Arduino Learning Studiorobotics pathway

R08-U3 · usually age 8 · Little Inventors

Robots That Respond

How can a robot notice something?

Pilot unit plan · 4 sessions · not yet classroom-validated

Build: Touch-activated creature

How a robot can notice something: a touch sensor and an if card. A robot child with a bumper paddle, and a box creature on a table-top grid, follow one if card round the walls; Robot Instructions' levels 8–9 do the same on screen. Then a touch-activated creature on the kit's press switch: children test three input cases, describe each result, and track down a fault with one check at a time.

  • Sense
  • Decide
  • Test and debug

Who it is for

Age is a starting point, never a limit. A learner who can show what this unit starts from can begin here at any age.

How they learn
By making, moving and playing: ramps, wheels, levers, a classmate acting as a robot. Pictures and arrows instead of words; no code text.
The adult's role
An adult leads every session and prepares anything powered. Children never handle loose batteries, sharp tools or hot parts.
Session
45–60 minutes
Hardware
No controller needed: cardboard, wheels, gears; optional enclosed low-voltage modules. The adult prepares or checks any wiring. No loose batteries, coin cells, small magnets, sharp tools or hot parts.

Starts from

Builds, and what it is the input for

In the studio today

Sessions

  1. Session 1 · 45 min

    Can a robot notice a touch?

    A sensor lets a robot notice something; a touch sensor notices a touch. An if card makes the robot choose: if the bumper is touched, turn right; if not, one step forward. The same card, again and again, takes the robot round the walls without knowing where they are.

    The adult says first: “The paddle is your sensor. Touched: turn right. Not touched: one step forward.”

    Picture cards for the children (symbols and drawings; they read nothing)

    1. ▣ ↱ — picture: a tapped paddle and a right turn
    2. ⬆ — picture: no tap: one step forward
    3. ▭ ✋ — picture: the paddle held in both hands below the chin
    4. ×8 — picture: the if card done eight times
    5. ★ — picture: the star in the far corner
    6. ⛔ — picture: a raised hand: stop

    Key words (said aloud, pointing to the card): sensor · touch · if

    Timing (0 of 45 min at the screen)

    1. 10 minAway from the screen: The adult is the robot with the paddle; the tapper shows where to kneel and a gentle, flat tap.
    2. 25 minAway from the screen: One robot at a time follows the if card; the roles swap.
    3. 10 minAway from the screen: Sit together: when did the robot turn, and why?

    In the studio

    No studio lab: this session is off-screen.

    Hands-on

    Nothing is powered. Before the session the adult tapes a grid of 5 big-step squares by 4 on a clear floor, every edge pressed flat, with a paper star taped flat in the far corner; the grid's edges are its walls. The robot child starts in a corner, the grid on its right-hand side, facing along the long edge, holding the bumper paddle in both hands in front, below the chin; everyone else sits outside the grid, at least one square back from its edge. The robot's program is one if card, ▣↱ ×8: in each square, if the paddle is tapped, turn right on the spot; if not, one step forward. The tapper kneels outside the grid beside the first corner, on the robot's left, to the side of its path, never in front of it, and gently taps the paddle from the side, flat-handed, only when the robot faces a wall with no square ahead. If no tap comes at the edge, the adult says “Stop!” before the step. The group counts the goes, and the robot reaches the star. Then the children swap roles: robot, tapper, counter.

    Evidence to collect

    The adult's note of which children followed the if card as the robot, and which tapped only at a wall.

    Predict
    Before each go, the counter says what the robot will do: turn, because a wall is ahead, or step, because there is none.
    Debug
    If the robot misses the star, walk it again slowly and stop at the first square where the tap came, or did not come, at the wrong time.
    Reflect
    How did the robot know when to turn, without knowing where the walls were?

    ⚠ Adult checks: Maze: a clear floor with the tape edges pressed flat, walking pace, no blindfolds. The robot child can always say “Stop!” or hold up the stop card, and the game stops at once. One robot on the grid at a time; everyone else sits outside its edge. Cards are laid beside the grid, never on the walking squares. Steps backwards are small, with the adult behind the robot. The bumper paddle (a planning choice): a large, light card the robot child holds in both hands in front, below the chin. Only the paddle is tapped, gently and flat-handed; nobody touches the child. The tapper kneels outside the grid beside the corner, to the side of the robot's path, never in front of it. Others sit at least one square back from the edge. No tap at a wall: the adult says “Stop!” before the step.

