Field Day Activities for Robots

These activities for robots invite children to use the coding and robotics skills they have learned during the year. A variety of other skills are used to complete each task. Let me tell you about them.

It is important to know angles and what kinds of turns they allow a robot to make.
Being able to figure out the distance a robot will need to move to get to or around or stay away from an obstacle is important.
Selecting the correct speed a robot will need to go and to keep its contact with an object it is moving is important.
Figuring out if a robot needs to do one move or a series of moves is important.
Knowing when you can have a robot complete a series of steps in a loop is necessary.

Robots Used in the Activities for Robots

Dash Robot
Bee-Bot
Sphero
Code and Go Mouse

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Other robots can be used for these activities too. As you will see in the activity pictures, we used the Dash for most of our events. This allowed us to use the Blockly app on our iPads to build codes.

All of the activities can be adapted to use the robots and materials you have available to you.

Activities for Robots

Below you will see a description of each of the field day activities for robots.

Across the World Push

Supplies: Robot, a World Map, World Squishy Ball, and Computer(If your robot requires one to move.)

Goal: Create an algorithm that will move the world ball across the map horizontally and stop at the edge of the map.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to figure out how to get the robot to move the ball or globe to the edge of the other side of the map. Thinking about how far the robot needs to travel and at what speed will be important.
Remind students that the ball needs to reach the edge and not the robot.
Tell them the robot can push the ball to the edge or use its momentum to move the ball to the edge of the map.
Tell the students that they will need to remember where they place the robot on the map. They will need to start it off from the same spot each time.
Remind them that they will need to debug any part of the algorithm that doesn’t complete the task.
Pass out the maps, balls, and robots. Pass out computers if you need them.
Give the students time to create the algorithm.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.

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Robot Bowling

Supplies: Robot, Large Plastic Cups, and a Computer if the robot needs it.

Goal: Create an algorithm that allows a robot to knock over pins(cups).

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to build an algorithm that allows the robot to knock over a large number of cups.
Show the students how to set up the cups in a bowling pin triangle on the floor.
Tell them that they will need to think about the distance the robot will have to travel to get the cups.
Remind them that they will need to figure out what angle the robot will need to face at the start to knock over the most cups.
Tell the students that they will need to remember where they place the robot at the start of the algorithm. They will need to start it off from the same spot each time.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.

Hula Hoop Dance

Supplies: Robot, Hula Hoop, and Computer(If your robot requires one to move.)

Goal: Create an algorithm dance that a robot can do in the hula hoop without moving it.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to figure out how far they can have their robot move without hitting the side of the hula hoop. Take a moment to talk about radius and circumference. Knowing the radius and the circumference of the hoop will help them to know how far the robot can move.
Share that each student in the group should give the robot two or three moves to do.
Remind students that they can run their dance after a person adds their part or when the dance is finished. They will need to debug any part of the dance that causes the robot to make contact with the hoop enough to cause it to move.
Pass out the hula hoops and robots.
Give the students time to create a dance.
Have students share their dance with you. If the hoop moves, give them hints on how to fix or debug their dance.

Bean Bag Balance

Supplies: Robot, Bean Bag, Pool Noodle Cut in Half Lengthwise, and Computer if needed for the robot.

Goal: Create an algorithm that will move the robot from the start line to the finish line without dropping a bean bag.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to figure out how to get the robot from the pool noodle half placed behind their robot(You can call it the start line.) to the pool noodle half placed about a yard away (You can call it the end line.) without dropping the bean bag.
Tell them that they will need to think about how far the robot needs to travel and at what speed will be important.
If the bean bag falls off the robot, they will need to debug the algorithm and program the robot again.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.

Shuffleboard Challenge

Supplies: Robot, Small Frisbee, Cup or Lid, Half of a Shuffleboard Mat, and computer if the robot needs it.

Goal: Create an algorithm that allows a robot to earn more than 25 points.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to build an algorithm or algorithms that will allow the robot to earn 25 points.
Tell them that they will need to think about how far the robot needs to travel and stop to get to each point section.
Remind them that they can earn all the points with one algorithm. If they prefer they can move to one section and then another.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.

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More Robot Activities for Field Day

Around the Cones

Supplies: Robot, Traffic Cones, and a Computer if the robot needs it.

Goal: Create algorithms that allow the robot to travel in figure-eights around cones.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to build an algorithm that allows the robot to travel around two cones. It will need to weave back through the cones to get to the starting place.
Tell them that they will need to think about whether the robot needs to travel in diagonals or straight with 90-degree turns. Some children will have more success viewing the task as creating a digital eight on the floor.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.

Score Points

Supplies: Robot, Ball, Tape, Plastic Bucket or Bin, and a Computer if the robot needs it.

Goal: Create an algorithm that will move the ball from the starting line to the bucket as many times as possible.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to build an algorithm that allows the robot to push or move a ball into a bin.
Tell them that they will need to think about how they will get the ball and robot back to the start line to earn another point. They can carry the ball and robot back or the robot can return on its own.
Tell the students that they will need to remember where they place the robot on the floor. They will need to start it off from the same spot each time.
Give the students a specific amount of time to score points.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.

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Deliver the Pizza

Supplies: Robot, Pizza Box, Tape, and a Computer if the robot needs it.

Goal: Create an algorithm that allows a robot to push a pizza to a specific location.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to build an algorithm that allows the robot to push or move a pizza box into a tape square on the floor.
Tell them that they will need to think about the distance and then will need the robot to go.
Remind them that the robot will need to control where the box is going.
Tell the students that they will need to remember where they place the robot at the start of the algorithm. They will need to start it off from the same spot each time.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.

Robot Tower Knock Down

Supplies: Robot, Large Plastic Cups, and a Computer if the robot needs it.

Goal: Create an algorithm that allows a robot to knock over a stack of cups.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to build an algorithm that allows the robot to knock over a tower of cups.
Suggest that the students that cups need to be arranged in a three, two, and one pattern. The two cups go on the three. The last cup goes on top.
Tell them that they will need to think about the distance and then will need the robot to go that distance.
Remind them that they will need to figure out what angle the robot will need to face at the start to knock over the most cups.
Tell the students that they will need to remember where they place the robot at the start of the algorithm. They will need to start it off from the same spot each time.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.

Robot Limbo

Supplies: Robot, Large Plastic Cups, Half of a Long Pole Noodle, and a Computer if the robot needs it.

Goal: Create an algorithm that allows a robot under a limbo stick pool noodle supported by cups.

Procedure:

Tell students they will need to build an algorithm that allows the robot to go under the pool noodle.
Tell the students that they need to create cup stacks that will hold the pool noodle high enough for your robot to pass under.
Remind them that they will need to think about the distance and then will need the robot to go that distance.
Tell the students that they will need to remember where they place the robot at the start of the algorithm. They will need to start it off from the same spot each time.
If the pool noodle is knocked off or the cups fall, they will need to put them back in place.
Have students share the algorithm with you. They need to be able to replicate their successful task.