Tips & Features – Wonder Workshop

Dash into Holiday Joy: Easy Tips for Unboxing and Getting Started

Amy Wilson — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:54:00 +0000

Wrapping paper is flying, eyes are sparkling, and excited laughter fills the room as your child finally meets Dash! Christmas morning is all about magic, and with Dash you can skip the stressful setup so your child can dive right into their coding adventure.

We want to make it easy for you to focus on what matters most: being present for the moment your child’s imagination takes off.

Open and Play

Dash arrives fully assembled, charged, and ready to roll (literally), so no need to sneak in to charge Dash or search for screwdrivers or batteries.

Make sure Dash is on the floor when powering on—Dash loves to dance around! Giving plenty of space will allow for smoother play.

Free App Downloads

For an even easier morning, download any of the free Wonder Workshop apps in advance. Blockly is our core app with tons of puzzles inside for kids to solve that orient them to how to dive in with Dash.

With Wonder, kids create traceable paths of code, which help them see and understand what their robot will do.

The Path app is for younger kids who may not yet be ready for coding. In the app kids can draw a route on their mobile device with their finger and send Dash on journeys around the house

Pairing Dash with Your Device

Have a charged device (i.e. laptop or iPad) on hand to make pairing with Dash seamless. See list of compatible devices for more information.

Bonus points for signing up for a free Make Wonder account (optional, but worth it). It gives you a backstage pass to your child’s learning, letting you track their progress, access solutions, discover new activiites, and unlock future levels in Blockly puzzles.

Care and Keeping of Dash

Dash is ready to go right out of the box, but to keep the fun going, be sure to plug in between uses so that Dash will be fully charged and ready for the next adventure.

Download our expert tips for taking care of Dash and pop on this quick video —perfect for your kids to watch while you sip your morning coffee! These simple steps will keep Dash running smoothly as a learning companion for years to come.

How to Change Dash's Name

Give Dash a personal touch! Your child can make their robot truly unique by choosing a new name. Check out this quick video for easy steps to customize Dash’s name.

Bring Additional Cheer with this Activity Booklet

When kids are ready for a little downtime, this coloring and activity booklet does the trick. With a word search, maze, and coloring pages, they can spend a little time in Dash’s magic holiday world in a relaxed way.

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Follow for More

Head over to @wonderworkshop on Instagram and @wonderworkshopofficial on TikTok for more helpful tips and activity inspiration.

Spooky STEM Activity Roundup

Abby Dye — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 19:37:34 +0000

It's Our Spook STEM Activity Roundup!

No tricks, just treats: invite creativity, collaboration, and coding into your classroom with these spook-tacular activity ideas!

Got an idea to share? Post it on social media and tag us @wonderworkshop!

A Set of 3 Spooky Challenge Cards

In these Challenge Cards, students will code solutions to help Dash escape from a scary castle, save the day from an angry monster, and face fears about black cats.

Download the whole set and let the spookiness begin!

Code Dash Through a Corn Maze

Use tape to create a simple maze on the floor, making sure that it’s wide enough for Dash to fit through. Add as many fall-themed decorations as you want! Students can then use directional commands in Blockly to help Dash find the way out of the corn maze.

Take Dash Trick-or-Treating

Create a scene for Dash to go trick-or-treating like the students in @upielementarygate did! They went all out with the haunted house decorations and added a part to their program where Dash says “trick-or-treat” when arriving at the door. Perfect for small group work, each team of students can design their own haunted house, then work together to help Dash navigate from one spooky house to the next on Halloween.

Go Pumpkin Picking

Using the Gripper Building Kit Accessory and small toy pumpkins, create a program that helps Dash pick up as many pumpkins as possible from the patch and deliver them to a new location. Don’t have small pumpkin toys? No problem! Use objects you already have in the classroom, or turn recycled materials into your own DIY props.

Pumpkin Transport Engineering Challenge

Students in @teachingthegifted’s class were challenged to design a cart that would hold 15 pumpkins to help Farmer Dash transport pumpkins from the farm to the market. This is a great way to integrate the Engineering Design Process and Coding while using Dash. This class found that orange snap cubes made great pumpkins!

