Get honest reviews on top products & services delivered weekly to your inbox. While LEGO sets containing electronics rarely offer a great price-per-part, at $0.61 per piece, this set offers the worst value that Ive seen. Both sets are part of the LEGO Learning System and meant to help the robotics and STEAM Learning tools be seamless as students progress from one level to another. "Learning through play can close achievement gaps particularly in students that are vulnerable or falling behind. The Essential kit was ABSOLUTELY needed as a bridge between the coding platform of WeDo 2.0 and Spike Prime/Mindstorms/EV3 coding. Oh well. The companion app is a free download, and contains five curriculums with seven to eight 45-minute lessons each, based on grade level. Learn how your comment data is processed. (Its not always obvious what each icon block means, which is why the word blocks is easier system to learn but only when students have the necessary reading skills.). Also, adding a close button to the end of the instruction would free up more space in the app to make a more complicated program! Email us at reviews@insider.com. Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals. While this set is much simpler overall, it uses the same Spike app as its big sibling The first thing you are asked when launching the app is if you are using Spike Prime vs. Spike Essential. We already mentioned the smaller hub itself, the light matrix, and the small angular motor, but there are some other new pieces that are worth discussing. Your email address will not be published. This includes 1 small control brick, 2 motors, 1 sensor, 1 light brick, various LEGO System and Technic parts, 4 minfigures, and a storage tub. "If every kid comes out with the same model or program, we failed to engage them.". Even different colors of the same part incur significant additional costs in terms of warehouse capacity and production bottlenecks if the specific part in the required color runs out. (Im an experienced builder and I still managed to launch a couple of these parts across the room.). For a total newbie to robotics, I think these kits are phenomenal, a great way for a teacher who wants to learn to do robotics to dip their toes in comfortably. The Icon Blocks language has five main tabs: Events (yellow), Motors (blue), Light (dark purple), Sound (light purple), and Control (orange). Thanks Huw, We operate independently from our advertising team. A new primary school STEAM solution that ignites students passion for STEAM learning through playful problem solving and storytelling, preparing them to beresilient,independent thinkers. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. The software unfortunately does not automatically convert your code from one programming language type to another. Practically speaking, were looking at about $50 worth of loose bricks and pieces, a plastic storage tub worth about $20. This new Icon Blocks programming language type can be used with either the SPIKE Prime or the SPIKE Essential. display: none !important; My young child helping me test #45345 Spike Essential. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Required fields are marked *, Please solve this math problem (to prove that you aren't a robot.) This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. Unlike LEGO Bricks (which have an unusual 5:6 ratio of width to height), modern Technic parts (such as the now ubiquitous Technic Beams) are designed around a predictable 1:1 ratio of width to height a more Engineering-like system. Besides SPIKE Essential, products include SPIKE Prime, BricQ Prime, and BricQ Essential. The 2022 LEGO Education product line includes BricQ and Spike products for both Primary and Secondary grade levels. This might involve teaching the robot to follow a predetermined route, adding more motion features, or teaching it to do different actions when another color is detected by the color sensor. We were excited to get to play with this 45345 LEGO Education SPIKE Essential Set. "It's a primary school solution that is meant to ignite a student's passion in STEAM learning through playful problem solving and storytelling," said Andrew Sliwinski, head of technology at Lego Education. First, a playground image will appear on the screen that the next block will make fullscreen. As you can see from the technical specifications below, the small angular motor has significantly less torque and speed than the other SPIKE motors. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the terms of use. 6 The first six lessons in the Great Adventures Unit. A Power-packed Quarter full of Innovation & Learning, Integrating C library in a desktop Flutter app using Dart FFI, 11 Spring Photo Backdrops That Will Make You Look Like A Pro, Pearls on a Pig: How to create great UX for third party applications, Unreal Engine Developer Salary WorldwideGuide, Top 4 Unique Websites Where 80% of New Writers Can Earn Money. The Light blocks are a customizable light up block (for the light matrix) and a random light block. "We need to make education more impactful, engaging, and enjoyable for students to develop their love for learning," Sliwinski added. SPIKE Essential comes with 449 Lego bricks that are contained in a storage box, which also provides two sorting trays. This unit introduces students to computational thinking as they explore sequences and loops, understand cause and effect, and test and debug programs all while working on their collaborative conversation skills. Originally from California, Les lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is obsessed with all things Ikea and Lego. Each lesson begins with a series of illustrations explaining the problem we want to solve by building a simple machine and writing the program to make it work. Please solve this math problem (to prove that you aren't a robot.). However, if you dont need a lot of torque or speed for your application, or need to fit a motor in a very small space, this motor is perfect for you! ), Compatibility:One of the first things I tried was to connect this smaller hub to the LEGO Mindstorms app to see if you could unlock different functionality with the more capable consumer-facing app. Please reload CAPTCHA. Also, this new kit surprised us by coming with an extra pieces box in case pieces are lost when building. Opinions of The Moment Makers are our own. You can buy it individually from lego.com for the low-low price of $37. All of the electronics components included in the set. Instead of getti https://ducklearning.com/blogs/parent-and-educator-resources/what-is-lego-learning-system-lls, Top Affordable and Reliable Robotics Kits for Kids [2022], 50 Cool AI and Machine Learning Projects for Students [For 2022], Educational and Meaningful Gift Ideas for Children (2021) - STEM Toys, Text-based Block Programming or Python (Full-text programming). Part of a learning system from Lego's education division that's designed for primary school students (first to fifth grades), Essential combines creativity with STEAM-based learning concepts short for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The biggest concern well tackle is around compatibility of these accessories across different programming environments. For some STEAM educators, Essential is the teaching solution they've been looking for their students, said Dr. Anne Zahn, the director of Education and Innovation Research Grant at Waukegan Public School in Illinois. 1x Small selection of LEGO Technic parts. The light matrix has nine separate LED lights that can be changed to nine different colors.

