Robot mouse coding activity set Ages 4+.
(STEM Kit)

Stem collection.

Stem kits.

Children design a maze, then program a sequence of movements into the mouse which, when it runs, will result in it getting to the cheese with the goal of doing it in the fewest possible steps.

Grid pieces are light green squares decorated with non-functional horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines lightly marked on the top. Pieces hook together to form board for the activity. Maze wall pieces are purple rectangles and are inserted in the spaces between the grid pieces as desired to constrict movement. Set may include more than 22 maze wall pieces. Tunnels are orange semicircular arcs 10 cm high to allow the mouse to pass underneath. Robotic mouse is blue with colored buttons on top for programming and runs on batteries. Replica of a wedge of cheese is yellow in a triangular prism shape. Coding cards are 5 x 5 cm and each represents a single step in the sequence programmed into the mouse, helping children keep track of the sequence of planned steps. They show the movement possibilities with an arrow (actions use a lightning bolt) and are color-coded to the buttons on the mouse. Activity cards are double-sided, showing 20 possible maze designs of increasing complexity, plus the location of the cheese and the starting point for the mouse.

Activity guide explains purpose and use of the components of the kit in English, Spanish, French, and German.

Helps young children develop skills in problem solving, self-correcting errors, critical and analytical thinking, if-then logic, and distance and spatial concepts. Introduces basic coding and programming concepts in a fun way.

For ages 4 and up.