Make Halloween Decorations with the Sketch Kit

Materials Needed:

Dash Robot
Sketch Kit
Large sheets of paper
Examples of Halloween shapes and words

Use the Sketch Kit to help Dash create fall decorations for your classroom! Show a few examples of fall-themed shapes and words, and give students time to brainstorm their favorites before they get started.

Collect and Sort Candy with Accessories

Help Dash pick up spilled candy in this Challenge Card! Use the Bulldozer accessory from Wonder Workshop or challenge students to create their own version. Extend the lesson by swapping out the Bulldozer for the Gripper Building Kit. Using the Gripper, have Dash sort Halloween treats into different categories.

Have a Costume Party

Dash loves to dress up for Halloween! Students in @innovatewithme‘s class designed creative disguises and costumes for a day of trick-or-treating. Share your dressed-up Dash photos on social media and tag us @wonderworkshop.

Dash doesn’t have to be the only one in costume! Check out these wonderful costumes made by @cactuscrew507.

Trunk or Treat with Dash

Cardboard and creativity can go a long way! Annalee, an amazing teacher from Vanalden Elementary, created a larger-than-life Blockly costume and Dash robot to adorn her car for the school’s trunk or treat event. The giant Dash now has a second life decorating the technology classroom and motivating students.

Check out this video to see how the class programmed the real Dash robots to dance the day away!

Make a Leaf Pile with Launcher

Use the Launcher accessory and program Dash to throw a pile of found or faux fall leaves in the air. Then, make Dash sing and dance around in the pile to celebrate fall! Make sure Dash is on a hard surface and no crumbly leaves get stuck under the wheels.

Need Accessories?

Gripper

Sketch Kit

Launcher

Fall Football Fun: Dash Kicks Off Coding Season

Amy Wilson — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:09:31 +0000

Fall is in the air—pumpkin spice, crunchy leaves, and Friday night lights. For your classroom, that means the perfect time to bring football fever to your STEM program! Wonder Workshop’s Football Launcher Task Cards turn Dash into an all-star quarterback, inviting your students to huddle up, problem-solve, and code their way to a touchdown.

These free activities combine the excitement of football with hands-on coding challenges that get kids moving, collaborating, and thinking like engineers. Whether you’re an elementary school teacher, STEM coordinator, or library media specialist, this resource is an easy win for your fall lesson plans.

Touchdown Coding: Creative Problem-Solving in Action

Each task card sets up a football scenario—like programming Dash to launch a ball into a target cup in the end zone or navigate defenders before making a touchdown pass

Students must plan their code, test their strategy, and refine their approach—just like a real offensive line adjusting plays. The open-ended challenges encourage trial-and-error, resilience, and creativity, making them ideal for stations, after-school clubs, or team-based STEM games.

First Downs & Field Goals: Building Core Computational Skills

From moving Dash 10 yards downfield to keeping score across multiple throws, these activities sneak in key math and measurement skills while reinforcing loops, sequencing, and conditional thinking. Students gain practice with precise commands, debugging, and iterating—skills that translate directly into stronger coding confidence.

Team Spirit: Collaboration and Friendly Competition

The Super Bowl Showdown card has students split into two teams, programming Dash to launch passes from different yard lines. The team with the most accurate throws wins, turning your classroom into a cheering section of budding engineers. This playful competition promotes communication, sportsmanship, and cooperative problem-solving—essential skills for any young coder.

Easy Setup, Big Impact

All you need are a Dash robot, simple materials like cups or blocks for goalposts and defenders, and a bit of floor space. That said, if you want to get fancy, there are supplies available on Amazon to spice up your setup. Find a football field table cloth to use on the floor of your classroom, or these nifty footballs to use with the launcher.

The cards are flexible—you can adapt them for different grade levels or time blocks, making them perfect for quick brain breaks or full STEM sessions.

Need a Launcher for Dash?

