Floor robots can help young children develop spatial awareness. By asking the children to make a robot reach a given point, or to follow a route, pupils are encouraged to think carefully about directions and use vocabulary such as 'left, right, forwards and backwards'.

Compass points may also be introduced: "Go three steps North."

A robot can also be used with older children to make large maps and plan journeys.

Using a floor robot to follow a route with young children

Mapping and Programming

Introducing coordinates

The Tale of the Sheppey Pigs

Roamer visits the shops (ngfl-cymru.org.uk)

Roamer Activity (ngfl-cymru.org.uk) The children program a sequence of instructions within the context of story maps and use creative writing and an art package to complete the task.

Bear Journey (ngfl-cymru.org.uk) The children take the Roamer, which had been transformed into a bear, on a journey which related to the Bear Hunt story.

We're going on a Bear Hunt This activiy makes use of programmable toys to explore direction, distance and sequencing in an imaginary context based on the well loved story.