NEWS$show=/search/label/news

Here's where you'll find all the latest news about technology for children. We love to follow cool new inventions on Kickstarter and we hunt out all the latest announcements about tech toys and gadgets for the coming Christmas holidays. You'll also get our take on children's technology stories in the media.

REVIEWS$show=/search/label/review

Our kids technology product reviews are intended to help you work out whether a toy, gadget or kit is a good fit for your child or family. There's lots of cool stuff available, but is it the right choice for the child or teenager that you are buying for? We'll help you make the right choices and get the best value for money.

GIFT GUIDES$show=/search/label/gift%20guide

Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends assemble. We create gift lists to help you make good choices for kids technology which helps them develop the right skills for the future. We research the best in Coding Toys and Games, Making / Craft Tools and Kits, STEM/STEAM related gifts, Programmable Robots, Electronics Kits and Gadgets for Tech Age Kids and Teens.

PROJECTS$show=/search/label/project

Get crafty with technology. Here we'll post all our ideas and projects using technology to get creative and making with kids. You'll find anything from making a lemon battery to a glow-in-the-dark Minecraft sword. Our projects are tried and tested on our own kids or at events we run, so we are sure you can have a go at home with your kids. Some of our projects use specific tech gadgets which we provide links for you to purchase.

STEM$show=/search/label/stem

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In recent years there is an increased focus in these areas of study. We like to include Art and Design too, so we often talk about STEAM (A stands for Art). At Tech Age Kids we believe Coding is a new literacy and children need to understand how technology works, practice making skills and grow in their curiosity to make a better future for us all.

CODING$show=/search/label/coding

Coding is increasingly being recognised as an important skill for children to learn. Some will learn to code at school or at a coding club, but it's brilliant if they get support at home too.

ELECTRONICS$show=/search/label/electronics

We think it's really important for kids to get hands-on with electronics and learn how to make circuits and write code to control hardware. Younger kids can start with conductive playdough. For kids who like to combine craft and tech, littleBits are fab. And we love SAM Labs wireless electronics components for making it easy for kids to make Internet of Things inventions. Lots of electronics kits for kids have support for the Arduino microprocessor environment. The DuinoKit Jr is one of our favourites. Arduino is a fab skill for older kids and teens to develop.

ROBOTICS$show=/search/label/robotics

We love robots at Tech Age Kids, especially programmable ones. We've got lots of them and write reviews and projects that use them. Our programmable robots for kids buying guide is a good place to start if you're not sure what's available. Roby the mBot Meccano robot dog is one of our popular projects and has been with us to lots of events. Our Ozobot LEGO trailer is fab for kids who love LEGO and robots.

MAKING AND CRAFT$show=/search/label/making

We're advocates of the creative use of technology, but this needs to be balanced with developing physical skills such as papercraft, woodwork, clay modelling, technical drawing and soldering. If children don't develop these skills as they grow up then physical making projects can become frustrating rather than fun. The Maker Community uses the term 'making' as a broad term to include all sorts of artisan skills or craft activities. Being able to make things can lead to life-long hobbies or even careers. It's a great feeling to be able to take a project from an idea in your head to a real object that does something. We're particularly interested to explore products that combine maker skills with tech skills such as electronics but others focus purely on the physical making skills that are still important to modern making.

Our beginner BBC micro:bit book - micro:bit in Wonderland


We've written a book for beginners to the BBC micro:bit, the small programmable computer designed for introducing kids and teens to programming and physical computing. The book is called 'micro:bit in Wonderland' and takes inspiration from Lewis Carroll's classic story from the Victorian era.

Here at Tech Age Kids our focus is on getting the next generation involved in the intersection between technology and design. We love mixing coding and craft. We also love a bit of history so Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a great fit.

What is micro:bit in Wonderland?

micro:bit in Wonderland is a project book where you read a chapter from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and then complete a project linked to the chapter. Most of the projects involve making or crafting something as well as coding. Some of them also include connecting additional electronics components to the micro:bit.