Launcher is a customer-favorite for Dash. This fun accessory transforms your Dash robot into a projectile-launching machine. Shop for it on our online store today.

Need help using launcher?

For tips on how to launch things with launcher that are not the balls that come in the box, please seeour Blog Post, Beyond the Ball: Learn to Launch Lemons, Pom Poms, and Other Creative Cargo.

Happy Birthday to Dash

Amy Wilson — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 02:56:18 +0000

Dash’s birthday is just around the corner and we’re celebrating with a Robot Party Activity Packet and an activity-card printable!

These resources are great for use at home or at school. They include tons of ideas programming Dash in collaborative (and celebratory) groups. You’ll find challenges as well as your favorite games, like Red Rover, Red Rover and Hot Potato all reimagined to employ coding and Dash robots.

Download these resources and plan your robot birthday party today!

Download this Free Printable with Task Cards: Students can code Dash to deliver presents, launch confetti, and even perform a birthday dance—all while boosting their coding and creativity skills. There’s also a template for creating a birthday hat for Dash!

The History of Dash

Back in the Spring of 2013, Wonder Workshop’s founders were on a mission to create a learn-to-code robot that would appeal to all elementary school students. In an early prototype, they hid the wheels of Dash to make it feel less like a car and more like a friendly robot.

The color was also key in making the robots approachable to all kids. While Blue is a primary color, did you know there are 76 shades and over 300 hues of blue?

In September 2013, the first true prototype of Dash was built. That’s why we celebrate Dash’s birthday on September 13!

With prototype in hand, Wonder Workshop embarked on our first production run in January of 2014. We had to source materials, parts, and find the right partner to help us bring our vision to life.

Code the ABCs and the 123s with Dash

Amy Wilson — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 12:29:07 +0000

Welcome back to another exciting school year! As your students return full of curiosity and energy, it’s the perfect time to spark their creativity while reinforcing foundational skills. This year, why not combine literacy, numeracy, and coding in a hands-on activity that turns learning into an adventure? With Dash Robot and the Sketch Kit, students can program Dash to draw letters, numbers, words, and even creative designs—all while practicing problem-solving, sequencing, and spatial reasoning.

ABCs & 123s Activity Packets

In this packet, students use Blockly or Wonder to code Dash with Sketch Kit so that the robot writes letters and numbers right on the page. By programming Dash’s movements with precision, learners get a tangible connection between their code and a visual result. From spelling words to mirrored writing, from rhyming games to creative typography, this is coding that jumps off the screen and onto paper.

About These Packets

These packet give students step-by-step instructions for coding Dash to draw every letter of the alphabet and the numbers 0–9 using the Sketch Kit. Each page includes a program key—a unique code that links directly to the Blockly or Wonder program that will draw that letter or number. These keys serve as an “answer key” for your activity, letting students compare their own coding solutions with a pre-built version.

How to Use Program Keys

Wonder Workshop’s program keys make it easy to share code without having to manually recreate it block-by-block. Each program key is a short combination of letters and numbers, along with a link. To use one:

Open the Blockly app on your device.
Go to the “Menu” and pick your own profile. Then click on My Projects. In the upper right hand corner, there is a download icon. Tap on that.
Select “Enter Program Key” and type in the code exactly as shown.
The app will instantly load the saved program, ready for you to run, explore, or modify.

Students can use the keys in this packet to quickly load the drawing code for each letter or number, then compare it to their own work, make adjustments, or remix the code for creative variations.

Instructions for loading a program key in the Wonder App can be found here.

Need a Sketch Kit?

Sketch Kit is our accessory that enables kids to see the results of their code on a large canvas. The harness attaches the dry-erase markers (included) to the robot so the markers draw a line as Dash moves.

Need a Sketch Mat?

We’ve partnered with Geyer to bring you a dry–erase whiteboard mat. There’s a grid on one side and it’s blank on the other. Measuring 100″ x 52″, this mat provides an expansive canvas.

Why Kids Will Love It (and You Will Too!)

