At CES 2016 Lego Education launched WeDo 2.0 an updated version of its robotics and programming kit for second to fourth grade students, that is the age range 7 to 12 years old. It looks like a lot of fun both for kids and their parents and teachers. 

Do you know of a child who doesn't like playing with Lego?

Put that together with motors and programmability via a colourful drag and drop interface and you have a sure winner on your hands.

This video shows WeDo being enthusiastically employed in the classroom and Lego Education's promotional literature is written to appeal to teachers by talking about "make science come to life". I don't think the hype is necessary and that there will be loads of big kids out there just looking for a good reason to take one home.

The unboxing video, see below also makes it all look very attractive, but it leaves the most important bits until last. These are the large components that don't fit neatly into the tray - the motor which enables the lego models to move, the tilt and motion sensors that enable them to be aware of the environment and the Smart Hub that communicates with the software via Bluetooth. 

For WeDo 2.0 the software supports PCs, Macs, iPads and Android tablets and phones. Support for Chromebooks, which are increasingly popular in schools, will arrive in the second half of 2016.  

The kits are currently only available in the Unites Sates. The basic one costs $159.95 and the one at  $289.95 provides of 40 hours of projects to complete. For schools Lego Education offers a 24-student pack for $2,259.95.

This isn't the only Lego kit for robotics. For older school students Lego Mindstorms also provides an opportunity for hands-on robotics, and is suitable for both the home and the classroom.

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