    Works towards: If … else

  2. Session 2 · 50 min

    Can the creature feel its way round?

    The same if card on the table and on screen. The box creature has a card bumper on its front; in each square the operator looks: is the bumper touching a wall? If so, turn right; if not, one square forward. Then Robot Instructions, level 8 “Feel for the wall” and level 9 “Round the pond”: the wall card feels ahead and decides.

    The adult says first: “Look at the bumper. Touching a wall: turn right. Not touching: one square forward.”

    Picture cards for the children (symbols and drawings; they read nothing)

    1. ▢ ▣ — picture: the box creature's bumper touching a wall
    2. ▣ ↱ — picture: the if card: a wall, so turn right
    3. ⬆ — picture: no wall: one square forward
    4. ×8 — picture: the if card done eight times
    5. ▭ — picture: the shared tablet, one child at a time

    Key words (said aloud, pointing to the card): bumper · if · wall

    Timing (10 of 50 min at the screen)

    1. 15 minAway from the screen: The box creature follows the if card on the table-top grid.
    2. 10 minAt the screen: Robot Instructions levels 8–9, one shared device, turns.
    3. 15 minAway from the screen: Back at the table: predict the other wall card, then run it.
    4. 10 minAway from the screen: Sit together: why does one card work at every corner?

    Hands-on

    Nothing is powered. The adult tapes the walls of the table-top grid to make it 5 squares by 4, like the board of Robot Instructions' level 8, and tries the creature first. The box creature starts in the top-left square facing right, its card bumper reaching the front edge of its square, and a paper star sits in the far corner. The operator follows ▣↱ ×8, one go at a time, while the pair counts: four squares along, a turn at the wall, three squares down to the star. Then, for ten minutes at one shared tablet or computer, the adult opens Robot Instructions at level 8 and children take turns in level 8 “Feel for the wall” and level 9 “Round the pond”, one level per child or pair; level 9 is a stretch, for a child or pair who finished level 8 easily. Back at the table, each pair predicts what the other wall card, ▣↰ ×8, will do from the same start, then runs it: the creature turns twice at the corner and walks back along the top, and never reaches the star.

    Evidence to collect

    The adult's note of which pairs ran the if card with the box creature and on screen, and a photo of the creature's grid with its card row (the build only).

    Predict
    Before each go, the pair says whether the bumper touches a wall, and so whether the creature will turn or step.
    Debug
    If the creature leaves the path, run it one go at a time and check the bumper at each square: is it really touching a wall?
    Reflect
    Why does one if card work at every corner?

    ⚠ Adult checks: Table-top grid (a planning choice): squares 10 cm wide on a large sheet taped flat, a low card wall along every edge. The operator lifts the box robot one square at a time; nothing is pushed off the table. The screen part is ten minutes at most, on one shared device.

    Works towards: If … else

  3. Session 3 · 55 min

    Does the switch feel my touch?

    The touch-activated creature: the press switch is its sense of touch, and the light is its response. Pressed, the light shines; not pressed, it stays dark. We describe it with an if card, but the creature runs no program: the switch closes the loop. Then a fault hunt: when the light does not come on, check one thing at a time, simplest first.

    The adult says first: “Press the switch. Does the switch feel your touch? Does the light come on?”

    Picture cards for the children (symbols and drawings; they read nothing)

    1. ✋ ⬇ 💡 — picture: a finger on the press switch, the light on
    2. ◯ — picture: no touch, the light dark
    3. 1 2 3 — picture: the three check cards in order
    4. 🔗 👀 — picture: looking at the power link, hands off
    5. ✋ ⛔ 🔋 — picture: only the adult touches the battery box or power link
    6. ⏻ ⛔ — picture: power off before changing anything

    Key words (said aloud, pointing to the card): touch · check · fault

    Timing (0 of 55 min at the screen)

    1. 10 minAway from the screen: The safety cards; the adult shows the creature's loop card and its card shell.
    2. 20 minAway from the screen: Each pair snaps the loop with the power link off; the adult checks it and snaps the link on; press the nose.
    3. 20 minAway from the screen: The fault hunt: one fault, then the check cards, one thing at a time.
    4. 5 minAway from the screen: The adult photographs the creature, the build only, unsnaps the power link and takes the cells out.

    In the studio

    No studio lab: this session is off-screen.

