The Dash and Dot apps

Dash and Dot apps are available on iOS, Android and Kindle. Download them for free via your devices app store. Please note that Go! is not available on Kindle.

Go!

This app is for your youngest kids from reception class upwards.

Go! acts as a remote control for Dash robot.

Drive the robot around using the on-screen joystick (top speed can be limited using the slider)
Move the head to make Dash robot look around
Create patterns by controlling which of Dash's 12 LED eye segments are illuminated.
Independently change the colour of the ear and chest LEDs and experiment with different ways of making them flash
Get Dash robot to play a number of pre-recorded sounds
Record your voice into the microphone on the tablet device and play it back through Dash as a way of making the Dash robot talk

What is Go! good for?

Developing a child's fine motor skills
Spatial awareness
Acting out stories and characters
Understanding sound and light

Xylo (All ages)

Xylo is designed to be used specifically with the Dash Xylophone accessory. This accessory is available separately or is included as part of the Wonder Pack. Xylo introduces children to both programming and music by allowing them to create visual sequences of notes which Dash can then play on the Xylophone.

What is Xylo good for?

Algorithm design
Command sequences and control flow
Loops

Path (Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2)

Path allows you to draw a route for the Dash robot to follow. When you press the head of the on-screen Dash, the real-life Dash robot will follow the path you have drawn. You can drop various icons along the way, so that the robot plays a sound or does an action at certain points along the route.

There are various "challenges" within the software such as a racetrack and farmyard but perhaps the most powerful part is the free space which allows children to explore distances, estimating, sequencing and more.

What is Path good for?

Spatial awareness - try to estimate a route around some obstacles on the floor
Basic algorithm design
Sequences
Control flow
Sensors and events
Problem solving

Wonder (Later Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2)

Wonder is an introduction to coding which lets children discover sequences and algorithms using a very visual interface. Connect the commands together with lines much like you would with a flow chart and use inputs from sensors to control the program flow.

For children that are completely new to coding, Wonder can be easier to understand than the more traditional Blockly language.

What is it good for?

Ideal for children who are new to coding
Algorithm design
Command sequences
Control flow
Loops
Sensors and events

Blockly (Mainly Key Stage 2 but also great for budding programmers in Key Stage 1)

Blockly is the full programming app for the Dash robot and Dot robot - it's ideal for teaching coding and can be used in conjunction with the accessories like the launcher and the pen add on to create exciting tasks It can also be used with the Challenge Card Set and the Learn to Code Curriculum Guide teacher book which sets mini-challenges for students to solve and give the teachers solutions explanations.

What is it good for?