November 22, 2016

Sphero SPRK Edition App-Controlled Robot is Fabulous for STEM learning

sphero spark
With the holiday season coming there are lot of toys and technology options we can choose to present as gifts to our children. As parents, we all know some toys will be a hit and others will be enjoyed for a while before it is put aside. Although, tablets, video games and television can be fun they can have some harmful effects if children use it for long periods of time. The best way to avoid our children being engaged in tablets, video games and television is to divert their energy to do fun stuff with technology that would be beneficial to them. We introduced our children to the Sphero SPRK Edition App-Controlled Robot.

Sphero is an advanced programmable robot ball designed for everyone 8 years and older. It is packed with technology and makes learning fun! The Sphero SPRK Edition connects to any iOS or Android device using Bluetooth and it can be controlled using various apps including the Sphero SPRK Edition App. 
sphero spark
Sphero SPRK + Robotic Ball is powered by the Lightening Lab app which uses a visual block-based building interface to transform ideas into code and teach the principles of programming with hands-on activities. The text-based code viewer lets us see the code that is used to create simple and more complex commands to help learn. 
sphero spark
It is equipped with Bluetooth SMART, SPRK+ has a range of 30 meters and can move on the ground or in the water and comes with programmable LED lights, gyroscope, and accelerometer. It is waterproof and shockproof with a scratch-resistant UV-coated polycarbonate shell. In the box, we get the Sphero SPRK edition, the charger, and a couple of tools to help with programming. It can hold 60-minutes of power on a full charge with its rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The Sphero comes with an induction charger, where you place the ball on the charger and it does the charging without plugging the ball to any wires.
sphero spark
Since the Sphero SPRK edition is clear and see through, it allows us to see the technology inside the robot which makes children eager to learn how to program and interact with the robot. Sphero SPRK Edition App gives us control of the Sphero Robot since we can program the robot to do simple steps such as change colour, roll and flip. There are examples of simple commands to help get the user to code. Most of these commands are self-explanatory and easy as drag and drop. We like how our children worked together to create and solve a simple program to make the Sphero move and turn in a specific direction. There are many creative ways to program the Sphero which will keep the children engaged and help them become more creative. 
sphero spark
The app has a growing community where we can view programs created by other Sphero users and share our coded programs. There are numerous apps and games to control and steer the Sphero Robot using any of our Android or iOS device. We like how the Sphero SPRK Edition helps children make learning fun and interactive. It is a wonderful way to encourage STEM education and let our children learn math, science, coding, and technology in a fun way.

Sphero SPRK + Robotic Ball is a dream gift for the aspiring programmer. We can purchase it for $150 at Best Buy.

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38 comments:

  1. My nephew would love this gift for Christmas.

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  2. This is really cool! We've come a long way since I was a kid lol

    Rafflecopter Name is Anne Taylor

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  3. I love these cool toys you control with your phone! Really gets kids thinking :)

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  4. omg! this looks really cool! My son has ADHD really bad, his attention span just isnt there, but he loves to fiddle. he would probably really enjoy this!

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  5. I have a scary smart (her Mom's words) 3-year-old niece who would LOVE this. She was uploading photos to her mom's FB page when she was 2 :0

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  6. I have a grandson who would love this and so would his dad.
    Floence Cochrane

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  7. That is pretty cool. I would love to see it in action. I bet the guys would all get a kick out of it.

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  8. I love toys that are educational, plus enhance a child's imagination while having fun.

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  9. I think ,y granddaughters would like these robots.

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  10. I think this is a really cool gadget and I know a couple of people in my family who would love one of these. :-)

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  11. This would be so cool to play with. I want one! lol

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  12. I am so far behind in tech. Wow. I need to get in touch with Alison with the Niece who is a walking brain. WOW

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  13. I love these cool tech toys! That would be fun!

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  14. AB; it would be perfect for a friend's child. would love one for here too! thanks

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  15. This is a wonderful toy that sparks the imagination and is educational for children as well as fun.The Sphero is definitely an innovative toy!

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  16. I think they are so neat! I think my son would love it.

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  17. This looks really fun. My kids are a teeny bit young for this, but in a few years.

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  18. That looks really cool and educational!

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  19. My nephew would love this, what a tech wonder!

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  20. Love Sphero! I think it would be a fun gift that the entire family could enjoy playing with. (Judy Cowan)

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  21. This looks so neat! I know many kids who would love this!

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  22. My Grandson would so love this , thanks for sharing , it so awesome :) Treen Goodwin rafflecopter name :)

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  23. I am amazed at just how involved this little guy is
    jan

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  24. What a cool learning toy! I would love to try this out with my oldest daughter.

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  25. wow, I know of a few who would love this gift including my hubby, lol.

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  26. This looks like a really neat idea for our grandson for Christmas.

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  27. My little guy would definitely be fascinated by this.

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  28. Wow that looks like a lot of fun. My son would really have fun with that.

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  29. This would be a lot of fun and my family would enjoy it.

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  30. This looks like a great hands-on toy that can be enjoyed by kids of many ages.

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  31. That looks amazing and I love that it begins to teach science and robotics;.

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  32. this would really interest my daughter. Interesting!

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  33. Wow, this is really cool. I know my children would love it.

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  34. this is a great gift idea for when my son is older

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Thank you for commenting :)