What are the new things brought by this new line? There are a few caveats, though When you select Spike Essential, you are only given two programming languages to choose from: Icon Blocks and Word Blocks (Scratch). After clicking on one of these themes, it will show the units and you can choose which one to do. How to generate a large PDF file with PHP? The Events blocks are a play block (that starts the program),detect color block (using the color sensor, you can also choose which color that you want to detect), a detect hub movement block (using the embedded gyro, you can also choose which sense of movement to wait for), a detect sound block (from the sound around hub using a microphone, you can choose how loud the sound that you want to detect), a send message block, and a receive message block (you can change the color of the message blocks too). In addition, there are four Lego Minifigure characters, a Hub, two motors, a sensor, and a light module. The SPIKE Essential has stickers to apply to your trays to help organize bricks by color. Other/different Icon Blocks are available when using the SPIKE Prime hub selection instead. All of these extensions are similar to what they are in the regular Word Blocks language. "Having a product that goes from first to fifth grade was perfect for us," Zahn said, adding that the product is also suitable for extended learning at home. You are probably realising how important technology skills are these days (computational thinking, programming, robot Coding and programming have becomepart of the staple for schools around the world . Im also baffled by the decision to use Technic connectors on the electronics and Studded connectors for everything else. We also like that the set comes with a full-size LEGO storage bin. Unlike Prime, which uses Lego's Technic bricks, Essential uses the more familiar bricks found in most of Lego's toys, and projects are built on Lego plates, which Silwinski says lends to easier building. My motivation in reviewing this set was simple I enjoyed reviewing the Spike Prime set aimed at middle school kids, but it was far too complex build with my 3-year old son, even with a lot of help. = Below is an example program that we wrote to help explain the new software. After clicking on this tab, it will lead the different unit plan themes. Play is actually a big part of Lego Education's approach to STEAM learning. We will talk more about the unit plans in another article coming soon. Robotics for Ages 10 - 16 years oldEV3 MINDSTORM (Production phased out in 2020 but app is functioning) >> SPIKE Prime (Introduced in 2021)We've created a straightforward table todetail the main differences between the SPIKE Essential and SPIKE Prime apart from the age recommendation. We welcome your feedback. This review has been updated to correct errors and add additional information. Motors blocks include a set speed block (for the motor), two directional movement blocks (a counterclockwise movement block and a clockwise movement block), and a stop motor block. While he is well under the target age group for this set, Ive tried to extrapolate from our experiences to those of elementary children. Although Lego Education products are designed for students, they're not limited to classrooms. Sorting by color can help younger kids find pieces easily while following the unit lesson instructions. It's also a way for parents to familiarize themselves with coding and STEAM concepts. The instructions are easy to follow, with relatively few sub-assemblies or other complicated steps. This piece is similar to older stud-to-connector piece (4274), but instead of a stud protruding out of the connector, it has a hole for a LEGO stud to connect. Want exclusive content, articles, and updates to LEGO Brick Labels and the LEGO Storage Guide? The new small wheel piece (65834) is 5 holes in diameter (differing from 39367 which is 7 holes in diameter and 49295 which is 11 holes in diameter). We tried most of the projects in the Great Adventures and Amazing Amusement Park units. There is also a really cool new stud-to-connector piece (65826). The SPIKE Essential hub looks like a younger sibling of the previously released LEGO robots. Your suggestion that they split the WeDo 2.0 offering into BricQ (focusing on gears/Physics) and Spike (focusing just on robotics/programming) seems exactly right. Building instructions are easy to follow (but sometimes have visible compression artifacts). #45345 Spike Essential Outer shipping box and storage tote. Students will fall in love with the four relatable Minifigures, all with different personalities, as they build, code and practice storytelling using familiar LEGO elements. I wish that they offered one more step in each project that celebrates completing the main project, and offers a list of additional things to try (time permitting, of course). I love the tutorials that you drag and drop the code because it gives that freedom at the end to add on or change or make it what they [students] wanted to make with it.". notice.style.display = "block"; Each set costs $274.95, and it's available on the Lego Education website. Key steps within Spike app to complete the Arctic Ride lesson. As expected, it refused to pair with the Mindstorms app. Because this set includes a lot fewer parts, the 8 compartments do a decent job of organizing the parts included in this set. The Spike app contains five units (each containing seven lessons): Thats a total of 35 different lessons, which is a lot of content! With a cubic volume of 335 (plus the round bit that sticks out), its nearly half of the size of the Medium Angular Motor included in the Spike Prime set.

