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Hi folks,
As much as I loath the winters in New England here is where I'll be. Outdoor activities, while doable, can only be for short periods of time. Therefore I'm looking for projects that can be completed indoors that are interesting and take 6 months to complete. :) (Long winters up here...)
My son has shown an interest in both electronic and mechanical type projects. He'd like a hammer for his birthday so he can break rocks. Cool, geologist. Can't find rocks too well under the snow and ice, sand and salt, in the wintertime.
He'd also like an electronics kit but I'm not sure what to to get him that will last a long while. I think at this point he's more interested in building something, electronic or not, rather than learning theory. He often mentions robots but to get something that would last for months would cost me more than the budget allows.
I'd certainly appreciate suggestions and I'm sure there are other parents who might benefit from your experiences!
(Score: 4, Informative) by physicsmajor on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:23PM
Not sure what your budget is, but a simple Raspberry Pi goes a long way. There's the wow factor ("there's a whole computer in THERE?!") and then lots of useful programming tutorials and guides thanks to the RPi foundation's stated goal to teach programming to kids.
Depending on your budget, you can then branch out from that point. The RPi has a number of GPIO pins. A cheap breadboard or two and a grab bag of jumpers/components and you're on your way. It's not as simple as LEGO, but there are a ton of useful tutorials. If you want, you can also get the camera/sensors/switches and start having a lot of options. The main reason to use the RPi here is that the majority of the software-to-real-life interaction is via Python, which is rather simple and intuitive, and you can have a full-fledged GUI while you prototype.
All of these skills will be useful throughout the rest of his life; the earlier you get them started with open source hardware/software the better positioned they will be. Also, the RPi could control a robot. Pitching this as "how would we control/move/see where the robot is" might make these necessary but not always highly engaging steps along the way more attractive.
Arduino is another great option but due to the need to code sketches in C, has a steeper learning curve.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:29PM
Yeah... a whole computer in THERE? In that box that's twice as thick as my phone?
And you seriously would teach C to an 8-year-old? I was in my late 20's before I had the patience for C.
(Score: 2) by physicsmajor on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:45PM
8-year-olds should not have their own phones. And I think the vast majority of them and households will draw a significant line between mobile device and computer.
In short, I think you underestimate the innate curiosity of the young.
And I very specifically said I wouldn't recommend Arduino/C.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @11:42PM
Arduino is another great option but due to the need to code sketches in C, has a steeper learning curve.
Not a recommendation. Got it.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:46PM
With Pi you could teach Python.
Or Java. (Yes, really, and control GPIO pins, I wrote my own interface code to MAX7219 display multiplexer chips by (ab)using the SPI pins.)
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday October 14 2016, @09:49PM
I mostly just use shell scripts for mine. You can control the GPIO pretty well using nothing more than the 'echo' command. The major restriction in what languages you can use is probably the fact that it's an ARM system -- because literally anything that can write to a file can control the GPIO. Although some languages will let you do it with a bit more precision than that.
That'd be great for kids though. Even an eight year old can probably manage to experiment with manually entering an 'echo' statement for testing and such, and maybe even put together a small shell script to automate it. Although if they've never programmed before, maybe consider starting with Scratch?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by DannyB on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:33PM
There is also Arduino. They're not the same thing, and both Arduino and Pi have their place. (I use both.)
With Pi you can use higher level languages. Even create simple web servers that control GPIO pins, or display readings from GPIO inputs.
(and then there is the hammer, which works equally well applied to either Pi or Arduino.)
Makeblock [makeblock.com]. Sort of a grown up erector set. With it's own arduino, sensors, motors, etc. See the site and YouTube videos for projects like robot arms, 3D printers, etc. The holes in makeblock are deliberately aligned with Lego Technics. Due to Makeblock's metal parts, the hammer will have limited effectiveness.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:50PM
Expounding upon this, either the Pi or Arduino would pave the way for teaching soldering skills and the like. I'm honestly not sure if 8 is a little young for that, but I couldn't have been much older when I learned.
If your goal is to just find some sort of all-inclusive "electronics kit", you might try the Maker Shed project kits. I think $100 plus whatever the project book costs gets you the first 12 projects. One sec...
http://www.makershed.com/products/make-electronics-components-pack-6 [makershed.com] - $110
http://www.makershed.com/products/make-electronics-2ed [makershed.com] - $20
There. There's another kit for the second 12 projects that's also about a hundred bucks, but maybe that's next year's or something if he gets through them all.
