Kris Swanson dot Blog

Circuit – Circuit: A “Makey-Makey-like” setup for the Adafruit Circuit Playground

Makey-Makeys are great. They allow kids (and kid-like grownups) to turn simple materials and objects into computer interfaces like game controllers, piano keyboards, and many, many other things. I’ve used them in workshops at YML, and last year I was able to supply one to each 4th grader as part of our Electronics Unit in the iLab so that they could take what they learned about simple circuits to design and build their own interfaces for Scratch projects.

For the last year or so I’ve been using another amazing Arduino-compatible board for a variety of projects – the Circuit Playground [Developers Edition]. This board is great for a number of reasons – it has 10 NeoPixels on it, a temperature sensor, accelerometer, light sensor, (very) small speaker, and alligator-clip holes to make connecting and prototyping easier. And to make it all work, a simple and well-documented library to make programming it a snap.

It also is set up so that 10 of the input pins can be used with capacitive touch, the electronic magic that allows a Makey-Makey to be wired to a banana and use it for input. Finding this feature lead me to realize that I could have my students use the Circuit Playground instead of Makey Makeys for similar projects.

I wrote some code (now called Circuit-Circuit) which can be loaded onto a Circuit Playground and allow it to be set up pretty much the same as a Makey-Makey. There are some differences (and additional features):

There are 8 possible alligator-clip accessible inputs, instead of 6 on the Makey Makey. However, the M-M has 12 (I think) additional inputs that wires or headers can be attached to on the bottom of the board.
I created light patterns to tell you which button is being activated using the NeoPixels.
The two buttons built into the CP now send a string of text sending data from the temperature and light sensors. The text was designed to be used with the Scratch “Ask a Question” block, so that it can be set to activate the block, receive the data, and with a carriage return complete the input.

diagram But the big advantage really comes down to price. A Circuit Playground is $20 from Adafruit – less with education or bulk discounts. With their ed discounts, I was able to get a board, usb cable, and set of alligator clip wires for around $20, compared to about $40 for a Makey Makey.

I hope that giving these boards out to all of this year’s Pine Crest Boca 4th graders will lead to some of them continuing to experiment with the boards beyond my Circuit Circuit Code. I send each of the students a list of online tutorials from Adafruit so they can experiment with the board themselves. I hope to have some of them come back from Summer break with some great new projects.

Maker Tool Showdown: TurtleArt vs. BeetleBlocks

Before I dive in, let’s explain what I mean by “Makertool Showdown” and why am I bothering to write about it? I’m constantly evaluating tools (software, hardware, conceptual, etc…) to figure out which tools might be the most appropriate for different projects and for kids of different ages and abilities. I find it helpful to pit them against each other in a friendly competition to help me choose. These evaluations are usually very specific to one use or a defined set of uses, so don’t get your feelings all hurt if your personal favorite loses.

I’m trying to choose the best tools for Creative Computing camps (7-10 and 11-14) we are offering at DigiCamp this summer. Several of the projects in each camp have kids coding designs which are then brought out into the real world via one of several possible fabrication devices. The final product may be as simple as a color print or iron-on t-shirt sheet, or as complex as a 3D printed object or project cut with our CNC machine.

TurtleArt

BeetleBlocks

TurtleArt and BeetleBlocks are both great – and are really focused on being tools for slightly different aged kids. TurtleArt is a bit simpler (fewer commands, limited to 2D designs) and is better for introduction to coding. BeetleBlocks is based on Scratch, and so for kids who have experience with Scratch it is an easy transition to start creating with.

TurtleArt allows you to save the image you create with it as a bitmap graphic. I really like how kids can display their code as part of the graphic so it can be displayed alongside of the design. BeetleBlocks can’t display the code alongside its product, but has the additional feature of allowing the design to be exported as a .svg file (which kids can then send to our Cameo Cutter, CNC, or Laser Cutter) or as an .stl file (which can be sent to the 3D printer). For Maker and Fabrication camps, this may be the most important feature.

For YML’s Maker (7-10 y/o) and Fabrication (11-14 y/o) workshops I am going to focus the kids on BeetleBlocks. There will be a little more of a learning curve for the younger kids, but many of them are familiar with Scratch already, so I think they will get through it quickly. The ability to export to fabrication devices pushes BeetleBlocks over TurtleArt for camp this summer – but we will continue using it for workshops at YML and in school.

Kris Swanson dot Blog

My life is confusing. I spend a lot of time helping others make things, and too little time making things myself. I need somewhere to record and reflect on all of this that will stay with me for good – so here it is. Whether I’m working in one of the Young Makers Lab / Digicamp locations I own with Mark Stansell, or helping students in the iLab at Pine Crest School, I plan on telling the story here. Hang on, here we go…