Coding for Kids - First Steps

Let’s start with the basics. There are two types of coding: text-based coding and block-based coding. The easiest way to differentiate the two, if you have never come in contact with either type of coding, is to look at how they look on the screen.

To someone who has never coded before, text-based coding basically looks like a bunch of random letters, numbers and brackets on a black screen. On the other hand, when you look at block-based coding on the screen, you’ll see many different colorful blocks similar to puzzle pieces.

Looking at text-based coding can quickly discourage you from even trying to teach your child to code, as it might look impossible to figure out which is why most parents opt for block coding. However, that’s precisely why companies have figured out creative ways to show that learning how to code doesn’t have to be difficult, regardless if your child wants to start learning how to code with a text-based or block-based interface.

Coding Apps and Websites for Kids

Block coding does not only look more simple than text-based coding; it actually is easier to figure out and master. Also, because block coding does not require any knowledge of programming languages and syntaxes, it can be introduced to kids as young as 5 years old.

However, some apps and websites have found unique approaches to teaching text-based coding in beginner-friendly ways. Here is a list of a few websites and apps kids can use to get started with coding.

Scratch and ScratchJr

When you think of block coding you will most likely think of Scratch and ScratchJr. They are one of the most popular block coding apps. What makes them special is that they encourage kids to use their imagination and creativity while learning to code.

With these apps, kids create interactive stories and practice teamwork skills through working collaboratively with each other. Another awesome feature of thes apps is that users can look at guides and ideas if they get stuck while creating games and stories.

To make it more accessible, not only is the app free, it’s available in over 60 languages and it can be both, downloaded onto a computer or used in a web browser.

Tynker

Tynker is an online coding platform that teaches kids about programming and helps them develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Tynker lessons feature different challenges that introduce kids to block coding. As children learn and acquire more and more knowledge, these blocks turn into JavaScript and Python commands. The game-like approach Tynker has helps to keep kid engaged at the task at hand.

CircuitBlocks

CircuitBlocks is our own beginner-friendly programming interface that teaches kids how to code and requires no prior coding experience whatsoever. CircuitBlocks has to be paired with one of our CircuitMess STEM kits in order to code new functions, games and apps for the chosen kit.

These STEM kits come disassembled so your child will also develop fine motor skills, learn about electronics and components that make an electronic device come to life. They will also get a sense of accomplishment after assembling the device on their own which will encourage them to continue tinkering with it and modify it with code.

Once the device is assembled, it can be connected to a computer and programmed in CircuitBlocks by simply dragging and dropping colorful blocks on the screen. Depending on the CircuitMess kit your kid chooses, they will be able to code games, apps, light shows, sound effects, and much more.

Another great thing is that, while using blocks to code on one side of the screen, your child will see code in C generated in real time. This will help them get a better understanding of how real code is written.

Codeable Crafts

Codeable Crafts is an app for Android devices and iPads that welcomes kids to the world of coding through their imagination. With this app, kids can use drawings and storytelling to experiment with coding. This is fun because kids can use coding blocks to bring their stories to life by animating their drawings.

CodeCombat

CodeCombat uses a gaming platform to teach kids how to code in programming languages like Python and JavaScript. With this game-based approach, kids are virtually taught how to code by teachers. To make things even more fun, kids can join a competitive AI coding league to put their coding skills to the test.

Code.org

Code.org is a nonprofit organization that wants to make coding education more accessible to students around the world. They facilitate in-person classes and you can also find a variety of online courses on their website so that your kids can get started with coding from home.

Hopscotch

Hopscotch is an app that teaches kids how to build code with blocks through creating animated stories, games, and art. Another great aspect of this app is that it teaches kids about entrepreneurship skills.

SpriteBox Coding

SpriteBox Coding is great for teaching kids different functions like like sequencing, parameters, loops, procedures, and basic Swift and Java syntax. The app is basically an adventure game that teaches kids coding through different icons that turn into textual commands.

If you can’t make up your mind on which of these apps and programs is the best for your child to get started with coding, let your child choose their favorite. Your child is the one who will use it to learn so it’s important to listen to their thoughts and let them choose the one that’s most interesting for them as that will ultimately keep them engaged the longest.

