Robotics is a topic that offer opportunities to introduce children to complex subjects like programming and engineering; but in a way that’s fun and interactive.
In our increasingly technological environment, there are many benefits that can be gained from exposing your child to this topic. But why should kids know robotics?
We decided to list out what we believe the top reasons are below. There’s also a link towards the bottom of the page which explains how you child can get into robotics this summer.
Why kids should know robotics
1. Robotics can be a fun introduction to programming
When it comes to younger children, it can be a challenge to get some of them interested in programming. They might be intrigued by the opportunity to make a website, particularly as they begin to spend more time on the internet. But this might still not appeal to younger kids.
This is where robotics can be different. It takes the static process of programming code and gives it an immediate, tangible result that you can see and feel.
With a few lines of code and a little patience, they can get their robot to move, raise its arms, or even dance. The only limit to what they can make will be their creativity and their willingness to learn.
With this foundational understanding of programming, they can try to program even more complicated functions. The benefits of teaching programming in this way is that the results are often more entertaining for children.
Rather than completing a line of code that produces a bland but practical function, as with coding in Excel, your child will see the results of all their hard work moving right in front of them. It feels more tangible, more entertaining, and more rewarding.
Throughout this process, you will have the opportunity to teach your child the basics of a programming language. Bit by bit, they can add onto this knowledge base, and with time, you may find they are willing to branch out into more complex coding.
Not only will this teach your child the basics of working with logic-based problems, which will come in useful for many IT, STEM, and mathematics-based careers in the future, but it will give them a good foundation for learning other programming languages.
Most of these languages rely on very similar principles, and by giving your child an introduction to programming at an early age, it will make it easier for them to pick up another programming language in the future.
In the end, even if your child eventually grows out of their interest in robotics, it may prove to be an excellent springboard that gets them into other IT-based interests.
2. Robotics is an excellent skill for future career development
Programming and other IT-based skills have become an integral part of our modern workforce. With more and more companies switching over to IT-based systems, and with services becoming increasingly complex and customised to meet the unique needs of countless industries, the demand for these skills is only increasing.
By introducing your child to programming through robotics, you will be giving them an excellent chance to explore a skill that could potentially turn into a very lucrative career.
Even if your child never goes into robotics, it will have the benefit of teaching them principles that can be foundational to many STEM fields.
It might introduce them areas such as drone design, website design, mobile app creation, and video game programming, among other things.
3. Robotics teaches problem-solving skills
To succeed in robotics takes patience; the courage to work through mistakes; and problem-solving skills. By teaching your child robotics, you are giving them the perfect environment to learn all of these things.
If your child is frustrated, throwing the robot will only undo all of their hard work. It forces them to work through complex logic problems and will improve crucial puzzle-solving skills.
In addition to this, it also gives them the ideal environment to learn how to handle making mistakes. In our increasingly fast-paced society, many children aren’t given the time or space they need to learn how to work through mistakes.
In the right environment, however, robotics can be an ideal antithesis to this problem.
Although your child can certainly follow instructions to learn the basics, when it comes to trying something new, they will need to get comfortable with thinking outside the box. If they want to get their robot to try a new action that wasn’t outlined in the instructions, they will need to learn how to fail.
Each error could potentially give them a crucial bit of information they need to solve the problem. If they have the courage to keep going, they will eventually have the enormous satisfaction of creating something new and unique to their own vision.
4. Robotics encourages curiosity and creativity
Aside from developing crucial problem-solving skills, robotics can also be an excellent activity for stimulating creativity and a curious mind.
In a similar vein to LEGO and Meccano, robotics gives your child a toolkit and challenges them to build something new.
With a basic understanding of robotics, there are so many avenues to explore and discover. It will give them the perfect environment to stretch their creative muscles, especially if they are already inclined to building things or show a great deal of curiosity in how things work.
5. Robotics prepares them for a technological future
Even if your child never takes to robotics, and they find that they prefer more artistic, sporty, or humanitarian subjects, teaching them a little about robotics is still a beneficial endeavour.
Our society is becoming increasingly technologically driven. Although our generation could get away with learning the bare minimum when it came to technology, the same cannot be said for our children. Being computer literate is now mandatory in many fields, and increasingly we are seeing that 3D printing, drones, and advanced machinery are becoming more and more common in various working environments.
Even in retail, many waiters and customer service representatives are now expected to carry a tablet or smartphone to assist the customer.
Being comfortable around computers and technology of any kind will not just be a boost for your child’s future, but a necessity. With this in mind, it’s essential to introduce your child to as many different types of technology as possible.
With how quickly technology is advancing, we can only imagine how our world will look in the next ten or twenty years. In light of this, helping your child to develop confidence and fluency in all types of technology will undoubtedly be a great asset to them as they grow older.
We have previously written at length about what the future of robotics could hold for the children of today.
Conclusion
Robotics manages to combine engineering and programming with creativity and problem-solving, and at the end of it, your kid will have an interactive little toy that they can play with.
The result of all their hard work will be right there in their hands, and they can continue to tweak and fiddle with the programming to try for new outcomes.
Introducing children to these topics in a way that is fun and engaging is becoming increasingly vital in our ever-evolving technological landscape. IT is becoming indispensable to many industries, and that isn’t set to change any time soon.
By introducing children to robotics, programming, IT, and crucial problem-solving skills, you are furnishing them with a foundational skill set that could become essential to them in the future.
Not only is it giving them a head start in interests that could develop into a very lucrative career, but it will help to get them accustomed to dealing with electronics and technology constructively.
If you are interested in pursuing this interest, please click the button below to explore the robotics summer camp and course on offer from FunTech this year.
Lego Robotics Junior (ages 7 10 10)
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