Each lesson begins with a relatable story starring the Minifigs, and the student has to help them solve a problem by first building a set and then code a set of instructions to activate it. This set earns an even lower Not Recommended (1/5 star) rating for adult builders since the hub is not compatible with the otherwise superior LEGO Mindstorms app, and the set offers such a poor value. Even traditional classrooms can benefit from this. Learn on the go with our new app. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, DUPLO, the SPIKE logo, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. Unfortunately, the transition from following the instructions to doing your own thing is not seamless. The following is a detailed list of bugs or improvements that I would like to see in future versions of the Spike app. The gift of learning and education is one of the more meaningful presents you can gift to a child. Using studded connections instead of Technic connections is an important simplification for younger kids who have limited experience with Technic, especially given that this set is targeted at ages 6+. The message blocks are similar to broadcasts in the regular Scratch-based Word Block programming software. 1x Small selection of LEGO Bricks and other System components, Micro-USB Cable (not USB-C, unfortunately). The first part is on rails to make sure students succeed: They make you drag the programming blocks that are needed to create the program in a defined order. Any child who already plays with Lego will feel at home, and as their creativity grows, they can expand on their builds with other Lego bricks. For example, a motor on a vehicle can be set in motion when a certain colored brick is flashed past the sensor, or a Ferris wheel spins for a set number of rotations. #45345 SPIKE Essential is an education-focused product aimed at ages 6+, specifically students in grades 1-5. I admit that these are very specific complaints which are anchored in my somewhat unique perspective as a User Experience engineer with 20 years of experience. I had not noticed the absence of gears in this set, but totally agree with the observation that this is kind of weird!

We personally love the light matrix and look forward to using it beyond our robotics work. 1x Technic Small Intelligent Hub (part 67351) and Battery (part 66757). Additional Motors and Sensors are supported, but programming blocks which are exclusive to the larger hub are still shown. #45345 SPIKE Essential costs $274.95 for 449 pieces. The SPIKE Essential kit has many cool pieces, so this extra pieces box may be of use to your FLL team. Based on STEAM learning concepts, it helps students develop skills for a computational future. These extra pieces will be especially helpful when these sets are used for schools and camps, where pieces my accidentally roll away or become lost. Essential creations are powered by a Hub, which is attached to motors and sensors. Then, it will send a message with the color pink. "Younger students aren't always comfortable with literacy yet, so they have a way of accessing all this functionality" until they can handle text-based coding, Sliwinski said. Not only are these modules a bit easier to build with the included LEGO parts, but the programming expectations are simpler as well. Which is unfortunate AND expensive. They also might add more in the future (The Spike Prime app also has a selection of Supplementary Lessons which I believe were added after the initial release of the Spike app.). We really like how kids can use the same SPIKE app to transition to the SPIKE Prime as they grow up.