This activity isn’t just about making shapes—it’s about making connections. Students will:

Build literacy skills by coding Dash to write their spelling words, explore symmetry in letters, and create word-based art.
Strengthen numeracy by programming numbers in standard form, Roman numerals, or even binary.
Flex creativity by designing stylized letters, adding shadows, experimenting with spacing, or even coding Dash to draw a BINGO board.
Develop critical thinking by editing and troubleshooting their programs to get exactly the result they want.

Ready to get started? Download the full “ABCs & 123s” worksheet, grab your Sketch Kit, and let Dash lead your students on a back-to-school coding journey they’ll remember all year.

Put a Little Wonder on Your Classroom Wall

Amy Wilson — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:21:46 +0000

As you gear up for Back to School, we’ve put together some materials to add a little Wonder—and a “Dash” of fun—to your bulletin boards.

You’ll also find a printable packet to spark creativity in students just getting to know Dash. They can color, customize, and imagine Dash as anything from a superhero to a pirate… even a unicorn!

1. Print and cut out all the pieces included in this file. There is a color version and a black & white version.

2. Attach the head and two wheels onto the large triangle.

3. Attach the chest light onto the large triangle underneath Dash’s head. Pro tip: Tuck this piece in slightly behind the wheels and head and make it look more realistic.

4. Hang to decorate!

Download Printable Blockly Blocks

Design Your Own Dash

Download this packet to spark your students’ imaginations and show just how many characters Dash can become. Perfect for storytelling projects, it inspires students to see their robot take on exciting roles and complete important missions in a world they create.

10 Innovative Solutions for Robot Storage Carts

Amy Wilson — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:43:00 +0000

It’s almost that time of year when you will find yourself surrounded by robots, charging cables and devices. What better time is there for creative storage solutions to streamline storage and charging, ease delivery to students and colleges, all while keeping Dash safe?

We have a solution for you — 10, in fact. Here are our top 10 innovative storage cart solutions for robots, shared by teacher leaders just like you.

#1 — Newport Mesa Unified School District, California

#1 — Newport Mesa Unified School District, California: Dr. Jenith Mishne, Director of Education Technology, and her team of amazing EdTech TOSAs, Christie Darnall, Martha Felix and Melissa Price were very strategic about how they wanted to roll out a robotics program to their elementary teachers and students at 22 sites. They knew that a cart had to be durable, had to have wheels for ease of moving between classrooms, and had to have enough space to hold all the related teaching and learning materials, because their Dash STEM kits include: 7 iPads, 7 Dash robots, 7 customized floor mats, 1 teaching and learning resource binder filled with many activities and lessons, Wonder Workshop’s Curriculum Guide and Challenge Cards, an accessory kit of math manipulatives (rulers, projectors, etc.), 7 robot and 7 iPad charging cables, 14 building brick connectors, and a LEGO set. Their team decided to purchase the rugged Case Cruzer, which has foam inlay for added protection of the contents and can be locked. The K-5 teachers within each elementary building use a shared Google calendar to check out the cases. Now, all 23 sites have easy, shared access to the Dash STEM kits.

Total cost: $233-$311 for each mobile case

Follow and learn with the EdTech TOSAs on Twitter @NMUSD

#2 — Overton Public School in Overton, NE

#2 — Overton Public School in Overton, NE: Technology specialist Chase Christianson took a DIY approach. For his school’s solution, Chase creatively repurposed an old TV cart. He worked with the head of maintenance to add some wood panel “bumper walls” for the Dash robots sitting on top (we’ve also seen foam pool noodles used for bumper walls). Since it is a powered TV cart, Chase added a small USB charging unit that plugs right in for quick and easy charging. Chris claims it is “nothing special,” yet when he has to make the rounds to five different classrooms, his solutions make for flexible and easy mobility!

Total cost: $0.00 for the repurposed TV chart + <$5.00 for the wood panel “bumper” boards or pool noodles.

