Bridging the gap from early problem-solving to advanced high school robotics might sound like a massive leap. How do you take a student who is just learning their foundational skills and prepare them for a technical career? It takes more than a single lesson plan or a one-off tech gadget. It takes an intentional, scaffolded pathway.
That is exactly why the Sphero ecosystem exists. We designed our lineup of prebuilt robots, STEM kits, and robotics solutions to connect the dots through every grade level. As students grow, their tools grow right alongside them, teaching critical skills and concepts that build on one another year after year. With an abundance of available resources, support, and scaffolded lessons available on Sphero Central, students and teachers are supported no matter where they begin in the product lineup.
Building the Foundation
Before students write complex code, they need to understand the basic logic behind it. Our early learning tools integrate those necessary future skills into play to spark curiosity.
indi (Pre-K+)
Before students even look at a screen or read, they can start mastering the basics of coding. Designed for Pre-K and up, indi introduces computational thinking through hands-on, interactive play. By placing color tiles on the floor, students direct indi’s movement, lights, and sounds.
This simple but powerful activity teaches sequencing, decomposition, pattern recognition, and algorithm design. At the same time, it keeps learners entirely engaged in cross-curricular subject area learning.
Blueprint Snap (Grades 3-5)
As students progress, they transition from screen-free coding into hands-on engineering with Blueprint Snap. Built for grades 3 through 5, students use colorful, easy-to-connect parts to quickly design and test working models. Lessons on simple machines, real-world structures, and the engineering design process teach engineering fundamentals through exploration and iteration. Snap parts are also included in Tinkercad's featured collection, allowing students to boost their creativity with their own digital assemblies and 3D printed parts.
Leveling Up
Once students understand the basics of logic and structure, they are ready to dive into the digital side. Our middle and high school tools make computer science approachable, scalable, and incredibly engaging.
BOLT+ (Grades 3–10)
With BOLT+, students can start simple and advance as far as they're ready to by programming BOLT+ using draw, blocks, JavaScript, and Python. It’s packed with features, including a LCD screen and advanced sensors, allowing students to create highly creative programs.
The included lessons cover the fundamentals of computer science and AI, hitting important topics like algorithms, data, and conditional logic. BOLT+ doesn't just make computer science engaging, it easily integrates into core curriculum, enriching learning in math, language arts, and science.
RVR+ (Grades 6-12)
Those coding skills continue with RVR+. Geared for grades 6 through 12, RVR+ is programmed in all the same ways as BOLT+, but it expands the playing field into mobile robot development.
Using the 4-pin UART and USB ports, students can integrate third-party hardware like Sphero littleBits, micro:bit, and Raspberry Pi. They can build custom inventions right on top of RVR+, working through the engineering design process to prototype solutions to real-world challenges.
Blueprint Engineering (Grades 6-12)
Blueprint Engineering takes the skills learned with Snap and scales them up for older students. From simple to compound machines, the integration of electrical bits into control systems, and applying mathematics in practical scenarios, Blueprint Engineering lays a rigorous foundation for a future in robotics. Taking it even further, a series of CAD lessons helps students develop assembly and modeling skills, bringing their designs into the physical world and preparing them for CAD certification in software like Onshape.
Advanced Learning: Putting It All Together
By the time students reach the upper grade levels, they have an impressive foundation of programming and engineering skills. Now, it is time to combine them.
Blueprint Robotics (Grades 8-12)
Everything culminates in Blueprint Robotics. Designed for grades 8 through 12, this kit integrates all the previous programming and engineering knowledge into one platform. With a ready-to-use swerve drive base, snap-together components, and plug-and-play electronics, students engage with complex robotics systems right from day one.
Students develop skills that extend beyond the classroom, applying robotics knowledge and concepts like motion control, systems thinking, and CAD, to classroom competitions and industry-based challenges. Classroom competitions teach students to use the robotics design process to design, test, and refine solutions through real challenges. These fun and iterative competitions require students to collaborate and problem solve. The programming software, Blueprint Studio, allows students to build programs using drag-and-drop code snippets and an intuitive UI, or take it further by developing their own programs from scratch in Python.
Ready to Transform Your District?
Sphero is not a single tool or a one-time initiative. It is a cohesive, engaging pathway that grows with students, builds real skills over time, and supports educators at every stage, from the first “aha” moment with indi to advanced programming and engineering with Blueprint Robotics.
Ready to bring this ecosystem to your school? Contact your Sphero Rep to figure out which solutions make the most sense for your learners. We will help you learn how to get started, scale over time, and answer all your questions about rollout, funding, and implementation.