such subscription boxes are:
KiwiCo
Start them on science young! This subscription box brand serves newborns through age 100 with eight different crate options available. KiwiCo also has over 10 robot kits available for individual purchase, starting as low as $24! Visit kiwico.com for more information.
CrunchLabs
Little ones can learn about different simple machines and STEM principles with the Build Box ($27.45 per box with an annual plan). It ships monthly and is perfect for kids ages 8–13. Teens and adults would be best suited for the Hack Pack ($66.65 per box with an annual plan); it ships every 2 months and has multiple bots featured in the first few boxes! Learn more at crunchlabs.com.
STEM Discovery Boxes
Each box includes three experiments that focus on STEM learning for youngsters. Topics covered include electronics, chemistry, hydraulics, physics, engineering, astronomy and robotics. Subscription levels vary from 1 month ($30), 3 months ($28 per box/$84 total), 6 months ($27 per box/$162 total) or annual ($25 per box/ $300 total). Investigate past projects by heading to stemdiscoveryboxes.com.
SCHOOL AGED ROBOTICISTS
FIRST recommends those looking to join a robotics team to “contact local schools, libraries or youth organizations that may have a team in place” and to do a simple online search for FIRST teams near (my town). Elementary and middle schoolers can try out the LEGO League Teams, middle schoolers can take on the Tech Challenge Team, and finally, grades 9–12 can join or start a Robotics Competition Team. Those who wish to start their own team can do so with the help of a variety of resources available at firstinspires.org/start-a-team.
THE MANY BENEFITS OF ROBOTICS
Learning while having fun is probably the top reason why curious kids should give robotics a try. Beyond that, there are a myriad of reasons how robotics can positively impact young learners, including building:
■ Creativity: The sky is the limit when it comes to robotics. From choosing the design to the tasks it will complete, there is a lot of room for thinking outside the box when it comes to robotics.
■ Problem-Solving Skills: Science is all about trial and error. When something goes wrong, the issue has to be identified and analyzed before finding a solution.
■ Critical Thinking Skills: “Why?” and “How?” are questions often asked in robotics, and the students are doing the answering! Making hypotheses and predicting outcomes is a big part of robotics.
■ Teamwork: Each member of a robotics team has a unique skill set, making collaboration a key to success. Teammates must communicate and truly work together for their robot to function properly.
■ Confidence: Every STEM project will have its ups and downs. Overcoming the downs and struggling through it will make the ups that much more of a victory. Knowing that hard work pays off instills resilience and perseverance in students—they feel well-deserved pride!
So… why try out robotics? This extracurricular or hobby encourages out-of-the-box thinking in kids. Encouraging naturally curious kids to continue asking “Why?” and “How come?” will yield adults who are creative problem solvers that think critically and work together. Confident adults will succeed in any career field they choose, STEM or not. So, never stop asking “Why”—stay curious and keep learning, readers; there is a pretty amazing world out there to discover.