#3 — Valley Preparatory School, Redlands, CA

#3 — Valley Preparatory School, Redlands, CA: Carrie Willis, a technology director, created a small, simple, and yet practical mobile charging cart. To replicate her setup, you can purchase a 3 Tier Metal Cart on Amazon for about $35, get a power strip with 12 USB ports, and mount it to the cart with heavy-duty Velcro. Each level of the cart can hold at least 3 Dashes and 3 Dots. Carrie and her students like the smaller cart size for its ease of mobility within a classroom setting — simple to store in a classroom corner.

Total cost: <$60.00

Follow and learn with Carrie on Twitter @carriewillis18

#4 — Lou MacNarin Schools, Dieppe, Canada

#4 — Lou MacNarin Schools, Dieppe, Canada: Julie Roy is an immersion STEM resource teacher in the province of New Brunswick. In Joy’s school, they have 15 Dash and 11 Dot robots stored on a sturdy metal shelving unit. This solution provides easy access for both students and teachers. Julie’s goal when she purchased these shelving units for her school was to allow for plenty of access, at any time. Now, she says that any teacher (or student) can borrow them whenever they like!

This unit can be purchased on Amazon.com for $34.

#5 — Conestoga Valley School District in Lancaster, PA

#5 — Conestoga Valley School District in Lancaster, PA: Vicki Treadway, a technology coach, shared her creative mobile drawer storage cart. Her elementary principal found the cart at their Leola Elementary location, so they simply repurposed it by adding a multiport USB charger on the top. The drawers fit Dash and Dot plus their USB cables and accessories. What a compact home!

Total cost: <$80.00.

Follow and learn with Vicki on Twitter @vltreadway

#6 — Wayzata School District, Plymouth, MN

#6 — Wayzata School District, Plymouth, MN: Dr. Brad Gustafson and the Greenwood Elementary teachers collaborated on ideas for the best mobile storage solution for their makerspace. Dr. Brad had earmarked some funding in their budget to invest in the Mobile MakerSpace fleet and supplies. Their goal was to create an ethos of innovation and design thinking. They wanted students to have the opportunity to create, build, tinker, fail, and think critically from any classroom or hallway in the school. To transport new opportunities and tools to virtually any space in their school, they have lined the hallway to the media center with their Mobile MakerSpace carts, which are Cascade models. These carts contain all the tools needed to elicit collaboration and unleash student creativity, whether they are tackling high-tech 3D printing, low-tech knitting, plastic construction blocks, or modular robotics.

Estimated cost: $300.00 per cart

Follow and learn with Dr. Brad on Twitter @GustafsonBrad

#7 — Oregon School District, Oregon, WI

#7 — Oregon School District, Oregon, WI: Technology teacher Velvet Holmes shared her creative robot storage idea of a “Dash garage.” Velvet has designated a back counter of her classroom where she reuses the same box Dash was shipped in. She flips the box to use the top as a back for the “garage.” Then, she asks students to park the Dash inside the plastic liner and store a Dot on top of each open box. Her idea provides easy access for students, an organized method for storage, and an immediate charging station right next to the classroom’s iPads. Velvet has created an anytime, just-in-time way to enhance her classroom’s thematic units of study.

Total cost: FREE

Follow and learn with Velvet on Twitter @iVelvet

#8 — St. Cloud Schools, St. Cloud, MN

#8 — St. Cloud Schools, St. Cloud, MN: Angie Kalthoff, a tech integrator, wrote a grant to bring Dash and Dot and other STEM tools to her St. Cloud, Minnesota schools. One of her creative first-grade teachers, Lindsey Nagorski @nagorski1 came up with the idea of storing the robots in a fish tank! She explains that her first-graders treat Dash and Dot as classroom pets — they take care for them each and every day.

Jenny McNew is the media specialist @31madi and Jason Menth is the Talahi Technology Integrationist at St. Cloud Schools, and they work with multiple classes at Talahi Elementary using multiple Tech Tub Charging solutions.The robots sit on shelves connected to internal USB charging ports, securely stored in a lightweight, ventilated unit that is easy to carry or transport from room to room.