Learners use a BBC micro:bit mini computer to complete the projects along with some simple electronics components and everyday household and craft items. 

The micro:bit is programmed with the Microsoft MakeCode editor in its drag and drop blocks mode. 

Each project has a 'Make it Yours' section at the end where makers are encouraged to adapt the project to suit their interests and style. 

The book contains 13 projects. There are also 3 bonus projects available for free as a taster. 


Who are the authors?

The book is written by the directors of Tech Age Kids, Tracy and Elbrie, who bring a combination of technical and design skills.

Dr Tracy Gardner

Tracy Gardner has a Computer Science PhD. She has worked as a software engineer and software architect, including working for 10 years at IBM. Tracy has two children and now focuses on introducing technology to the next generation. Tracy is a director of Tech Age Kids. She also develops educational content for the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Between 2014 to 2017, Tracy taught Computing to Key Stage 2 children (aged 7-11). She volunteers at a Code Club and Coder Dojo.


Elbrie de Kock

Elbrie de Kock has an Interior Design degree and has worked in a number of different industries as a designer and digital marketer. Elbrie has three children. Her eldest son’s passion for computer programming inspired her to find opportunities for kids to learn to code. She uses her creative background and newly developed technology skills to develop projects that combine craft, coding and electronics. Elbrie is a director of Tech Age Kids and organises creative technology events for children and families. She volunteers at a Code Club and founded the local Coder Dojo.


Who is micro:bit in Wonderland for?

We always hesitate to put an age range of the book because all learners are different. The important part is that the book is for beginners to physical computing. The micro:bit safety recommendations suggest age 8+. Around 9-14 is the core age range that we developed the book for.

However, we also had adult beginners who are curious about technology in mind. We'd love for parents to learn coding and physical computing alongside their children. We've also discovered a category of older teens who somehow missed out on getting to grips with technology and are now a little nervous - the book works well as a gentle introduction for older beginners.

The book is child-friendly but not childish.

There's a lot of physical making in the book using paper, card, play dough, kitchen foil and optionally fabric, laser cutting, and 3D printing. It's a good way to broaden the horizons of kids who love coding and add some maker skills.

The book starts gently and gradually builds up the difficulty.

How can you get the book?

micro:bit in Wonderland eBook is available to purchase on LeanPub.

You will get updated versions as they are uploaded on Leanpub, including the final version. Templates to complete the projects are available online.

We'd love to hear your feedback at hello@techagekids.com. 

The physical edition of the book will be available from 31 January 2018 (update: it's available!) We know some people prefer an actual printed book.

What others have said so far?

"As a Mum with a limited computer background, I often feel left behind by my children's computer knowledge. This book provides a brilliant way of engaging with my child to be creative and learn new coding skills together. Using the story of Alice in Wonderland as the context, along with the clear instructions, makes the projects easy to follow and enjoyable to make. If I can do this, anyone can!" Anne Wan, children's book author and mother of three.

"I really enjoyed the activities - my favourite was the croquet." Bethany (aged 11).

"When I first heard about the micro:bit I was fairly underwhelmed and wondered how much you could really do with 25 red LEDs and a few inputs.  How wrong I was!  I absolutely love the creativity of this book. Tracy and Elbrie have brought together a unique combination of skills to develop these incredible projects that most of us couldn't even dream of. I would have loved a book like this at the age of 10 or 11 (or even older!) and although the projects will appeal to both boys and girls I think this book could be a significant tool for engaging this generation of young girls with computing."
Sian January, software engineer and mother of two.


24 days of Scratch coding book cover and cute penguin
Name

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Tech Age Kids | Technology for Children: Our beginner BBC micro:bit book - micro:bit in Wonderland
Our beginner BBC micro:bit book - micro:bit in Wonderland
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Tech Age Kids | Technology for Children
https://www.techagekids.com/2017/11/our-beginner-bbc-microbit-coding-craft-project-book-microbit-in-wonderland.html
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