summer camp · ages 8 and up
Robotics Engineering Camp for Kids in Frisco, TX
Campers will dive into an exhilarating journey where coding meets robotics, using the powerful micro:bit and the dynamic CuteBot! Ninjas will bring their robotic cars (the CuteBots!) to life with the user-friendly MakeCode micro:bit editor.
- micro:bit
- CuteBot
In the camp
What they do
The projects they work through in the camp, one at a time.
A CuteBot that drives
Forward, backward, turning - the first code they write moves something across a table.
Acceleration, built from a loop
A speed variable, a while loop that checks it against a maximum, and a pause - so the robot pulls away like a car at a green light instead of jumping to full speed.
Flashing headlights
A repeat loop driving the lights, which is the moment repetition stops being a chore.
A line follower
Sensors deciding what the motors do, which is the first build that reacts to the world rather than to a button.
A robot tuned by testing
Drove too far? Slow it down or shorten the pause. Not far enough? The other way. Test, download, fix.
The concepts behind it
What they are actually learning
The camp is the reason they turn up. These are the ideas they use to do it, shown the way they meet them, and they are the same ideas behind any programming language they pick up later.
Variables
make a variable speedset speed to 0change speed by 5A value the program keeps and changes as it runs. Acceleration is just a speed variable going up.
Loops with a condition
while speed < max speedset wheel speed to speedpause 100 mschange speed by 5Repeat while something is true. The robot keeps getting faster until it hits the limit, then the loop ends.
Scope and order
while speed < maxspeed upstop car immediatelyThe stop block sits OUTSIDE the loop. Why it has to is one of the questions the camp asks directly, and it is the start of understanding where code belongs.
Debugging by testing
testdownloadfixagainA robot that drove too far is not a failure, it is a measurement. Change the speed or the pause and run it again.
What they leave with
By the end of camp
Taken from the camp's own curriculum, not written for this page.
- Learned the basics of coding with a micro:bit
- Explored the mechanics of acceleration and deceleration
- Experimented with sensor concepts, such as line tracking and obstacle avoidance
- Made connections to real-life applications, such as autonomous vehicles
- Tinkered with micro:bit radio controls to mimic remote-controlled operation
After camp
Loved our camp? Keep building all year.
Robotics is the school-year robotics program, where a ninja works through four kits across the year. The first session is free, so they can try it before you decide.
Before you ask
Common questions
What robot do they use?
CuteBot, a micro:bit-powered robot car with motors, lights and sensors. Everything is provided.
Blocks or typed code?
Blocks, in MakeCode. The ideas are the real ones - variables, conditional loops, scope - without the typing getting in the way.
Does my child need any experience?
No. The first session is making the robot move, and everything builds from there.
How is it different from LEGO Robotics?
Different hardware and a different emphasis. This one is a wheeled robot and the code that drives it; LEGO Robotics spends more of the week on building the machine.
Ages 8+
Ages 8+
Ages 6+