In any case, it is great that there are so many different options to choose from because if one of these apps and programs doesn’t work out it is super easy to switch to another one until you and your child find the perfect one.

due to very popular demand and fantastic support from you folks, I've decided to start a series of behind-the-scenes vlogs that will show you a bit more about CircuitMess Batmobile, our creative process, and our crew 🎥🎬

Please tell me what you think and what you'd like to see next.

Oh, and stay tuned, we're going to have some kind of a special deal tomorrow (pssst, it's a secret 😉).

Thank you, and keep making

- Albert

Did you know that all of our sets are designed, developed, and manufactured right here in our office in Zagreb? 

We have a lot of cool machines here, and I've made a short video to show you around and tell a bit more about how our whole process works.

You'll see where we handle everything from research and development, finance, administration, sales, marketing to processing and packing orders. Everything is done right here in our HQ. 

We've actually moved to this office in Zagreb, Croatia, from Karlovac, Croatia, in 2020. So, in one of my next updates, I'll tell you a little bit more about our old office and how the company started in 2017 after our first Kickstarter campaign. 

If you think this office is a mess, wait till I tell you about our old office in Karlovac.  :) 

What's your favorite part of our office? 

-Albert

There is still a number of backers whose credit cards were not successfully charged by Kickstarter. 

If your payment didn't go through, please fix it by the end of the day.

If you don't fix your payment method on time, Kickstarter will automatically cancel your pledge and you, unfortunately, won't be able to get your STEM Box :(

please follow this tutorial:

https://help.kickstarter.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005133293-A-project-I-m-backing-just-succeeded-and-my-pledge-was-declined-What-do-I-do-

If you don't manage to fix your payment this way, please reach out to Kickstarter's support here:

https://help.kickstarter.com/hc/en-us/categories/115000499033-Backer-questions

If you need any further help in fixing your payment, don't be shy and reach out to me directly!

Thanks and stay tuned!

- Albert

Our Kickstarter campaign wrapped up with 2001 backers and $84,000 more than our previous one which is beyond our wildest dreams.

Our story doesn’t end here, though.

Thanks to your support, now the real work begins!

We are already working hard on finishing Spencer’s design and getting him into production, and into your homes and schools in November.

I will frequently  update you guys about our progress so expect more Kickstarter updates along the way.
I also really value your opinions and suggestions, so please keep them coming!

This project was made possible thanks to you and we will do our best to deliver the coolest STEM kits to you.

Thank you!

Here is a short video of me playing with Jay-D. Fasten your seat-belts for super-awesome STEM kits! :)

PS, if you missed the chance to get your STEM Box in this campaign, you can still get it on Indiegogo InDemand (for a slightly higher price because we wanted to give our first supporters on Kickstarter the best price ever)

Oh, and our 20% cashback through Kickbooster is also active for Indiegogo, so if you wish, you can share it:
https://circuitmess-stem-box.kickbooster.me/boost

I've been asked to show a bit more of Jay-D in action so we've shot this short video of Erik jamming with a prototype of Jay-D. 

- Albert and the crew

I hope everyone is well during these uncertain times!

We’d like to keep our promise of delivering MAKERphones to all of our backers, but a tiny portion of our backers still didn’t receive their phones because they’ve never responded to our surveys or emails and we do not have their shipping addresses.

If you haven’t received your MAKERphone(s), let us know on contact@circuitmess.com.

Stay well,

Albert & the team

We have a couple of exciting news and we need your help to make something happen. :D

Soon we'll be moving into our new office in Zagreb (the capital of Croatia) which would mean a lot more possibilities for cooperation with other young and promising investors, which we hope, will ultimately lead to new exciting products.

Of course, we don't want to forget about our old products either, since we'll still be upgrading the software of MAKERphone and keep making the whole experience as exciting as it can be.

For the decoration of our new office, however, we are going to need your photos! Since MAKERphone has been shipped across SIX CONTINENTS (still waiting on that Antarctica order!), we are very happy with the global success of our campaign. That also means that a lot of you are from some very exciting cities and areas with beautiful landmarks and sceneries. 