    Hands-on

    At the adult's station, one pair at a time at the kit. Before the session, away from the children, the adult puts 3 AA alkaline cells in the battery holder, screws its cover shut, fixes the holder on the grid and makes its other connection, with the power link off: the power link is the one 3-snap wire that joins the holder to the loop, marked with red tape and kept in the adult's hand. Spare modules and wires stay in the adult's box, and no metal tools or objects are on the kit table. With the power link off, each pair snaps the creature's loop from the adult's card, the light loop of the maker's Project 4 (Red Light) with the press switch in place of the slide switch: the press switch, the LED and 3-snap wires, the LED's + mark as on the card, and the adult stands the creature's card shell beside the grid, never on it, its drawn nose pointing to the press switch and its card ear towards the child, so that nothing needs a reach over the grid. The adult lifts the shell away, checks the loop and snaps the power link on, last, and stays within arm's reach of it. Each child presses the switch the nose points to: the light shines only while it is pressed. Then the fault hunt: with the power link off, the adult takes out one of the 3-snap wires the children snapped while the children look away. For the wire fault, the adult checks and snaps the power link on; the child presses: dark. The children check one thing at a time, in the order of the check cards, all by looking: is the power link on (look, never touch); is every part from the card there; does every part look flat and home. If a part does not look flat and home, with the power link off, only the adult presses it down. With the power link off, a child snaps the missing wire back in; the adult checks the loop, then snaps the power link on, and the child tests again. The adult unsnaps the power link before the next pair. At the end the adult unsnaps the power link, takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box.

    Evidence to collect

    The adult's note of what each child said the creature does when pressed and not pressed, and which check found each fault, and a photo of the creature on the grid (the build only).

    Predict
    Before the first press, each child holds up the light card or the dark card: will the light come on?
    Debug
    If the light stays dark, check one thing at a time, by looking, in the check cards' order: the power link, every part from the card, every part flat and home; then the adult replaces all three cells together.
    Reflect
    Why is it quicker to check one thing at a time, simplest first?

    ⚠ Adult checks before power-on: Cells: 3 AA alkaline, as the maker says, all three replaced together. Only the adult puts them in, away from the children, and screws the holder's cover shut. Children never touch a cell or the holder. The adult fixes the battery holder on the grid before the session and makes its other connection. Children snap only the parts on the card, never onto the holder or the power link's place. The power link (a planning choice): one 3-snap wire marked with red tape, the only way power reaches a loop. Only the adult snaps it on, last, and unsnaps it first, before any change. Power off to change anything: the adult unsnaps the power link before any part is added, moved or taken away. Children never change a loop that has power. Before the power link goes on: spare modules and wires back in the adult's box, no metal tools or objects on the kit table, and the adult within arm's reach of the power link. Before the power link goes on, the adult checks: only the parts on the card; every path from the holder goes through the light or horn; no wire or switch across the holder, the light or the horn. Then: the light's and the horn's + marks as on the card, every snap pressed home, any slide switch off. Only then does the adult snap the power link on, last. Short circuits, the maker's two examples: a 3-snap wire straight across the holder, and a circuit whose slide switch, turned on, makes a path that skips the light or horn. The loop check looks for both. Never left with power: if the adult steps away, the power link comes off first. At the end of every powered session the adult takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box. If anything gets warm, smells or cracks: hands off and tell the adult, who unsnaps the power link. A cracked or broken part leaves the kit; the adult gets a replacement from the maker. The horn is loud: a folded cloth over it (a planning choice), short beeps only, a warning from the adult before each beep, never near an ear. Any child may choose the light; ear defenders are offered. Kit parts stay as the maker made them: nothing is taped, glued, drawn or stuck on any module, and no module is opened or changed. Card goes beside the grid, never on it. The card shell (a planning choice) stands beside or behind the grid, never on it, cut by the adult. Every module stays in full view, and the adult lifts the shell away before every loop check.

    Works towards: If … else, Finding faults

  4. Session 4 · 55 min

    Can we test three touches and say what happened?

    Testing on purpose: three input cases, one at a time, each with a result to describe. Only the press switch can feel a touch; the card cannot. Finding that a touch does nothing is a result too.

    The adult says first: “Three tests, one at a time. Guess first, then say what happened.”

