BIRMINGHAM, Mich. (WXYZ) – Adults may not like walking on them, but LEGO plays a big role in every child’s life.
That’s why a local business specializing in LEGO robotics and game design is taking it one step further.
Birmingham-based Robot Garage is helping kids develop analytical thinking with homemade kits.
The family-owned business teaches engineering, coding and robotics by letting kids create with bricks.
“We hope to get our curriculum to more kids, and our goal here at Robot Garage is always to give them that first spark of engineering,” said Jonathan Jacobs, owner of Robot Garage.
That’s why Jonathan and his wife released these subscription-based boxes.
“They’re great because they allow us to take our lessons into homes, where kids have unlimited time,” Jacobs said.
Launched during the pandemic, the service was intended to be a quick and easy way to deliver locally-based LEGOs to children. Since then, however, the service has expanded.
“We’ve had people buy these all over the country, all over the world,” Jacobs said.
Brothers Milan and Howard Thomas receive a new box every month as part of the service.
Howard said building LEGO helped him understand everyday things.
“The doors in the grocery store, one of the LEGO builds was one of those, it was sliding and it helped me understand how the doors worked,” Howard Thomas said.
Milan loves watching robots come to life with the help of computer code.
“If you have code for a Lego project, if you’re testing something or need to find the right thing to put, it can help you with math because you have to get the right numbers,” Milan Thomas said.
Mylan and Howard’s parents say the boxes have helped their children’s analytical thinking.
“Because there’s a mechanical connection that you have to build, if it doesn’t work, you try to figure out why it’s not working and be patient,” said Milan and Michael Thomas, parents of Milan and Howard.
Meanwhile, Milo’s mom, Amy, can’t believe her son can do robotics and coding.
“It’s great to see how it helps him build these skills as he grows,” said Amy Sweet, Milo’s mom.
There are two types of boxes that people can subscribe to:
- Robot Academy Junior (Grades 1-3)
- Young Engineers Workshop (ages 4-5)
- Video Game Design Workshop (Grades 3-5)
For more information about The Robot Garage, visit therobotgarage.com
