KanoPixel Kit – Learn to code with light

Kano Pixel kit is perfect for our elementary school kids to learn with. At first, it’s a fun build. Kids got together to learn about how the Kano Pixel worked, they found out that the Pixel device has its own chip set and can accept USB input. Then the kids started building it. They found the button to be the most fun as they were capacitive and felt nice to click. Pixel also works without needing a Kano Raspberry Pi computer. Initially, there are a few surprising and fun light modes in addition to the Kano version of the classic Snake game.However, when connected to the Kano Raspberry Pi computer the fun only continues. Kano provides the introductory understanding of code through their block building software that translates into the fundamental understanding of code. The block building is comprehensive and easy to use. Kids loved the challenges and were excited to learn more and more JavaScript at the end of each one. Their new project is to choose a classical game like Super Mario or Megaman and remake it on the Kano Pixel.

This is an amazing device that has quite a potential for learning coding. The LED display is bright and very vibrant. Purchased this for my cousins and even became a little jealous of this Stem toy. I want one lol. My little nitpick though is the Joystick to help navigate. It doesn't respond well and makes the games seem less playable. It looks like every other button and is difficult to accuate (Tilting in this case, its horrible.). I might suggest a small D-pad or a tiny joystick like you'd find on Sony's PS Vita.

I got two of these for my kids when the retail version first came out, and the crummy software meant we moved on to other things quickly. But now that I'm getting them into maker projects using Arduino/Microbit/Adafruit microcontroller boards, I'm buying more of them at the $25-$35 price point, where they are a real bargain, provided you are happy to replace the built in software.You're getting a lot of hardware for that price. A 128 element RGB array, decent battery and power management, case, wifi, lots of ports and controls ... Just do a web search for 'kano pixel micropython' and you'll find free code projects and instructions from reputable maker/instruction websites. There is even helpful discussion from Kano employees on their forum, so they clearly are aware of this and endorse it.Maybe they feel bad for having failed with this product? Sorry guys - love ya (and originally from London myself, so wishing you much success ) but you clearly hit the classic problem of underestimating the level of investment required to develop and maintain software to support well designed and manufactured hardware .. even when it is open source based. You're far from the only ones to fail in this way, and hopefully the new products are doing better. I'll take all the cheap Pixels I can buy as your apology :-)

The Kano Pixel Kit is awesome in thought, however, its poor design renders the product unusable. When I got the device, I noticed they had cut some corners. For example, the buttons are small; the power button is so small you have go almost into the case to toggle it; doing so will cause the electrical component on the board to bend. After going through a few exercises, everything was great; I saw JavaScript alongside the visual components in constructing code. The visual IDE (editor) almost looks like Scratch but with better colors; however, the blocks were more convoluted. In just two days, the unit "died" and could no longer be recognized by Windows as a USB device. I could see power coming through, but it just never worked again. I went to Target, got a price match, brought a new one back because the experience was so fun. However, the unit from Target died on arrival (DOA). What are the chances of that? The physical components are "cheap" is all I can say, judging from how they cut corners with small buttons; the board must also be cheap because 1 died within 2 days and the other DOA. The thought and the exercises are awesome, well-supported; the hardware undermined the spirit of this product. This product could have been one-of-a-kind, but your frustration will far outweigh your expectations and hope. DO NOT BUY. I believe their simulator gives you a pretty good picture of what it would be like on the physical device; I will just use that to learn and teach.

I have always loved all of Kano’s products, and this one does not disappoint either! It’s a great, compact, and perfectly priced device that allows provides a portable platform for learning and teaching coding skills. One of the best parts about it is that it is compatible with just about any device that can connect to it, not just the Kano Computer Kit! The LED’s are incredibly bright and vibrant, and the case is solid and well built. Love this little gadget!

It's a neat product, but definitely requires time put into it. Once the walkthroughs and demo items are done, there's not much left for someone who still doesn't understand code. I think refresher tests or "what code goes here" games would help this item out immensely. Until then, it was fun while it lasted.