    Picture cards for the children (symbols and drawings; they read nothing)

    1. ◯ ✋ ✗ — picture: no touch: the light dark
    2. ✋ ⬇ 💡 — picture: a press on the switch: the light on
    3. ✋ ◠ — picture: a touch on the card ear: the light dark
    4. 💬 — picture: a child telling the adult what happened
    5. ✋ ⛔ 🔋 — picture: only the adult touches the battery box or power link
    6. ⏻ ⛔ — picture: power off before changing anything

    Key words (said aloud, pointing to the card): test · result · touch

    Timing (0 of 55 min at the screen)

    1. 10 minAway from the screen: The safety cards; each pair snaps the creature's loop with the power link off.
    2. 30 minAway from the screen: The three cases, one at a time: predict, test, describe.
    3. 10 minAway from the screen: Each child says the creature's if card in their own words.
    4. 5 minAway from the screen: The adult photographs the creature, the build only, unsnaps the power link and takes the cells out.

    In the studio

    No studio lab: this session is off-screen.

    Hands-on

    At the adult's station, pairs in turn. Before the session, away from the children, the adult puts 3 AA alkaline cells in the battery holder, screws its cover shut, fixes the holder on the grid and makes its other connection, with the power link off: the power link is the one 3-snap wire that joins the holder to the loop, marked with red tape and kept in the adult's hand. Spare modules and wires stay in the adult's box, and no metal tools or objects are on the kit table. With the power link off, each pair snaps the creature's loop from the card, the light loop of the maker's Project 4 (Red Light) with the press switch in place of the slide switch: the press switch, the LED and 3-snap wires, and the adult stands the card shell beside the grid, its nose pointing to the press switch and its ear towards the child, so that no case needs a reach over the grid; the adult lifts the shell away, checks the loop and snaps the power link on, last, and stays within arm's reach of it. Each child tests the three input cases on the case cards (the second card shows the press switch), one at a time, and describes each result to the adult: no touch (the light stays dark), a press on the switch the creature's nose points to (the light shines while it is pressed) and a touch on its card ear, beside the grid, away from the switch (the light stays dark). Before each case the child predicts the result with the light card or the dark card. Each child then says the creature's if card in their own words. The adult unsnaps the power link before the next pair. At the end the adult unsnaps the power link, takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box.

    Evidence to collect

    The unit's evidence: each child tests three input cases with the touch-activated creature (no touch, a press on the switch its nose points to, a touch on its card ear) and describes the result of each, shown and told to the adult; kept as the adult's note of each description and a photo of the creature on the grid, never of the child.

    Predict
    Before each of the three cases, the child holds up the light card or the dark card for the result they expect.
    Debug
    If a case gives a result nobody expected, test it again the same way; if the nose press stays dark, use the check cards, one thing at a time.
    Reflect
    Why did touching the card ear do nothing?

    ⚠ Adult checks before power-on: Cells: 3 AA alkaline, as the maker says, all three replaced together. Only the adult puts them in, away from the children, and screws the holder's cover shut. Children never touch a cell or the holder. The adult fixes the battery holder on the grid before the session and makes its other connection. Children snap only the parts on the card, never onto the holder or the power link's place. The power link (a planning choice): one 3-snap wire marked with red tape, the only way power reaches a loop. Only the adult snaps it on, last, and unsnaps it first, before any change. Power off to change anything: the adult unsnaps the power link before any part is added, moved or taken away. Children never change a loop that has power. Before the power link goes on: spare modules and wires back in the adult's box, no metal tools or objects on the kit table, and the adult within arm's reach of the power link. Before the power link goes on, the adult checks: only the parts on the card; every path from the holder goes through the light or horn; no wire or switch across the holder, the light or the horn. Then: the light's and the horn's + marks as on the card, every snap pressed home, any slide switch off. Only then does the adult snap the power link on, last. Short circuits, the maker's two examples: a 3-snap wire straight across the holder, and a circuit whose slide switch, turned on, makes a path that skips the light or horn. The loop check looks for both. Never left with power: if the adult steps away, the power link comes off first. At the end of every powered session the adult takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box. If anything gets warm, smells or cracks: hands off and tell the adult, who unsnaps the power link. A cracked or broken part leaves the kit; the adult gets a replacement from the maker. The horn is loud: a folded cloth over it (a planning choice), short beeps only, a warning from the adult before each beep, never near an ear. Any child may choose the light; ear defenders are offered. Kit parts stay as the maker made them: nothing is taped, glued, drawn or stuck on any module, and no module is opened or changed. Card goes beside the grid, never on it. The card shell (a planning choice) stands beside or behind the grid, never on it, cut by the adult. Every module stays in full view, and the adult lifts the shell away before every loop check. Photos are of the build only, taken by the adult on the setting's device, following its photo policy: no child in the frame, no names visible, the build on the table or floor, not in a hand. Nothing is uploaded to this studio and no name goes into it; the adult's notes follow the setting's records policy.