Recently, Lego announced a new set called Spike Prime. In addition, he covers photography and printing products for the Tech section. We needed to reprogram the same program functionality ourselves. Bethany, More than two years ago, I wrote a piece about my experience using an EV3 alternative (sort of) from Chinese small electronics manufacturer XIAOMI. And, key parts of STEAM education are coding and robotics, which play big roles in Essential. (For a complete list of affiliate programs, visit About Brick Architect. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. LEGO Education BricQ Motion Essential Set, Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Discover more about each Minifigure! crappy app instruction for coding) and Spike Essential (amazing app instruction for coding! "We treat them as characters so kids create that connection to them, and that's where storytelling comes in," Silwinski said. Once the model is complete, we get to bring it to life by writing a simple program. In addition, he works with the Executive Editor on strategy for all of Insider Reviews. Next, it will play music sound number eight (which is medieval music) until the song is done. This includes changes to the parts themselves and changes to the app experience. To be clear, this is a much simpler set for younger kids, as compared with #45678 Spike Prime or the consumer-facing #51515 LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor sets. You could certainly fit a bunch of extra parts in the box, but this would cause the color-coordinated part selection to break down. As explained in my LEGO Powered Up Guide, the Small Intelligent hub is similar to the larger version included in Spike Prime and Mindstorms, but with just two ports, no screen, and no speaker. "Children learn by playing," Zahn said. When a red object is detected by the color sensor, it will stop the other scripts in the program and minimize the playground image. The new SPIKE Essential hub has an embedded gyro similar to the SPIKE Prime hub. The included stickers help you sort most of the parts by color. "It has a lot of resources beyond the classroom, something parents could use.". However, when we started using the set by trying out some of the unit lessons, we found that the sorting by color worked really well. Zahn added that with the pandemic and more students enrolled in remote or hybrid learning environments, people are looking for ways to give students more social and emotional learning. However, the SPIKE Essential cannot use the Python programming language (SPIKE Prime has that added option). The Move Hub is a lot larger because two motors are integrated into the hub. While I want to recognize that software and curriculum are real products with tangible value, I do not see how this set offers $115 more value than #17101 BOOST Creative Toolbox (which comes with nearly twice as many parts). This includes overall craftsmanship issues such as visible compression artifacts in some of the building instructions, better support users with diverse needs, and usability improvements such as a clear indicator when a programming block is selected. While I wasnt able to test it with a classroom full of elementary students, I feel comfortable offering a high-level assessment based on my experiences with my child. You should definitely be aware that this tiny motor has its limits; when building one of the projects in the set, I had to increase the motor speed from the lowest setting (suggested in the instructions) to a higher setting to make the motor spin at all.

It costs $274.95 (304.99 / 274.99) for 449 pieces. Python is not offered unless you select Spike Prime. (Photo: The LEGO Group). Sound blocks consist of an animal sound block, an effect sound block, and a music sound block, all with different sounds to choose from. Unlike the SPIKE Prime, the SPIKE Essential hub only has two ports (an EV3 has 8 and the SPIKE Prime has 6). I didnt test the Word Blocks mode in depth, but did confirm that the larger motors and touch sensor included in Spike Prime are still supported when using the smaller hub.

(At this time there are no Technic sets for ages 6+, and only five sets labeled for ages 7+.).

The SPIKE app also comes with unit plans for the SPIKE Essential. Below, you can see the Units tab on the left. }, We tried a dozen lessons from the first two units designed for grades 1-2.

