Google's Project Bloks designed to get kids programming early

Increasing its dedication to early learning through technology, Google has announced Project Bloks, a tool designed to get children started on the path to programming and making cool gadgets.

Project Bloks consist of three components: Base Boards, Pucks and the Brain Board. Pucks can be used to initialize any number of functions (on, off, turn, go, etc.) and work by connecting to square Base Boards via capacitive sensors. Those two components are given power and connectivity (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) by hooking up to the larger Brain Board.

This approach is an attempt to inspire creation using tangible programming on an open hardware platform. Using the component blocks, children will be able to produce control mechanisms for robots, toys, and even tablets.

"We believe that when children learn to code, they’re not just learning how to program a computer — they’re learning a new language for creative expression and are developing computational thinking: a skill set for solving problems of all kinds," said Google Creative Lab members Steve Vranakis and Jayme Goldstein in a blog post announcing Project Bloks on Monday.

In addition to Google, the project is also benefitting from collaborative contributions from Paulo Blikstein of Stanford University and design firm IDEO. Currently, the Project Bloks aren't available commercially, but educators can register for a chance to join the program. 

For everyone else, Project Bloks will be on display for most of 2016 at the Exploratorium in San Francisco and at the Science Museum in London.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.