I can't personally vouch for how good those projects actually are, but generally the Make stuff is entertaining, if a little simple sometimes.
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:51PM
Actually, that first kit might come with the book now, from the description. Might be worth checking on to make sure.
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:41PM
I've got to agree with this recommendation. Firstly, there is software provided for children so that they can use the Pi computer. Secondly, if your budget allows, buy one of the packs of various components. This will allow a huge number of projects to be written and for your child to learn at a pace that suits them. With ultrasonic speakers/detectors, servo motors, light or temperature measuring sensors etc the limit is only constrained with your child's imagination. Plus there are also numerous websites with project suggestions (including basic 'robots') and clear guidance so that your child need not be completely reliant on you for support. Additionally, all the voltages are low so there is no risk to your child, whereas hammers, saws and chisels all have a small but manageable element of risk associated with them.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by jdavidb on Thursday October 13 2016, @06:03PM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @06:19PM
I know lots of people are recommending the PI. I would recommend against it for a beginner. Something like PocketCHIP would probably be more interesting to him. I have my eye on it for my niece. She is still slightly too young for it but she too has show the 'programmer/build bug'. Hell I am thinking of getting one for myself. Also it has a set of gpio pins right off the top that are easy to get at. The only thing I am slightly of put by it is their sales pitch seems to be video games and not about the kinds of things you can do with it. https://getchip.com/ [getchip.com]
If he wants to 'build a robot' have you considered building an RC thing with him? https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-TMYTAM58336-The-Hornet-Model/dp/B000FG86VO [amazon.com] something like that? Or an RC helicopter kit? Kits used to be pretty easy to find but now everyone sells 'drones' and all in one kits where there is not much work to do. Though the RC kit cars are much cheaper :) But it could very easily be outfitted with an pi or arduino and do some interesting things with it. There is plenty of room under those shells but expect them to get full of dirt and have a high operating temp. Also they take a decent amount of time to put together. I could pop it off in under a week. But that is because I have done hundreds of plastic kits. With that kit if I remember correctly you had to even build the gearbox, shocks, everything. I always wanted the Tamiya 'hot shot' but it was always out of my price range.
Also he may just be smashing rocks to see what is in them and is trying to find a geode. So it could be worth taking him to a few museums that have rocks and things in them and see how he reacts.
Also one thing I would caution against is setting up everything for him. My parents did that to me and now I have a terrible time getting motivated for anything. A better approach is to set boundaries and expectations with them. Such as 'I will get you this but I want you do build me a (insert something he is interested in here)'. Then leave it open ended with an occasional nudge.
Something else to consider would be a lego mindstorms kit. Unfortunatly they are wickedly expensive. But have the nice side effect of working within the lego system. So if he has any existing lego it all fits together.
(Score: 2) by physicsmajor on Thursday October 13 2016, @11:19PM
I have a couple RPis, two CHIPs, and a UDOO as well as a few Arduinos.
Honestly I have no idea whatsoever why you would value the CHIP over the RPi for a beginner. It's a new kit, and so it has that 'sexy buzz' going on with lots of interest. The thing is, almost all of that are prototype projects hacked together by enthusiasts. They aren't rock solid build guides/tutorials. You want rock solid for the first few projects, because early failure can mean the kid never comes back.
The Raspberry Pi foundation on the other hand has tons of robust guides like https://www.raspberrypi.org/learning/physical-computing-with-python/ [raspberrypi.org]
Once confident with the RPi, understanding its limitations and able to compare with the alternatives, maybe then consider branching out. Not as a first step.
(Score: 2) by black6host on Thursday October 13 2016, @08:42PM
I like this idea. It would also allow me to purchase as we go rather than making a huge investment up front.
There are lots of other good ideas in this thread and I thank you all for responding. I'll be checking out the other suggestions as well. My boy will have his outside time, of course. There are other considerations though that I'd rather not discuss.
He and I spend most of our time together on the weekends and for those times he can't be outside he needs something besides video games and TV. Not saying there's not time for those, though. We play a few lan co-op games together and he loves them. Well, actually, he loves any type of video game. I'm a fan myself but a young man needs exposure to many things.
Thanks again, all!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 14 2016, @02:15AM
C at least has some type checking and excellent tools (valgrind, coverity, etc.) to find problems.
Python gives you type errors at runtime, WTF, this isn't 1960. We can do static types and type checking. Every bug found by the compiler is one less bug to struggle with and/or lie in wait to cause disaster.
If not C, then what? The other choices are Ada and Rust probably, but the tools are lacking.