US start-up littleBits to offer coding kit for kids
New York-based start-up littleBits is to offer a children's coding kit which lets kids build games while learning to code. The firm's new Code Kit allows students to create physical games, such as tug-of-war and hot potato, which they can manipulate using Google's Blockly JavaScript library. Children control programmable "code bits" via their computers to activate the kit's speakers and LED light features. The Code Kit will be launched in June, and will cost $300.
BIG UPDATES FOR LITTLEBITS: littleBits, a New York-based hardware startup that creates electronic building blocks for kids, has a simple mission for its latest product: Let kids build games and learn to code. With littleBits new Code Kit, students create physical games—Tug-of-War, Ultimate Shootout, Hot Potato and Rockstar Guitar—that they can manipulate using Google’s Blockly (a JavaScript library used to create visual block programming editors) on the Code Kit app. Code Kit, which will be available for $299.95 on Amazon and littleBit’s website in June 2017, also features several new Bit additions. There’s a new LED light matrix, speakers, and the programmable “code bits” which users control via their computer to bring the sound and light features to life.

“[Code Kit] takes code from the computer and brings it out into the physical world,” says Dave Sharp, lead product designer for littleBits education, adding that the real magic happens after students build the kit: “The soccer shootout game is really simple—you kick a ball in the goal and the score goes up. But kids will say ‘I want to add sound effects to this and a countdown timer!’”