    Works towards: If … else, Finding faults

Materials

  • Per group of up to six: a big cardboard box of prepared parts (pre-cut by the adult), masking tape, glue sticks, crayons and large sheets of paper for drawings
  • The adult's picture cards for the session, drawn large (drawn by hand today; printable cards are planned)
  • One Snap Circuits Beginner (Elenco, SCB20) kit per adult station, labelled Ages 5-8, using its the mini base grid, the 3-snap wires, the battery holder (B3B), the slide switch (S1), the press switch (S2), the red/yellow LED (D10) and the horn (W1); the light motor (M7), the lamp and the egg stay in the box
  • The power link: the one 3-snap wire in each loop that joins the holder to the loop, marked with red tape and kept in the adult's hand
  • 3 AA alkaline cells and a small Phillips screwdriver for the holder's cover, both kept by the adult, never in the children's reach and never on the kit table; when the cells run down, the adult replaces all three together
  • A folded cloth to cover the horn, and ear defenders, for any child who uses the horn in place of the light
  • Masking tape for a floor grid of big-step squares on a clear floor (every edge pressed flat), a paper star taped flat, a stop card, and a bumper paddle: a large, light card
  • A table-top grid: a large sheet ruled in 10 cm squares, taped flat to the table, with a low card wall taped along every edge; the box creature, an empty card box about 8 cm across with a card bumper taped to its front, too big for the small-parts cylinder (checked by the adult)
  • The creature's card shell: a creature the adult cuts from thick card, with a drawn nose that points to the press switch and a card ear, that stands beside the grid, never on it, its ear towards the child
  • Picture cards drawn large by the adult: the if card, the wall cards, the three case cards (the second shows the press switch), the check cards, the light and dark cards, and the safety cards
  • One tablet or computer with a web browser, shared, for Robot Instructions in session 2

⚠ Safety before any session

  • Powered parts: only the plastic modules of one snap-together kit made for this age (Snap Circuits Beginner (Elenco, SCB20), labelled Ages 5-8), prepared and checked by the adult.
  • Cells: 3 AA alkaline, as the maker says, all three replaced together. Only the adult puts them in, away from the children, and screws the holder's cover shut. Children never touch a cell or the holder.
  • No coin or button cells and no rechargeable lithium cells (no Li-ion or LiPo): only the kit's own AA alkaline cells, in its screwed holder.
  • No mains: nothing in this unit plugs into a wall socket, and no adapter, charger or extension lead goes near the kit.
  • No bare or loose wires and no other parts: only the kit's own snap modules and 3-snap wires, on its base grid. Never a second battery or another power source.
  • The adult fixes the battery holder on the grid before the session and makes its other connection. Children snap only the parts on the card, never onto the holder or the power link's place.
  • The power link (a planning choice): one 3-snap wire marked with red tape, the only way power reaches a loop. Only the adult snaps it on, last, and unsnaps it first, before any change.
  • Power off to change anything: the adult unsnaps the power link before any part is added, moved or taken away. Children never change a loop that has power.
  • Before the power link goes on: spare modules and wires back in the adult's box, no metal tools or objects on the kit table, and the adult within arm's reach of the power link.
  • Before the power link goes on, the adult checks: only the parts on the card; every path from the holder goes through the light or horn; no wire or switch across the holder, the light or the horn.
  • Then: the light's and the horn's + marks as on the card, every snap pressed home, any slide switch off. Only then does the adult snap the power link on, last.
