Before we get started highlighting some of our Circuit Python electronics projects – take a look at our projects/kits category in the Adafruit Store and our searchable learning system full of online tutorials! Now look below to be inspired to DIY with some fun Circuit Python projects you can make at home for back to school time:
Circuit Playground Express is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We’ve taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and made it even better! Not only did we pack even more sensors in, we also made it even easier to program.
Start your journey with Microsoft MakeCode block-based or Javascript programming. Then, you can use the same board to try CircuitPython, with the Python interpreter running right on the Express. As you progress, you can advance to using Arduino IDE, which has full support of all the hardware down to the low level, so you can make powerful projects.You can even use code.org CS Discoveries to learn all about coding right in your browser!
Check out our detailed guide with a tour of Circuit Playground Express and details on getting started using MakeCode, CircuitPython, code.org CS Discoveries or Arduino!
Because you can program the same board in 4 different ways – the Express has great value and re-usability. From beginners to experts, Circuit Playground Express has something for everyone. If you are looking for our original, Arduino-only Circuit Playground, check out the Circuit Playground Classic.
The board is round and has alligator-clip pads around it so you don’t have to solder or sew to make it work. You can power it from USB, a AAA battery pack, or with a Lipoly battery (for advanced users). Circuit Playground Express has built-in USB support. Built in USB means you plug it in to program it and it just shows up, no special cable or adapter required. Just program your code into the board then take it on the go! Pick one up in the adafruit store!
Adabot Operation Game
Your turn to operate! Perform surgery on Adabot, but be careful not to touch the sides or the buzzer will sound!!! Adabot needs your help, Doctor! It’s time to operate!! It takes a steady hand to remove the game pieces!
You can build this fun, classic game using a Circuit Playground Express to react whenever your hand isn’t so steady and your tweezers bump the edge of an opening. You’ll build the board, and then program the Circuit Playground Express using CircuitPython or MakeCode to test the capacitive touch pads for contact. See full guide here!
Crawling Baby Sea Turtle Robot
Get this baby sea turtle safely to the ocean! The plight of baby sea turtles trying to find their way to the ocean is one that has played out for millennia, and become increasingly harrowing as humans habitation has encroaches on some of their ancestral nesting grounds.
This project demonstrates how to build a robotic turtle that will respond to light, triggering it to start flapping its flippers and moving, hopefully, toward the freedom of the ocean. See full guide!
Paper Craft Zoetrope with Crickit
Make a spinning optical illusion toy with some paper and a motor. A zoetrope is a device that makes a series of images to appear animated. It does this by taking advantage of a phenomenon called Persistence of Vision (POV).
When you look through the slits in the wall of a zoetrope, your visual system retains the image it’s presented with for a fraction of a second after the next image has moved into view, so as it spins your brain merges the previous image with the next one, creating the appearance of fluid motion. This is same principle upon which flip books, CRT televisions, and film movies work. In this guide we will build a low-cost zoetrope that you can use to make and view your own animated sequences. The tools and materials used will be kept as simple and inexpensive as possible, so as to make it accessible and quick to put together. See full guide!
August is Back to School Month here at Adafruit! Each week we’ll be bringing you a two #BackToSchool posts on the blog! Stay tuned for product and gift guides, tutorials from the Adafruit Learning System, and inspiration from around the web! Get started by checking out Adafruit’s educational resources, such as our kits and project packs, suggested products for young engineers, blog posts for educators and an extensive selection of books to help you learn!
