Have you guys seen this? What a great toy! It's a caterpillar that is made of multiple segments that can be rearranged. Each segment codes a different action. Left turn, right turn, straight...

And it's audience is pre-schoolers.

It teaches critical thinking skills through programming. Similar to Logo in its day, but with a concrete toy instead of a screen.

Take a look!
http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/think-and-learn/products/Think-and-Learn-Code-a-pillar

 

With the expansion packs, things start to get interesting. Ideas for hacks abound but I wonder what the hardware will support.

http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/b...s/Think-and-Learn-Master-Moves-Expansion-Pack

http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/b...-Learn-Silly-Sounds-and-Lights-Expansion-Pack

 

Have you guys seen this? What a great toy! It's a caterpillar that is made of multiple segments that can be rearranged. Each segment codes a different action. Left turn, right turn, straight...

And it's audience is pre-schoolers.

It teaches critical thinking skills through programming. Similar to Logo in its day, but with a concrete toy instead of a screen.

Take a look!
http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/think-and-learn/products/Think-and-Learn-Code-a-pillar

Thanks for sharing - that is cool as an idea. Likely only cool as a toy with a couple expansion packs .

 

Have you guys seen this? What a great toy! It's a caterpillar that is made of multiple segments that can be rearranged. Each segment codes a different action. Left turn, right turn, straight...

And it's audience is pre-schoolers.

It teaches critical thinking skills through programming. Similar to Logo in its day, but with a concrete toy instead of a screen.

Take a look!
http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/think-and-learn/products/Think-and-Learn-Code-a-pillar

Wow! ... this sort of thing makes me feel that I was born about 50 years too early!

 

In the late 60's or early 70's, the MIT AI lab used to have a "turtle" roaming the halls. It was like a frisbee with four wheels. Onboard was a wireless receiver and electronics to interpret Logo commands.

Logo, for those who don't remember, was a language used for education that consisted of simple commands to move a turtle or cursor. Move up, down, left, or right. There were pen commands, which when used would draw a line where the turtle moved. Pen up and down. Look it up on Wikipedia.

This Code-a-pilar is evocative of Seymour Paperts turtles that roamed the MIT halls.