  • Short circuits, the maker's two examples: a 3-snap wire straight across the holder, and a circuit whose slide switch, turned on, makes a path that skips the light or horn. The loop check looks for both.
  • If anything gets warm, smells or cracks: hands off and tell the adult, who unsnaps the power link. A cracked or broken part leaves the kit; the adult gets a replacement from the maker.
  • The horn is loud: a folded cloth over it (a planning choice), short beeps only, a warning from the adult before each beep, never near an ear. Any child may choose the light; ear defenders are offered.
  • Never left with power: if the adult steps away, the power link comes off first. At the end of every powered session the adult takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box.
  • Kit parts stay as the maker made them: nothing is taped, glued, drawn or stuck on any module, and no module is opened or changed. Card goes beside the grid, never on it.
  • The card shell (a planning choice) stands beside or behind the grid, never on it, cut by the adult. Every module stays in full view, and the adult lifts the shell away before every loop check.
  • No scissors in this unit: the adult cuts each card shell before the session, away from the children, and the kit table holds only the kit's own parts and the shell.
  • The kit's label warns of small parts. The adult checks each piece against the small-parts cylinder and counts the kit out and back in; it stays at the adult's station.
  • Small parts: nothing loose, or that could come off, that fits inside the small-parts cylinder (31.70 mm wide, 57.10 mm long). No beads, marbles, buttons, small magnets or coin cells. If in doubt, leave it out.
  • The one exception is the kit's own pieces, which stay under the adult's count.
  • Maze: a clear floor with the tape edges pressed flat, walking pace, no blindfolds. The robot child can always say “Stop!” or hold up the stop card, and the game stops at once.
  • One robot on the grid at a time; everyone else sits outside its edge. Cards are laid beside the grid, never on the walking squares. Steps backwards are small, with the adult behind the robot.
  • The bumper paddle (a planning choice): a large, light card the robot child holds in both hands in front, below the chin. Only the paddle is tapped, gently and flat-handed; nobody touches the child.
  • The tapper kneels outside the grid beside the corner, to the side of the robot's path, never in front of it. Others sit at least one square back from the edge. No tap at a wall: the adult says “Stop!” before the step.
  • Table-top grid (a planning choice): squares 10 cm wide on a large sheet taped flat, a low card wall along every edge. The operator lifts the box robot one square at a time; nothing is pushed off the table.
  • Photos are of the build only, taken by the adult on the setting's device, following its photo policy: no child in the frame, no names visible, the build on the table or floor, not in a hand.
  • Nothing is uploaded to this studio and no name goes into it; the adult's notes follow the setting's records policy.
Safety for every band
  • Low voltage only: battery packs or USB. Never mains electricity.
  • Never connect a motor straight to a controller pin: use a driver and a separate supply.
  • Every moving robot has a power-off switch within reach that cuts the motor battery (or all power). A software stop button is extra, never a replacement.
  • No coin or button cells and no loose small magnets; battery compartments screwed shut.
  • Guard wheels and moving parts against pinched fingers; keep robots slow and indoors.
  • No exposed lithium cells, improvised chargers or lasers.
  • No Li-ion, LiPo or RC packs: AA alkaline or NiMH cells in a closed holder with a switch, or USB.
  • Check polarity and voltage before power-on; a 3.3 V board must not receive 5 V signals.

