littleBits Makes Coding Fun Through First-Ever Game-Based Code Kit

“Every maker of video games knows something that the makers of curriculum don't seem to understand. You'll never see a video game being advertised as being easy. Kids who do not like school will tell you it's not because it's too hard. It's because it's--boring.” -- Seymour Papert (1928-2016)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--littleBits, the technology startup that makes it easy and fun to invent with electronics, announces today the next addition to its education portfolio -- the littleBits Code Kit. The concept is simple: Build games. Learn to code.

Students will learn the foundations of coding & engineering by building hands-on games with electronic building blocks and coding them using block programming based on Google’s Blockly on the littleBits Code Kit app. The ideals of educational visionary Seymour Papert and MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten have inspired littleBits from its inception. Following the success of the littleBits STEAM Student Set, the company set out on an 18-month journey to bring these ideas around fun in education to a new and critical area: coding. The result is a kit designed around games that students get to code & build themselves.

“We have seen that the combination of games with the tactile experience of littleBits makes for an incredible experience,” said Ayah Bdeir, founder and CEO of littleBits. “Kids are hyper-engaged, and it’s because they are building something that they actually want to play with. What’s more is that students are not just learning how to code. They’re collaborating and problem-solving while they’re having fun.”

The game-based design of the kit is supported by resources to make it easy for educators, even those without computer science experience, to teach coding right out of the box. A 12-member educator advisory board helped create the curriculum making the littleBits Code Kit an education product designed for teachers, with teachers.

The littleBits Code Kit includes:

• Four game-based inventions: Tug-of-War, Ultimate Shootout, Hot Potato, and Rockstar Guitar
• 100+ activities and lessons for grades 3-8 tied to Next Generation Science Standards and computer science standards
• Quick start guides for students and educators, a Bit index, and a classroom poster to make it easy to get started right out of the box
• An interactive online teacher’s guide that will allow educators to import lessons directly into Google Docs
• 16 Bits including the all-new codeBit and LED Matrix
• A rechargeable battery & 30 accessories
• The littleBits Code Kit app that features approachable drag-and-drop block programming based on Google’s Blockly

“littleBits has become an essential tool for empowering students to think critically and creatively while still having fun in and out of the classroom. They are challenged to question, shape and change the world through innovation," said Lesa Wang, Visual Arts Teacher & STEAM Integrator, Marymount School of New York in New York City. "This new kit makes a complex subject like coding more accessible through the fun of games, and it gets students to think about ways coding can help solve other problems.”

littleBits is accepting purchase orders on the littleBits Code Kit starting today and will be sold through education product retailers for $299.95. Visit littlebits.cc/code-kit for more information.

littleBits Code Kit

Release: June 2017

MSRP: $299.95, 5% Discount for Educators

Grades: 3-8

Available June 2017: littleBits.com, Amazon

Purchase Orders Accepted Now:

littleBits Education - [e-mail] or call [phone] to consult an education specialist.

Sold through our education resellers including Best Buy Education, En-Net Services, Learning Labs and others.

To become a littleBits reseller, contact [e-mail].

About littleBits

littleBits is the New York-based hardware startup that is empowering kids everywhere to become inventors. Through its innovative platform of easy-to-use electronic building blocks, littleBits allows anyone to create and prototype with electronics, independent of age, gender or technical ability. As the leader in STEM/STEAM learning, littleBits believes in self-directed exploration and driving excitement for what it calls “invention-based learning,” a concept evolved from project-based learning, which is a trusted and proven approach to teaching in classrooms. The company is also dedicated to successfully bridging the gender gap with its gender-neutral platform, attracting 30-40 percent of young girls to invent with littleBits. By embracing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics), both girls and boys can invent solutions to the problems that matter to them. littleBits has received several awards including CNN’s “Top 10 Startups to Watch” and one of the CNBC Next List. littleBits is sold in over 150 countries and used by more than 12,000 educators across the world as an engaging tool for making STEAM more accessible to all students and preparing them for the jobs that haven’t been invented yet. For more information and inspiration, please visit http://www.littlebits.cc/about.

The company was founded in 2011 by MIT Graduate, TED Senior Fellow and Cofounder of the Open Hardware Summit, Ayah Bdeir, and has grown to be a global leader in hardware. Bdeir was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, one of Inc.’s “35 Under 35” and "Entrepreneurs to Watch," one of Entrepreneur's "10 Leaders to Watch," one of Popular Mechanics’ “25 Makers Who Are Reinventing the American Dream,” and one of MIT Technology Review’s “35 Innovators Under 35.”