Another solution their district has come up with is tapping into repurposed laptop carts from years past, and that are no longer are being used. This provides durable mobile storage and an immediate charging solution.

Total cost: $0.00 for the repurposed fish tank; $0.00 for repurposed laptop carts; about $425 for a Tech Tub Trolley

Follow and learn from Angie Kalthoff @MrsKalthoff

#9 Wonder Workshop

#9 — The ultimate rolling suitcase. Easy to pack, zip, load, and roll! Our team at Wonder Workshop, customized a suitcase to take Dash and Dot along when they conduct user research, visit schools, or go to conferences. A practical and sturdy way to bring your friends along for the ride!

Find a similar Amazon Basics carryon here

Total cost: $53

#10 One More Idea!

#10 — Lastly, you could purchase a collapsible utility cart at retailers like the Home Depot. Often used as wagons for the garden or beach, it’s a great way to move Dash and all the accessories between classrooms. Plus, this sturdy cart collapses when not being used. Ask for student volunteers to be Robot Delivery Helpers so that they feel responsible for the care and maintenance of their beloved Dash robots.

What are your favorite storage and charging solutions? Let us know on social media and tag us @wonderworkshop!

Beyond the Ball: Learn to Launch Lemons, Pom Poms, and Other Creative Cargo

Amy Wilson — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 18:48:56 +0000

Ready to turn coding into a hands-on launching adventure? Here are three fun “projectile labs” that blend screen-time logic with real-world physics.

In Citrus Splash, learners code single-shot launches of plastic lemons into targets of varying size and distance; Pom-Pom Precision challenges them to sequence launches and pauses for silent soft-ball tosses; and in Cork Flight Lab, it’s all about dialing in power settings and measuring how far corks fly.

Each activity—whether launching lemons, pom-poms, or corks—follows the same easy pattern:

Write a one-shot launch program.
Observe where the object lands
Then jump back in to tweak things and try again.

Along the way, kids discover cause-and-effect, practice hypothesis-testing (“If I turn power up, it’ll go farther!”), and learn to treat “misses” as clues for their next code adjustment.

Let’s dive into these three launcher labs, where every shot is a mini science experiment and every line of code launches a lesson in problem-solving!

Pro Tip: Cover the launcher basket with aluminum foil to create a sturdy suface for whatever object it is you’re launching.

1. Citrus Splash: Plastic Lemons into the Pitcher

Setup:
- Cover the Launcher basket with aluminum foil, to create a stable pocket.
- Slide a small plastic lemon (available here on Amazon) onto Dash’s Launcher. Place a wide bucket at 2–3 feet away, then swap in a narrow pitcher or tall cup for higher difficulty.
Challenge Scaling:
- Easy: Wide bucket at ~2 ft away
- Medium: Narrow pitcher at ~3 ft
- Hard: Shot glass or small vase at ~4 ft
Coding Focus:
1. One-Shot Program: Write a simple program that does exactly one launch—set your power (10%-100%), then hit “Run.”
2. Tweak & Try Again: Watch where the lemon lands, then go back into the same program, change the power and run it anew.
3. Observe & Learn: After each shot, talk through how a little more or less power changed the result.

2. Pom-Pom Precision: Silent Soft Shots

Setup: Load a 1-inch craft pom-pom (available on Amazon here) into the Launcher. Arrange three different containers—things like plastic cups, paper bowls, or a shoebox hole—for a “target parade.”
Challenge Scaling:
- Easy: Big bins at ~1 ft
- Medium: Plastic cups at staggered distances (~2 ft, 3 ft, 4 ft)
- Hard: Shoebox with a hole cut in the top of it (like cornhole!)
Coding Focus:
1. Single Launch Sequence: Create a program that fires the launcher once, then includes a brief “wait” (so you can place the next pom pom in the basket and have a partner change the container where it will land).
2. Adjust & Repeat: Run it, see if the pom-pom lands, then go back and tweak power or wait time to make the sequence work.
3. Step-by-Step Logic: Talk through each block: “Launch → wait → launch → wait” and why the pause matters when you’re switching targets and placing pom poms.