Notes for the adult

  • Say each step aloud: your words come first. The children read nothing. Each session's picture cards show symbols and drawings only; say the key word as you point to its card.
  • These plans assume one adult for up to six children. The adult leads every step, prepares every cut before the session, makes every hole (by the hole rule) and keeps the craft box and the split pins.
  • With a whole class, run a carousel: one station of up to six children run by the adult, and independent stations within the adult's sight where the others have a defined task with no scissors, split pins or ramps (each plan's “Whole class:” note names them). Groups swap until every child has been at the adult's station.
  • Whole class: the floor grid, the table-top grid, the screen and the kit stay at the adult's station. The independent stations are drawing the creature's if card (touched, not touched) with crayons, and playing the if-card game with a large soft toy on a second table-top grid. In the powered sessions (3 and 4) a second adult for the independent stations is recommended, so that the kit's adult watches only the kit.
  • Inclusion: every child takes part. Mobility: a child can show a movement their own way (hands, arms or a large soft toy), be the robot on big, clear squares in a wheelchair, lay the cards or give the instructions, or move a large soft toy across a table-top grid. Vision: large, high-contrast or tactile picture cards (raised outlines). Hearing: say each key word and point to its card at the same time, facing the child. Left-handed children get left-handed scissors with rounded ends.
  • In this unit, a child who cannot see the light uses the horn: with the power link off, you swap the light for the horn under its folded cloth, making the maker's Project 6 (Horn): the press switch, the horn and 3-snap wires, by the horn rule, and say before each press that a beep is coming. In the floor game, a child who uses a wheelchair can be the robot on big, clear squares, with the paddle resting on a lap tray, moving the chair or with a partner pushing it, or be the tapper or the counter; nobody touches the robot child, only the paddle.
  • Evidence is showing and telling: a demonstration, a photo of the build (never of a child, no names visible) or a drawing that you keep, or your own short note. No names in the studio, no scores, no uploads.
  • The CPSC's small-parts rule is written for toys for children under 3, and it exempts paper and writing materials such as crayons (16 CFR 1501.3, quoted). These plans apply its cylinder check to the loose objects children handle, and to anything that could come off, a stricter planning choice: groups mix ages and younger visitors come in. Paper and crayons stay in use; the adult collects glue-stick caps and crayon stubs at the end of each session.
  • Screen time is minimal: only Robot Instructions uses a screen, for at most 10 minutes in a session, on one shared tablet or computer. Every other part of every session is away from the screen.
  • Picture cards are a program for a person, not code that runs: a child or you carry them out, card by card. Nothing in these units runs a program by itself, and nothing is uploaded.
  • Be honest about the creature: it runs no program and decides nothing. The press switch closes its loop and the light shines; the if card describes what happens. In the floor game, on the table and in Robot Instructions, an if card really chooses, because a person or the activity's model carries it out.
  • The three cases: no touch and a touch on the card ear both leave the light dark, because only the press switch can close the loop. That the ear does nothing is a result, not a mistake: it shows where the sensor is.
  • Planted faults are only ever one of the wires the children snapped, taken out: never the holder's connection or the power link, never a part turned round or added. A missing wire leaves the loop open, so no planted fault can make a short circuit.
  • The check cards follow the maker's own advice (“Be sure that all connections are securely snapped.”). Their order, the power link, every part, every part flat and home, then new cells, which only you fit, is this plan's choice: the simplest check first, one thing at a time. All three are looking checks; only you press a part down, with the power link off. Check card 3 is never planted: your own loop check presses every snap home.
  • Robot Instructions saves nothing and needs no reading. It never replaces the floor game or the table-top creature.
  • Clear the floor before the floor game: bags, chairs and loose cards away. The HSE says most trips are caused by things left in walkways.
  • Why this kit: the same Snap Circuits Beginner (Elenco, SCB20) that R07-U3 used, labelled Ages 5-8 by its maker, run by the same routine. The age label is not the whole answer: the maker asks the adult to make sure the child “understands and follows all of the safety warnings”, so you hold the power. The children never touch the cells, the holder or the power link, and nothing they build has power until you have checked it.
  • Who builds what (founder decision, 2026-11-07: children snap, the adult checks): the children snap modules together only while the power link is off. You alone fill and close the holder, fix it on the grid, snap the power link on, last, and unsnap it first.
  • Never modify the kit: the maker says “Never modify your parts, as doing so may disable important safety features in them”. The card shell stands beside or behind the grid, never on it; nothing is taped, glued or drawn on a module, and you lift the shell away for every loop check.
  • Short circuits, in the maker's words: “Placing a 3-snap wire directly across the batteries is a SHORT CIRCUIT.” and “When the slide switch (S1) is turned on, this circuit has a SHORT CIRCUIT path (as shown by the arrows).” Your loop check looks for a wire or a switch across the holder, the light or the horn, every time.
  • Take the cells out at the end of every powered session: the maker says “Never leave a circuit unattended while the batteries are installed.” When they run down, you replace all three together: the maker says “Do not mix old and new batteries.”
  • No coin or button cells come near this unit: the rule under Reese's Law (16 CFR 1263.2, quoted) says one swallowed or inserted “can become lodged in the digestive tract or airways”. Never anything from the mains, not even to test it: the maker says “Never connect Snap Circuits® to the electrical outlets in your home in any way!”, and the HSE, writing about electricity at work, says “Electricity can kill or severely injure people”.
  • A cracked or broken part leaves the kit, as the maker says (“Discard any cracked or broken parts.”). You order its replacement from the maker and check it before it joins the kit; the children never handle the battery holder.
  • The light motor stays in the box: the maker warns “Do not touch the light motor (M7) during operation.” These plans use only the light, the horn, the two switches and the 3-snap wires.
  • This unit relies on events (R08-U1), switch inputs (R07-U3) and trying again after a failure (R06-U3). It does not teach them again.
  • Readiness decides, not age: a child who already tests a touch input case by case and tracks down a fault one check at a time has what R09-U3 and R11-U4 need from this unit.

Planned studio features

Not built yet. The unit runs without them.

  • Printable picture cards: the if card, the wall cards, the three case cards, the check cards, the light and dark cards and the safety cards.
  • A printable card-shell creature template, sized to stand beside the kit's base grid, its nose pointing to the press switch.

Sources

The facts this plan relies on, in each source's own words.