How does compare with the WeDo and Boost series and NXT/EV3? "Computational thinking is what we're looking for.". This makes the building experience more frustrating without adding to the learning experience at all. You are absolutely right, and with 2x of them included in the set, I need to update the article text to reflect this! In addition to SPIKE Essential, Lego Education unveiled resources to support teachers. This simpler approach is reinforced by the choice of programming languages: the lessons targeting younger kids use a simplified Icon Blocks, whereas the lessons targeting grades 3-5 use the Word Blocks experience which follows the industry-standard Scratch visual programming language. For example, SPIKE Prime can use the light matrix, and SPIKE Essential can use the touch sensor. A simplified premise for STEAM education (and its more common counterpart, STEM) is preparing students for a future that is unknown, but science and technology will be fundamental in preparing them for whatever opportunities await. Program to navigate a small obstacle course in Arctic Ride (using Icon Blocks). You can simply choose which robot you are using when opening the SPIKE software (or later on if switching mid-programming session). In addition to these education-focused products, The LEGO Group offers consumer-facing products aimed at both of these age groups. Thanks for taking the time to reply with some insights from the classroom. The first step in every project is to add stud adapters to the hubs and accessories. + Next, it gives building instructions to create a robot to solve the problem, and gives code to make it work (sometimes, kids will need to experiment with certain values to make the robot work). See below where you can change the device that you are using. Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device. It will make a great disco light for our minifigures VIDIYO performances! ), The LEGO Group provided this set for the purposes of this review. According to Sliwinski, purposeful play and play-based learning can combine many elements like project-based learning and social and emotional learning. Prior to joining Insider, he was a senior editor at Digital Trends covering photography and in-depth features. Please reload CAPTCHA. The SPIKE Essential comes with many new pieces. In the past 3 years, The LEGO Group has significantly re-structured Education-focused products, with the BricQ Motion sets offering brick-based physics instruction at a modest price point, and the Spike sets offering kids an introduction to programming and robotics (but at a higher price point). I also think it is important to acknowledge that the Spike app which is required to use this set is decent, but there are a lot ways that it could be improved. Update: I have just got my set and updated this article with my first impressions. All of SPIKE hardware, from both SPIKE Prime and SPIKE Essential, can be used together. P.S. In addition to playing with a set, we spoke with Sliwinski on how the product was developed and with Zahn on how her school district uses Lego Education products. After a set is constructed, the code is sent to the Hub by computer or tablet and tells the Hub what activity to perform. Why does this matter?This kit is all about teaching basic programming concepts and not about learning the Technic system in depth! This hands-on experience also helps me improve another popular resources on this website The Brick Architects Guide to LEGO Powered Up System, which includes a complete list of Powered Up, hubs, motors, sensors, and other accessories. If you need more information or a demo session of the sets, please feel free to drop an email at learn@ducklearning.com or call 6747 4236 to make an appointment at our office. That said, I have no doubt that these little motors will find their way into some other sets eventually, possibly in a gray color scheme. (ex: 24 plates are 191Flame Yellowish OrangeBright Light Orange, 26 plates are 322Medium AzurMedium Azure, and 28 plates are 37Bright Green. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.

Im a total newbie to teaching with Lego robotics and am trying out the Essential kits in a summer camp right now, I have no experience with the other kits. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. 13 The hardware that this set comes are the SPIKE Essential hub, a light matrix, two small angular motors, and a color sensor. This software is similar to the old WeDo programming software, having all icons with no words. So far, this piece only comes in green but LEGO will most likely create other colors to use in newer sets. setTimeout( Control blocks include a wait block (using seconds), a loop block, a repeat forever block, and a stop all block. The problem is that this set is stuck between these two systems: all of the loose parts use the classic studded connections, and all of the electronic components are based on the modern studless Technic system. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here. var notice = document.getElementById("cptch_time_limit_notice_73"); The LED Matrix offers nine LED pixels that you can control individually to create a selection of different colors including Red, Green, and Blue. The Display blocks section has blocks to display test and images on a mini screen. After learning about the goals of the project, a series of step-by-step instructions are provided to help you build the LEGO model. One exciting new hardware edition for the SPIKE Essential Set is the introduction of the small angular motor. The larger parts fit comfortably beneath the sorting trays in the large yellow bin, and theres enough space that you can rummage around to find what you need pretty easily. On the other hand, the set is wildly overpriced.

At the end of the day, Im left balancing the good quality curriculum content against the poor choice to use Technic connections for the electronic components and the extremely high price. Your email address will not be published. Lastly, it gives some ideas to modify the robot or make it your own. In order to get a complete building experience and be ready for Spike Prime you really have to buy both. Spike Essential absolutely provided that needed coding bridge between the two. if ( notice ) The movement function has more options to move motors and setting a drive base to control the direction of the movement of your robot, or change speed.