3. Cork Flight Lab: Tweak, Launch & Record

Setup: Collect wine corks or craft-store cork cylinders. Create a straight track marked on the floor with tape, and place a target at the end.
Challenge Scaling:
- Easy: Short track with unobstructed target
- Medium: Longer track with obstacles – like soft blocks – in the way.
- Hard: Place dash on an angled incline for an arc trajectory—predict where the cork will land!
Coding Focus:
1. Launch & Label: Write one program that launches a cork at your chosen power. Label it “Cork Test.”
2. Manual Iteration: Run “Cork Test,” measure distance, then reopen your program and change the power blocks % before you run it again.
3. Record Results: After each run, jot down “Power = 40% → 1 ft” on a piece of paper—then compare each percentage and the distance the object traveled.

We hope that you find that activities like these will help keep young minds sharp all summer.

You can set up these three quick labs—Citrus Splash, Pom-Pom Precision, and Cork Flight Lab—anywhere from the backyard to the living room and with code tweak, kids will practice problem-solving and dodge the dreaded summer slide.

Here’s to a summer of fun experiments, flying objects, and endless “aha!” moments!

Dash Goes to the Zoo

Amy Wilson — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 15:48:50 +0000

In this Free Resource Friday blog post, we take you and your students on an adventure at the zoo where code makes every creature come alive!

With Dash by their side, your students will explore animal science, language arts, and block-based programming all in one wild adventure.

From researching animal behaviors for a Robot Petting Zoo to charting an A-to-Z safari that Dash can navigate, these free Make Wonder lessons turn your classroom floor into a cross-curricular playground.

The post comes complete with ready-to-print PDFs, craft ideas, and a dash of STEM magic.

Ready to unleash some wonder? Sign up for the free tier of Make Wonder, grab the lesson plans, and let Dash lead the way through your very own alphabet zoo.

Did you know that the free version of the Make Wonder platform features a cross-curricular lesson library with dozens of lessons that span grades K-8? These lessons tackle topics across the curriculum while also bolstering coding skills.

In this lesson, Robot Petting Zoo, students resarch animal behaviors and then program Dash to imitate those behaviors. Below are two sample downloadable PDF’s included in the lesson plan.

You’ll need to be logged into Make Wonder to load the lesson plan, but the free tier is free, so sign up today!

In this lesson, students will program Dash the Zookeeper to take visitors through the ABC Animal Zoo in alphabetical order. (Note: Since this lesson is aimed at very young students whose attention spans are short, it’s recommended that you complete this project over a series of days, as indicated in the full plan.)

In the lesson, students will fill in an Alphabet Grid using their Alphabet Zoo Trail Planners. Each group has a different part of the alphabet. After the class tapes all of the Alphabet Grids together, you’ll have an Alphabet Zoo Trail for Dash to follow through our zoo.

In groups, students will create animals to match each letter in the alphabet. They will use craft materials to create the animal and/or they will describe features of the animal within the square.

They could also dress up Dash to resemble one of their chosen animals!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brittney Harris (@elementary_in_idaho)

You could also create an animal race like Hilltop Country Day School in Sparta Township, NJ did!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hilltop Country Day School (@hilltopcds)

Instructions for Building the Elephant Hat

Ever wondered how we built that elephant hat for Dash? From the deep, cold storage archives, we bring you the full instructions!

Build a Burger with Gripper Building Kit

Amy Wilson — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:45:11 +0000

Stack Up the Fun: A Burger-Building Coding Challenge with Dash!

We’re celebrating International Burger Day the Wonder Workshop way—with robots, code, and a side of STEM! Looking for a classroom activity that’s equal parts coding and creativity? This “Build a Burger” lesson is the perfect recipe! Using Dash and the Gripper Building Kit, your students will practice sequencing, problem-solving, and block-based coding—all while assembling delicious burger combinations (no actual ketchup required). With task cards, hands-on robotics, and a opportunities for collaboration and creativity, this activity is sure to get your students moving, thinking, and coding with purpose. Let’s get building!

