A progression that works
Younger pupils start with direct instructions, pressing arrow buttons on a floor robot to store a sequence. This builds the habit of planning steps before acting. From around age seven or eight, block-based environments such as Scratch, MakeCode for micro:bit or the LEGO Education SPIKE app let pupils drag commands together without worrying about spelling or syntax.
Secondary pupils can then move to text, usually in the first or second year of secondary school once block programs become long and hard to read. MakeCode and SPIKE both offer Python, which lets pupils compare a familiar block program with its written equivalent. Arduino boards, programmed in a C-based language, suit older students interested in electronics.
Free activities to download
Ready-to-run EduTrend Contents robot programming workshops for primary, middle and high school. Each free download includes a step-by-step session plan, facilitator notes, three student worksheets and an assessment checklist. Full 20-week programmes are available in EduStore.
Plan Before You Press
Primary · Ages 6–9
Foundation · 40 min
Pupils plan a floor robot’s route with arrow cards before pressing buttons, test it, and fix any wrong steps, building the habit of planning first.
Blocks That Repeat and Decide
Primary · Ages 8–11
Developing · 50 min
Pupils use a block-based editor to make a robot patrol with a loop, then add an if block so it reacts to a button or sensor, and debug each change.
Stop Before the Wall
Middle School · Ages 10–12
Intermediate · 60 min
Students display distance sensor readings, record values at set distances, program a robot to stop below a threshold and test whether speed changes where it stops.
Blocks to Python
Middle School · Ages 12–14
Intermediate · 60 min
Students switch a familiar block program to its Python view, match blocks to lines of code, then make changes directly in Python and test on the robot.
Debug Like an Engineer
High School · Ages 15–18
Advanced · 75 min
Students diagnose deliberately faulty robots using a systematic checklist, logging and isolation tests, and write a debugging report.
Liked the free activities? Go further with a 20-week programme.
Each free activity comes from a full EduTrend Contents programme: a Family Guide or Teacher's Guide with one-page session plans for 20 weeks, plus an Assessment Toolkit with rubrics, trackers and certificates. Choose the one for your child's age or your class below. Instant PDF download after checkout.
EDT-321 · 20 WEEKS · $29
Little Robot Coders
Family · Ages 6–11 with a grown-up
Plan-first routes, loops, rules and bug hunts.
EDT-322 · 20 WEEKS · $39
Robot Programmers
Primary · Ages 7–11
Floor robots, loops, sensors and debugging.
EDT-323 · 20 WEEKS · $39
Robot Coding Lab: Blocks to Python
Middle school · Ages 11–14
Sensor logic, functions and blocks to Python.
EDT-324 · 20 WEEKS · $45
Robot Software Engineering Studio
High school · Ages 15–18
Python and C, state machines, tests and Git.
Photos: stem.T4L, Sahand Babali / Unsplash
Learning to Program Robots
Learn to program robots step by step with five free printable activities, from planning floor-robot routes and block loops to sensor stops, the move to Python and systematic debugging. For longer learning, choose a 20-week programme for families, primary, middle or high school.
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Learning to Program Robots
