How young is too young for the NXT?
LEGO's recommended age on the box is 10 & up... but we all know some younger builders for which that simply doesn't apply - and they're designing some interesting robots.
Reader Beth posed an interesting question on our forum (edited below), and I'd like to invite our readers to visit the forum and offer their suggestions to Beth as well as to add to the discussion. Click on the question below to join the discussion.
"My son and I received an NXT for Xmas. I am looking for some book recommendations with ideas/plans he can follow. He has a little trouble with the programming (and I am slowly learning) but is great at building the actual robot. I ordered the Zoo book but it is not expected for another month. Are any of the other books geared more for younger kids? I found a website with great building instructions and downloadable programs but I think a book would be easier (then he won't be messing with my laptop unassisted :-) ). Are there any more modules available for the included software with the step by step instructions and help?"
Reader Beth posed an interesting question on our forum (edited below), and I'd like to invite our readers to visit the forum and offer their suggestions to Beth as well as to add to the discussion. Click on the question below to join the discussion.
"My son and I received an NXT for Xmas. I am looking for some book recommendations with ideas/plans he can follow. He has a little trouble with the programming (and I am slowly learning) but is great at building the actual robot. I ordered the Zoo book but it is not expected for another month. Are any of the other books geared more for younger kids? I found a website with great building instructions and downloadable programs but I think a book would be easier (then he won't be messing with my laptop unassisted :-) ). Are there any more modules available for the included software with the step by step instructions and help?"
Comments
See: http://www.wonderenbestaan.nl/lego
If you click on video's you see them build in action. (YouTube)
But he has no interest in programming. So I don't know how well he'd do there.
I plan on getting the Zoo book when it's available. I think my son will like those, and maybe I can entice him into programming some.
I find that with children under 10, modeling how I am building and troubleshooting is a valuable lesson. Children often pick up on this and feel more confident with their own building. I do the same with the programming.
I encourage children to add on sensors (and learn them) and additional attachments once they have an idea of what they want their robot to do.
LEGO engineering.com also has some simple models and activities to start with.
My son started at 4 yrs. Now he is five and can program. We find Jim Kelley's Mayan Adventure to be the best book out there, as it has a story and in the story, Robots are used to solve the problems. Apart from building, programming those Robots, testing by creating environment similar to the one in the story was so much fun! We bought many books published after Mayan Adventure, and now playing with David Purdue's Unofficial NXT Inventors guide. This book is nice, as it explains the role of each of the parts and combine those to build basic building blocks to make a Robot. We have pre-ordered Fay's NXT Zoo book, and purchased Education Supplemental Kit in anticipation of building the Robots in her book.