Young Engineers / Circuit Playground

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...

It's the Circuit Playground Express Base Kit!  It provides the few things you'll need to get started with the new Circuit Playground Express. This version of Circuit Playground is super powered, and will work with Microsoft MakeCode, CircuitPython, code.org CS Discoveries or Arduino IDE. You can use Circuit Playground Express with code.org CS Discoveries, but we recommend this code.org Individual Pack which has the...

Would you like to learn electronics, with an all-in-one board that has sensors and LEDs built in? Circuit Playground is here - and it's the best way to practice programming on real hardware with no soldering or sewing required! This is the Classic version of Circuit Playground , which comes with an ATmega32u4. It's designed to be used with Arduino IDE and code.org CS Discoveries only. It even comes with Firmata already programmed in, so...

Circuit Playground Bluefruit is our third board in the Circuit Playground series, another step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the popular Circuit Playground Express and made it even better! Now the main chip is an nRF52840 microcontroller which is not only more powerful, but also comes with Bluetooth Low Energy support for wireless connectivity. The board is round and has alligator-clip pads around...

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. You can now start your journey with  Microsoft MakeCode  block-based or Javascript programming. If you're in a classroom following Code.org's CS...

For many years, instructors and teachers have asked us to come up with a better way to teach programming and electronics. We have worked on Circuit Playground Express for over a year to come up with a board that is powerful, beautiful, fun, and perfect for teaching Code.org CS Discoveries Circuit Playground Express  is a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. It combines a poweful ATSAMD21G18 microcontroller with full Code.org...

The Code.org CS Discoveries course is a yearlong curriculum for teaching computer science, and there's even a physical computing unit! For large classrooms and workshops, we recommend our Code.org Classroom pack. But, if you need to supplement your Classroom pack or are learning on your own, we now have a mini-kit - with just the essentials for a single student or share-pair. Individual kit includes everything you need: 1 x Circuit...

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. This version is 4-H themed, for use by anyone, but comes in a special green color and with the 4-H emblem on the back, to celebrate the positive youth development and mentoring...

We are super pleased to enjoy a partnership with an engaging, empowering foundation like 4-H. Here at Adafruit we drive ourselves to "be excellent", and 4-H's motto is "to make the best better." Though typically thought of as an agriculturally focused organization, 4-H today focuses on citizenship, healthy living, science, engineering, and technology programs. As far as inspiring the next generation of...

The bestselling book Getting Started with Circuit Playground Express now comes with a full pack of parts so you can hit the ground running! Getting Started with Circuit Playground Express  is written by our friend, Anne Barela, author of G.S.W. Adafruit Trinket. Anne is a life-long engineer, Maker, writer, and has joined the Adafruit team to write guides and develop new projects. This book gives you the low-down...

Make: Getting Started with Circuit Playground Express  is written by our friend, Anne Barela, author of G.S.W. Adafruit Trinket. Anne is an engineer and Maker with the Adafruit team. We also have a great bundle that includes everything you need to follow along with the projects in the book, no soldering required! This book gives you the low-down on microcontrollers by learning how to use the Express with Microsoft MakeCode and...

At the time of its invention Morse code definitively changed the way we communicate. Historically it's been used in nautical navigation to aviation to radio, but its easy to learn and the universal nature makes it a great data entry method for folks who use Assistive Technology! GBoard is an alternate keyboard for Android devices that lets you type using Morse code. It then converts those dots and dashes into letters and...

We are very excited to carry a new book by Adafruit Learning System author and maker  Kathy Ceceri !  Robots are everywhere! They vacuum our houses, work in our factories, help us learn at school, and play with us at home. They sample rocks from other planets, survey disaster zones from the air, and bring back images from the bottom of the ocean. Explore the roles robots play in our world and learn about the history, engineering,...

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...

This little Silver-color Pin with Foam Adhesive is the perfect way to attach any PCB or small component to cloth material.  The adhesive forms a solid but not permanent bond for a strong reliable hold. The pin also has a handy little locking mechanism to keep the pin from unlatching from friction. If you are working with wearables be sure to keep a handful of these around - they pair especially well with the Flora, Gemma, and Circuit...

Hans is the 'old man' of the group. He tends to be nervous and is often indecisive. Hans frequently changes his mind, and is a little fidgety (he oscillates) when he's not moving around. He is very meticulous and precise in other ways; Hans does not like to compromise, preferring to be in a steady state until a dramatic change is called for. Hans speaks with the voice of a kindly old man with a Swiss-German accent, though his voice...

Mho has a laid back, passive personality. He likes to do as little work as possible, and prefers to simply let the world happen around him. Mho is kind of a hippy, and is very quiet and gentle. He is best friends with Ruby, the red LED, who shares his idealism, though he's often reluctant to go off with her on her adventures because he thinks they will probably end up in trouble. Mho has sort of a nasally, hippie voice (California accent,...

Cappy is the de facto leader of the group. He is always coming up with crazy schemes. A running joke is that his capacitance value changes depending on his mood. Cappy speaks in a West County English accent (a traditional 'pirate' accent). His catchphrase is "smooth sailing." About Electrolytic Caps: The underlying concept of electrolytic capacitors was discovered in 1886 by Charles Pollk, who received a patent in 1897 for a...

Connie is the co-leader of the group with Cappy. Connie is much more level-headed though, and somewhat of mother figure for the others, particularly Ruby and Billie. She is very thorough, remarkably smart, and has a good heart. She is very dedicated to the others and acts as a balance to the zaniness of Cappy and Ruby. Connie is able to handle Hans' indecision, Ruby's hyperactivity, Billie's soulful blueness and Cappy's...

Ruby is the ingenue of the group, and something of a Pollyanna. She is the youngest, the most talkative, and gets easily excited about everything. Ruby has a lot of energy and she's always ready to go on an adventure. Ruby's wanderlust sometimes gets her in trouble. Her best friend is Mho, the resistor, who shares her idealism without sharing her urgency or naiveté. Ruby speaks with a super excited young girl's voice who talks...

Gus is the smartest member of the group, but also the most coarse. Gus is the closest thing to an engineer in the group: he is pragmatic, realistic and somewhat world-weary, but not a total downer. He will sometimes cut people off mid-sentence because he is impatient, not because he's trying to be mean or rude. Gus will occasionally make pithy observations that shed light on some problem or other. He is sort of an older brother to Ruby. Gus...

Billie doesn't just sing the blues, she lives the blues. Billie has a good heart, but she can be a total downer. She always sees glass as half-empty (even when it's full), and doesn't like to try new things. Billie has a big-sister relationship with Ruby, and admires her enthusiasm. Billie sings and speaks in a rough and breathy alto. Her catchphrase is "it's enough to make a girl feel kinda blue…", typically...