Objective:

Students will code Dash to build different burger combinations by collecting ingredients using the Gripper Building Kit. This hands-on activity promotes sequencing, problem-solving, and basic coding skills.

Materials Needed:

1 Dash Robot per group
Dash Gripper Building Kit (attached to each Dash)
Tablet or device with the Blockly for Dash app
Printed Build a Burger Task Cards(1 set per group)
Small cups or containers (12 cups per group)
Tape
Open floor space or Coding Mat (which you can find here)

Prep Steps (Before Class):

Print a set of task cards for each group and cut them out.
Tape each burger ingredient (e.g., bun, lettuce, patty) onto a small cup.
Attach the Gripper Kit to each Dash robot

Directions:

Spread out the burger ingredient cups, the ‘Start’ paper and ‘Burger Building Zone’ paper in your space.
Draw a task card from the stack. Read the burger ingredients listed.
Using Blockly, code Dash to move around the space, and pick up each ingredient in the correct order, and bring it back to the ‘Burger Building Zone’

Extra challenge: Try stacking each of the ingredient cups in order to build your burger.

We also thought it would be fun to experiment with stacking an actual burger using a toy available to purchase. This option is available on Amazon here. If you try it out, let us know if it works! For Gripper to be able to grasp the pieces, they would need to be positioned vertically. Let us know how it goes!

Tips & Features – Wonder Workshop

Dash into Holiday Joy: Easy Tips for Unboxing and Getting Started

Open and Play

Free App Downloads

Pairing Dash with Your Device

Care and Keeping of Dash

How to Change Dash's Name

Bring Additional Cheer with this Activity Booklet

More Helpful Links

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Spooky STEM Activity Roundup

It's Our Spook STEM Activity Roundup!

A Set of 3 Spooky Challenge Cards

Code Dash Through a Corn Maze

Take Dash Trick-or-Treating

Go Pumpkin Picking

Pumpkin Transport Engineering Challenge

Make Halloween Decorations with the Sketch Kit

Collect and Sort Candy with Accessories

Have a Costume Party

Trunk or Treat with Dash

Make a Leaf Pile with Launcher

Need Accessories?

Gripper

Sketch Kit

Launcher

Fall Football Fun: Dash Kicks Off Coding Season

Touchdown Coding: Creative Problem-Solving in Action

First Downs & Field Goals: Building Core Computational Skills

Team Spirit: Collaboration and Friendly Competition

Easy Setup, Big Impact

Need a Launcher for Dash?

Need help using launcher?

Happy Birthday to Dash

The History of Dash

Code the ABCs and the 123s with Dash

ABCs & 123s Activity Packets

About These Packets

How to Use Program Keys

Need a Sketch Kit?

Need a Sketch Mat?

Why Kids Will Love It (and You Will Too!)

Put a Little Wonder on Your Classroom Wall

Download Printable Blockly Blocks

Design Your Own Dash

10 Innovative Solutions for Robot Storage Carts

#1 — Newport Mesa Unified School District, California

#2 — Overton Public School in Overton, NE

#3 — Valley Preparatory School, Redlands, CA

#4 — Lou MacNarin Schools, Dieppe, Canada

#5 — Conestoga Valley School District in Lancaster, PA

#6 — Wayzata School District, Plymouth, MN

#7 — Oregon School District, Oregon, WI

#8 — St. Cloud Schools, St. Cloud, MN

#9 Wonder Workshop

#10 One More Idea!

Beyond the Ball: Learn to Launch Lemons, Pom Poms, and Other Creative Cargo

1. Citrus Splash: Plastic Lemons into the Pitcher

2. Pom-Pom Precision: Silent Soft Shots

3. Cork Flight Lab: Tweak, Launch & Record

Dash Goes to the Zoo

Instructions for Building the Elephant Hat

Build a Burger with Gripper Building Kit

Stack Up the Fun: A Burger-Building Coding Challenge with Dash!

Objective:

Materials Needed:

Prep Steps (Before Class):

Directions: