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Spike Block Coding

STEAM
March 05, 2025•2 min read

SPIKE block coding refers to the visual programming environment used with LEGO Education SPIKE™ Prime and SPIKE™ Essential kits. These are robotics kits designed for elementary and middle school students to learn coding, engineering, and design — all with LEGO bricks.

The SPIKE software uses block-based coding, built on Scratch (the same visual language from MIT). Instead of typing code, students drag and snap together colorful blocks to program their LEGO creations.

🧩 How It Works

  • Each block represents an action or command.

  • Students snap blocks together to create programs that make their LEGO robots move, sense obstacles, play sounds, light up, or react to inputs.

  • It’s designed to teach coding concepts like:

    • Loops (repeating actions)

    • Events (triggered actions, like pressing a button)

    • Sensors (detecting objects or colors)

    • Variables (storing information like speed or distance)

🎨 Why It's STEAM-Friendly

SPIKE combines:

  • Science & Engineering (building robots)

  • Technology (programming with block coding)

  • Art & Design (creative problem-solving and building)

  • Math (measuring distances, angles, speeds)

It’s a great hands-on, creative platform that merges technical skills with design and storytelling — which is exactly what STEAM is all about.

⚙️ Example SPIKE Block Program

Imagine a robot that drives forward until it sees a red object, then stops and plays a sound.

The block code might look like this:

vbnet

CopyEditWhen program starts Repeat until color sensor sees red Drive forward Stop driving Play "celebrate" sound

💡 Why Educators Love SPIKE

  • It’s easy to learn, even for beginners.

  • It blends physical building and coding.

  • It teaches problem-solving and creative thinking, not just coding.

  • It can scale from basic projects to advanced challenges (perfect for classrooms or clubs).

🚀 Transition to Python

Once students master block coding, SPIKE Prime also supports Python, so students can transition to text-based coding when ready — making it perfect for progressive learning.

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