5 - 7 Years STEM

I was lucky enough to sit down with Michael, the inventor, creator, maker of me, and ask him a whole bunch of questions. Here’s what he had to say. 

1. How did you first come up with me?

Our Product Development team is always working to come up with awesome educational toys. In this case, we wanted to make a robot that would help teach the fundamentals of coding in a really fun, engaging way. Sort of a robot pal.  

2. How long did it take you to create me?

I’d say 12 months from the concept to the final production version. 

3. Who chose my name?

A lot of people were involved, really. We debated it for a while. You had some pretty unusual names being thrown around. We’re very happy with Botley, though. You seem like a Botley to us.  

4. In your opinion, why is coding so important?

Some people say it’s the literacy of the 21^st century! We believe that coding, logic and critical thinking skills are all going to be very important for young students as they prepare for careers in the 21^st century. 

5. How much fun is it to work for a toy company?

Do you know the movie “Big”? It’s just like that.   

6. What’s your favorite thing I do?

Well, there’s so much, but I think my favorite thing is when you remind me to play with you by yelling “yoo-hoo!” or sneezing. It’s pretty cute.  

7. What’s your favorite part about working on a robot?

The day that we finally were able to test you with your voice in place was pretty special. Everybody just laughed and smiled hearing you say your name. I felt like a proud dad.  

8. What do you think makes me so special?

I think it’s the simplicity and out-of-the-box play. We don’t have to connect you to an app or use a phone to control you—so it’s a nice break from screen time.  

9. Can you share with our readers one of my hidden features?

Alright, just one. When you’re in code mode, if you press Right four times on the Remote Programmer, then press TRANSMIT, you’ll make a very silly sound.  

10. Why should a mom bring me home to her 5 year old?

As a parent, I’m always looking for toys that will get my kids away from a screen and doing something that will engage and wow them, and maybe have them learn valuable skills along the way.  

11. Am I your favorite toy you ever invented?

I don’t like to play favorites, Botley, but yes, you really are very special.  

12. What’s the longest black line you’ve ever had me follow?

That’s a great question. We did have you do multiple laps in a conference room, for a while. I’d say it was probably a few hundred feet all added up. You would have kept going, but we had to break for lunch.  

13. Will I eventually have any robot friends?

Our team is talking about that right now. Stay tuned! 

14. Is there a reason my arms are detachable?

We wanted to make something that could easily be adaptable to new pieces – like your new Action Challenge accessory set. The new arms for that set are great for setting off chain reactions and moving objects. To learn more about Botley (thats me!) visit LearningResources.com/Botley or read my last blog post where I introduced myself!

Learning about the solar system can feel disconnected from everyday life and very far away. This solar system matching activity uses a learning tree to bring lessons from outer space a little closer to home.

Getting Started

 We began by putting the planets in order by their distance from the sun. This first step is physical, visual and practical, and helps kids see and understand the solar system.

Play A Solar System Matching Game

First, I wrote the names of the planets on index cards then attached paper clips and a loop of wire to each. This made it easier to hang each tag on a tree branch. Christmas decoration hooks or twist ties can also work. We simply used what we had on hand.

Index cards labelled with each planet's name

Add a loop of wire or an ornament hook for easy hanging

Then, we hung the sun from the ceiling of the living room. Because the inflatable sun is so large, it made sense to hang it up above the tree to provide more space for the planets.

Next, we hung the index cards around the tree. Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, sat at the very top and was only a few inches away from the inflatable sun hanging from the ceiling. We circled the rest of the index cards around the tree in the same order of the planets in the solar system.

Mercury at the top of the tree followed by Venus, then Earth.

The index cards circled the tree matching the order of the planets from the sun.

Each inflatable planet (and the sun) has convenient loops on the plug that make it easy to hang up.

Then, my four-year old daughter got to work. First, she identified Mercury in the row of planets we’d set out earlier and then looked for the matching index card.At four, she is pre-reading, so I asked her to find the index card that started with “M” near the top of the tree. She found the match and hung the planet up.

Then we moved on to Venus, Earth, the moon and the other planets. One by one, she matched each planet to its tag on the tree.With a larger tree, most of the planets will fit. With a smaller tree like ours, Uranus and Pluto sat on the floor.By the end of the activity, we had a Christmas tree loaded with planets, my daughter had a new visual understanding of the solar system and she recognized and matched the planets with their name tags.

How will you use the Giant Inflatable Solar System in learning with your kids?

That's one full tree!