What's your mission? Take a photo of yourself holding a MAKERphone (and/or a MAKERbuino if you own it) on an iconic place in your city. Anything can be in the background - a monument, a beautiful view, or maybe something specific in your city that you think would look good on the photo! We're giving extra points for creativity and the amount of 'happy' your face is showing!

What you're getting? Other than being exposed in our new office, we're also giving away FREE MERCH! The best of the best will get a complete package of our super cool merch - T-SHIRTS, STICKERS (YAY!), AN ECO-FRIENDLY BAG and some other very cool stuff!

We're very thankful for this whole campaign and hope to collect as many of your photos as possible so we can really and fully enjoy our new office space.

For everyone who wants to participate, please send your photos to contact@circuitmess.com.

Thanks in advance everyone, you are the best!

Albert & the team

Some of you were also supposed to receive custom casings. Unfortunately, due to some logistical and practical reasons (the casing is just not big enough to customize it!), we could not have made the custom casings as we initially thought.

For you who should’ve gotten those, we’ve added one additional casing in a different color, so you have more than one look to rock on your super-cool new phone!

We hope everyone is happy with the final product and that you will enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed during the whole process of making it happen.

Cheers and catch you again soon,

Albert & the team

Some of you already received your phones or tracking numbers and I want to thank you for assembling your phones immediately and sending us exciting feedback about our device! :)

We plan to ship all of your phones by the end of October and currently, around 40% of the orders were fulfilled.

We're packing your phones as fast as we can, but we can pack and send a maximum of 300 packages per day and there's over 2500 MAKERphones ordered.

If you did not receive your tracking number yet, don't worry! You'll receive it in the following weeks.

We're monitoring all the tracking numbers and will give you a buzz if something goes wrong with your delivery.

Thank you for your patience! 

Stay cool,

Albert & the team

Since we’ve moved the shipment date, we decided to offer everyone one last chance to upgrade to 4G.

We ordered extra 4G network modules so send us a private message if you missed the last deadline.

Why would I need the upgrade?

There are mainly two reasons you might want a MAKERphone 4G:

1) Your carrier might phase out 2G in the near future or your carrier doesn’t support 2G at all. 

2G will remain available in most countries at least by early 2021 (and by 2025 in Europe). 2G was already shut down in Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore.

2) You want the phone to use advanced cellular data connectivity (so, WiFi is not enough).

Let us know and we’ll make it work!

Thank you,

Albert & the team

MAKERphone 4G just became an option in the rewards section. 

When we sought out to build MAKERphone, we wanted to demystify mobile phones and create an affordable educational device. 

After the great success (thank you all) - one of the most common requests was - will there be a 4G/LTE version of MAKERphone? 

So we put our minds and hands together and as of today - we’re offering MAKERphone 4G for all our packs (like BFF, PartyAnimal, Educational pack etc…) 

Why would you want a 4G version of MAKERphone?

There are mainly two reasons you might want a MAKERphone 4G:

1) Your carrier might phase out 2G in the near future or your carrier doesn’t support 2G at all.

2G will remain available in most countries at least by early 2021 (and by 2025 in Europe). 2G was already shut down in Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore.

2) You want the phone to use advanced cellular data connectivity (so, WiFi is not enough).

If you plan just on assembling the MAKERphone, using it for phone calls, text messages, playing music and connecting it to WiFi - you can probably just stick with the standard MAKERphone.

If not - you can just go ahead and adjust your perk!

How is the MAKERphone 4G different?

MAKERphone 4G is a version of MAKERphone with a 4G chipset (SIM7600) instead of a 2G GSM chipset (SIM800) that’s included on the standard MAKERphone.  

4G chipsets are still much more expensive than regular 2G chipsets.  

The other aspects of MAKERphone will work similarly on both models.

Thanks again for your support. We’re passing our stretch goals with the speed of light so expect a new update with a poll for a unique game of your choice and a new stretch goal announcement soon!

Keep making!  
- Albert and the MAKERphone gang