Las Vegas – Lego has released Boost, a coding kit that aims to introduce young children to programming.
Building on the success of Lego’s Mindstorms EV3 robot kit, the Boost kit enables young children to add specific functions to their Lego creations using an app. While the Mindstorms kit is aimed at children above the age of 10, the Boost kit is designed for children aged seven and above.
Five different builds are available, including a guitar, a dog, and a robot that is capable of building miniature Lego creations. Users connect their builds to the Move Hub power source and add motors and sensors, including one that detects colour and distance, to bring their machines to life. An accompanying app provides instructions and teaches basic coding commands.
‘We are focused on younger children so the coding is easier. There is less complexity behind the sensors and blocks, as well as the models they are building,’ Simon Kent, design director at Lego, tells LS:N Global. ‘We think of it as the baby brother of Mindstorms, and it is a great gateway to that product as they grow up.’
Lego’s latest kit is part of a wave of innovation in coding for young children. Toy manufacturer Technology Will Save Us presented its programmable wearable device for children at CES 2017. For more from the show, see part 1 of our review.