The Legendary, Delicious Sandwich Robot
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This Computational Game is the legendary, delicious Sandwich Robot!
How long?
30 minutes
What You'll Need
- You and your kid
- Bread
- Cheese, Tomatoes, and lettuce
- Plastic knife
What age is it for?
4-9 year olds
How to Play
When you're in the kitchen and in need of a snack, ask your kid to be a Sandwich Robot.
Tell your kid what to do step-by-step to make a sandwich. Be extremely detailed.
Start off by telling them: "Take a slice of bread." Go through each exact step. (It should take more than 10 steps to make sandwich.)
Step 1: Assemble the Materials
Pick your favorite sandwich fillings, and get them out on the table. Whatever you like: cheese, tomatoes, meat, pickles, mayo, lettuce, or anything else you enjoy. Then, lay it all out, along with a plate, silverware, and a cutting board on your table.
Step 2: Appoint Your Robot
Now it's time for the little one. Ask your kid to be a Sandwich Robot.
Tell them the essential rule: they must follow exactly and literally whatever you tell them to do. They shouldn't do anything more, anything less, or anything different.
(Think of this step as programming your little robot with a core principle).
Step 3: The Robot Begins
Now the game begins: you get to start issuing step-by-step instructions to your Robot of how to construct a delicious sandwich.
As you start, you will figure out: the best instructions are very literal, detailed, and direct. Keep the steps short and clear.
If your Robot gets it wrong -- doing too much, too little, or the wrong thing -- tell them Stop! Robot Malfunction!
Keep going until you have a sandwich all prepped and on your plate, ready for eating!
Step 4: Eat and Switch
Once you've made one sandwich with you as the Programmer and your kid as the Robot, switch the roles.
From this moment on you are a Sandwich Robot.
Let your kid tell you what to do step-by-step to make a sandwich. Follow their instructions literally -- even if it makes no sense. As they watch you do the wrong thing, they should be able to improve their programming of the Sandwich Robot.
If they say something that is overly-broad or that is incorrect, then say "Robot Does Not Compute" -- and explain you need clearer rules to follow.
Keep going until the 2nd sandwich is complete -- and then enjoy your delicious, programmed creations!
Bekir M.
PhD in Education
Originally from Turkey, then Pittsburgh, now California
I got my PhD in educating kids how to code, and how to think computationally so they can thrive in STEM. I have been researching how Offline Activities -- where kids aren't in front of a screen, but are playing in the real world -- can help kids get core concepts of coding.
Learning Outcome
Sandwich Robot helps your child understand programming, computational thinking concepts and practices. By doing literally only what they're told, it will help them learn "Decomposition". They will have to break problems into small, specific tasks and then sequence them correctly.