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New York, February 17, 2018 – Today littleBits, the electronics company that empowers kids to be inventors, announced its award-winning Droid Inventor Kit will soon include an added coding capability available in mid-April 2018. This new feature brings coding to the littleBits consumer for the first time ever through an easy-to-use drag and drop coding canvas built off of Scratch Blocks. The latest iteration of the Droid Inventor Kit is on display at the 2018 North American International Toy Fair® at booth 3263.

“We are overwhelmed by the amazing response we have received from kids and the industry for the littleBits Droid Inventor Kit, and we’re proud to unveil the new coding features,” said Ayah Bdeir, founder & CEO of littleBits. “We are continually innovating, and with these new features, the expanded app experience will give kids even more invention activities and new ways to program their Droid. ” 

With invention at its core, the Droid Inventor Kit fosters STEAM, creativity, and problem-solving skills. In-app challenges encourage kids to reconfigure the littleBits technology in unique ways, in combination with household items, so they can create their own custom Droids such as a cookie delivery Droid using a servo, a room guardian using a proximity sensor, and more. To further encourage kids to make inventive new Droids, littleBits created the littleBits Competition: Droid Inventor Kit. The response was overwhelming: hundreds of kid inventors submitted unique Droids, including videos that showcased just how creative and fun the inventing process can be, and how responsive kids are to the littleBits mission of unleashing creativity.

The Droid Inventor Kit includes all the components needed for kids to create their very own Droid. A free app (iOS and Android) completes the experience, providing step-by-step instructions and how-to videos.

• The new in-app coding missions use Scratch Blocks, block-based programming developed through a collaboration between Google and MIT's Scratch lab, to provide kids with additional inventing experiences. These experiences will build upon existing Droid missions to expand kids’ inventing skills and play experiences.
• The kit comes with everything kids need to create and customize their Droid straight out of the box.
• Step-by-step in-app instructions allow kids to create their Droid, control it in Drive Mode, Force™ Mode, and more.
• Each littleBits color-coded electronic block has a different function such as a power, motor, or sensor, which kids can use with their Droid in new and exciting ways.
• Included stickers and in-app missions encourage kids to customize their Droid using crafts or household objects, giving their Droid its own special personality.
• Kids can take pride in creating any Droid they imagine, and parents will love the play opportunities.

Throughout the 2017 holiday season, the littleBits Droid Inventor Kit was named to several of the toy industry’s most prestigious “hot toy” lists, including TTPM’s “Most Wanted” and the Toy Insider™ “STEM 10,” and has been selected as a finalist in the creative category of the Toy Association’s Toy of the Year Awards. Distinguishing honors and awards were received from Good Housekeeping’s Annual Toy Awards, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and Scholastic Parent & Child®’s 2017 Gold Star Toy Awards. The Droid Inventor Kit also topped major retailers’ holiday lists with inclusion as a top tech toy on Amazon’s Holiday Toy List, one of Amazon’s top 100 toys for the season and one of Walmart’s Top Rated by Kids picks.

For more information, visit www.littleBits.cc.

About littleBits

littleBits empowers kids around the world to become inventors. Founded in 2011 by Ayah Bdeir, its innovative platform of easy-to-use electronic blocks allows anyone to create and prototype with electronics, independent of age, gender or technical ability. As the leader in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) learning, littleBits believes in creating the conditions of invention by creating products that encourage self-directed exploration and problem solving; support grit and tenacity; and create a safe place to experience both failure and accomplishment. The company is dedicated to successfully bridging the gender gap with its gender-neutral platform, attracting an industry high thirty five percent of young girls to invent with littleBits. By embracing STEAM, both girls and boys can invent solutions to the problems that matter to them. The company’s products have won over 150 industry awards in the toy and education industries. littleBits is headquartered in New York. For more information and inspiration, go to www.littleBits.cc.

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