LEGO Robotics

We had an amazing opportunity this week - Mad Natter had the chance to enroll (a year early) in a LEGO Robotics class with our local Sylvan Learning Centre. Because it was with our local Association of Bright Children, he was able to squeak in without their usual "age 7" guideline. And so, on a lovely Sunday morning, we went off to the centre and I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

We tend to not have a lot of good experience with outside-the-house classes of any kind. Sports seem to be okay, but in general, anything not designed around physical activity winds up not getting anything done, because Mad Natter seems to take the lack of activity as a challenge. So I brought him, and hoped. I can't keep him home forever, right?

It was a resounding success. He built the robot he was supposed to build, did the experiments he was supposed to do, and has been asking daily if we're going back. He built several other things, in addition to the robot birds (which he named Kirby), and has been really excited to go build more. We're hoping to get him into the spring program, but with there only being three open spots, and our not being able to confirm until the 15th, we might have to wait until summer.

I'm so excited for him. He's really taken to this, and I'd like to keep his interest. The wonderful and heartbreaking part, though, was when I asked him what he thought, he said to me, "They didn't do anything to me, Mama - we just talked!" He does need the additional social time out, but after our last few trips to PlayPlaces and such, I've been leery to get too attached to any given social group. It looks like this will be a good thing, though - and it all came as second nature to him, so it sure can't hurt to enroll him.