  • UK HSE: Slips and trips, causes and prevention: overview
    “The majority of trips are caused by obstructions in walkways. … It is not just good enough to have a walkway, it must be kept clear, no trailing wires, no obstructions.”
  • US CPSC: Child Safety: Summary Information for Small Parts, 16 C.F.R. Part 1501
    “A small part is any object that fits completely into a specially designed test cylinder 2.25 inches /57.10mm long by 1.25 inches /31.70 mm wide that approximates the size of the fully expanded throat of a child under three years old. … A piece of a toy or article that breaks off during testing that simulates use or abuse by children. … Toys and games that are or contain small parts as manufactured and that are intended for use by children from 3 to 6 years old must be labeled to warn purchasers not to buy them for children under 3 years old because those children could choke on the small parts. Marbles, small balls, and balloons require similar warnings.”
  • US eCFR, 16 CFR 1501 (a CPSC rule): Method for identifying toys and other articles intended for use by children under 3 years of age which present choking, aspiration, or ingestion hazards because of small parts
    “This regulation does not apply to toys or articles which are solely intended for use by children 3 years of age or older. … The following articles are exempt from this regulation … Books and other articles made of paper; … Writing materials such as crayons, chalk, pencils, and pens; … Any components or pieces (excluding paper, fabric, yarn, fuzz, elastic, and string) which have become detached from the article as a result of the use and abuse testing shall be placed into the cylinder, one at a time.”
  • Elenco Snap Circuits Beginner, SCB20 (the maker's product notes: its age label, batteries, modules and warning)
    “Perfect for future engineers age 5+. … Extra safety features for younger engineers, 5 and up. … Requires 3 "AA" batteries (not included) … All parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together with ease. … No tools required. … Ages | 5-8 … Product Warning | WARNING CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for Children under 3 yrs”
  • Elenco Snap Circuits Beginner Instruction Manual, 753097 (the maker's product notes: warnings, parts, batteries and short circuits)
    “AGES 5+ … Always check your wiring before turning on a circuit. Never leave a circuit unattended while the batteries are installed. Never connect additional batteries or any other power sources to your circuits. Discard any cracked or broken parts. … adults should exercise discretion as to which experiments are suitable and safe … Make sure your child understands and follows all of the safety warnings, and keeps them at hand for reference. … Use only 1.5V AA type, alkaline batteries (not included). … Do not mix old and new batteries. … Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries. … Do not short circuit the battery terminals. … Batteries are harmful if swallowed, so keep away from small children. … WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD Never connect Snap Circuits® to the electrical outlets in your home in any way! … 3-Snap Wire … B3B | Battery Holder - uses 3 1.5V type AA (not included) … D10 | Red/Yellow LED … Slide Switch … Press Switch … Horn … Be sure that the light motor (M7), red/yellow LED (D10, and horn (W1) have their “+” marking positioned as per the drawing. … Do not touch the light motor (M7) during operation. … Remove the safety cover from the battery holder (B3B) with a Phillips head screwdriver. Insert three (3) 1.5V “AA” batteries (not included) into the battery holder (B3B). … Placing a 3-snap wire directly across the batteries is a SHORT CIRCUIT. … When the slide switch (S1) is turned on, this circuit has a SHORT CIRCUIT path (as shown by the arrows). … be careful not to accidentally make a direct connection across the battery holder (a “short circuit”), as this may damage and/or quickly drain the batteries. … Be sure that all connections are securely snapped. … Do the same with the LED, it should light red or yellow, depending on how you oriented it. … Do the same with the horn (horn + to battery +), it should make an annoying sound. … Project 4 : Red Light … Project 6 : Horn”
  • Elenco Snap Circuits Beginner Instruction Manual, 753097 (the maker's product notes: never modify the parts)
    “Never modify your parts, as doing so may disable important safety features in them”
  • US eCFR, 16 CFR 1263.2 (a CPSC rule): Definitions, in the Safety Standard for Button Cell or Coin Batteries (Reese's Law)
    “section 5 of Reese's Law … Button cell or coin battery means: … A single cell battery with a diameter greater than the height of the battery; … Ingestion hazard means a hazard caused by a person swallowing or inserting a button cell or coin battery into their body whereby: … The button cell or coin battery can become lodged in the digestive tract or airways; and … Can potentially cause death or serious injury through choking, generation of hazardous chemicals, leaking of hazardous chemicals, electrical burns, pressure necrosis, or other means.”
  • UK HSE: Introduction to electrical safety
    “Electricity can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property. … electric shock and burns from contact with live parts … Even incorrectly wiring a plug can be dangerous and lead to fatal accidents or fires.”