One of the many highlights of the Thor Ragnarok event I got to experience last month was an introduction to the brand new littleBits Droid Inventor Kit. Now, I’ve been a huge fan of littleBits since our first kit which was the Premium Inventors Kit. It was really one of the first STEM based “toys” that sparked my daughters’ love and interest. They’d even gone so far as to create inventions and take them to school to demonstrate for show and tell. littleBits’ newest product is this super cool Droid Inventor Kit and we could not be more excited!
littleBits was founded in 2011 – by a female engineer, by the way – with a focus on introducing kids to circuitry and electronics by way of components that snap together. With this Droid Invention Kit, kids can create custom Droid by using littleBits electronic blocks. The free Droid Inventor app gives the R2 Unit new abilities to take on over 16 missions.
The concept of the Droid Inventor Kit is quite unique. The kit contains all the stickers, speakers, sensors, motors and Droid body parts that will allow you to create blorping, rolling, bleeping, R2-D2 of your own. If you want to mix things up a little, that’s fine too.
The Droid Inventor Kit is designed for kids 8 years and older, and it’s geared towards educational settings as well as for home users. While it might not come with all the lessons and resources, it’s a whole lot fun and offers kids valuable familiarity to how electronics and circuits work.
What’s in the Box?
In case you are not very familiar with LittleBits kits, they generally come with small devices known Bits that magnetically connect to one another. Each Bit makes up a certain function, such as a light sensor or input button. The bits are color coded to indicate what they do –it could be power, logic, input or output. You connect the bits together in a certain order to build circuits for different uses.
The Droid Inventor Kit is made up of six bits; DC Motor, Control Hub, Proximity Sensor, Power, Wire and Servo Bits. The box also comes with clear plastic droid parts around which the circuit is built. You also get a bonus of three pages of stickers for customizing your droid. The box also comes with a quick start guide and you can download the free app for more detailed instructions.
How to build your Droid
As I mentioned earlier, the Kit comes with instructions that include drawings of circuits with explanations. You will also be required to download the free app available for iOS and Android devices. The app offers detailed instructions and tips on how to build circuits.
There are animations within the app that shows you every Bit and takes you through a step by step process towards building your droid. Each step represents a “mission”, which you are requested to accept. Generally, the droid is pretty easy to construct and all the pieces fit well together.
SEE MY DROID IN ACTION HERE
Droid Inventor Kit and STEM
The Droid Inventor Kit was named among the top 10 toys that engage and inspire kids about STEM by The Toy Insider. These skills combined with problem-solving and creativity is vital in preparing kids for diverse careers. The Kit allows kids to create iconic R2 units while challenging them to find solutions for problems, engineer innovative Droids, and come up with new ideas.
The invention fosters problem solving and creativity via its app that challenges kids to design even more complex droids. You can also combine this with household items to come up with completely unique builds. The littlBits kits do wonders empower kids to become inventors by building products that are self-directed. The best part is the kit support kids from both genders so girl inventors welcome!
Save 20% on your very own littleBits.cc Droid Inventor Kit from Thursday, November 23, 2017 through Monday, November 27, 2017.
little Bits Launches its Global Inventor Movement
In addition to their great product that looks to shed light on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math), they’re also launching a global inventor movement.
On November 15th, littleBits announced the littleBits Competition: Droid Inventor Kit which invites kids, families, and Star Wars fans—residing in the US, UK, and Canada – to share their own unique Droid creations with the global inventor community. The competition will run from November 15, 2017 to January 10, 2018. Fans and families will be able to submit their own leading-edge Droid design creations, judged by Star Wars: The Last Jedi stars Daisy Ridley (the actress who portrays Rey in the current Star Wars trilogy) and Kelly Marie Tran (the actress who portrays Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi) alongside Ayah Bdeir (founder and CEO of littleBits) and Kathleen Kennedy (president of Lucasfilm).
Check out more info about the competition–and the killer prizes at https://shop.littlebits.cc/pages/starwars
little Bits Droid Inventor Kit Giveaway!
This Droid Inventor Kit makes the perfect holiday gift and my partners at littleBits have sent me an extra kit to share with one of my lucky readers. To enter this giveaway, just complete the entries in the Rafflecopter below and I will be randomly selecting a winner on Friday Dec. 8th! Good Luck!
I would share this with my son and daughter.
My husband is a HUGE Star Wars fan and my kids are all about science so I would give it to them to do together (a great bonding experience). They would have a blast building it together! Thanks for the chance.
I would share this with my son. A huge starwars fan
I would have my three kids work on it together.
I would share with my daughter. She would love it!
I would give this to my son.
I would share this with my two boys.
My husband Avtar
I would give it to my kids.
My son is going to love this! He’s a huge Star Wars fan, so being able to make his own R2-D2 droid model would make him feel just like Luke Skywalker.
That looks like a lot of fun for the kids and it will definitely help them enjoy science more. It’s also perfect for the Star Wards fan! I love it.
My kids are into anything that is tech or robot related. They would go crazy over the LittleBits Droid!
Working on these STEM concepts in a fun way is always a good idea. This droid kit is the coolest!
I would share this with my Granddaughter.
I like how they make it appeal to both sexes. Anything that really encourages STEM learning for girls gets my seal of approval since we have so few girls working in those fields upon graduation. This is awesome!
I would love to win it for my boys
The Droid Inventor Kit is the perfect gift for my Son. I have been trying to find some cool gift ideas. He is going to be so happy when he finds this under the tree for him.
My nephew would love this and I would love helping him.
I would give this to my kids.
I’d share this with my youngest grandson, work on it together.
I’d share it with my girls
I would share it with my son!
I LOVE this! I totally entered the giveaway but I’m also checking it out because I think my grandson would love stuff like this! Plus who doesn’t love R2D2! Thanks for sharing!
I would share it with my child.
Definitely share this with my daughter!
This would be for my kids to build and work with. Maybe they can become friends with our future robot overlords!!!
I would defiantly share with my son!
I would share the Droid Inventor Kit with my daughter. She loves these kinds of kits.
Hello there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a marvellous job!