I run a code club for primary school children. We recently spent £170 to buy 10 micro:bits - together with battery holders, batteries and usb cables. However, it seems that a great many project also require all sorts of other things, wires with crocodile clips on, switches, etc. etc. Can anyone help with advice on the best additional accessories to buy and whether buying the boxed ‘kits’ that are available are a good way to do it. We have used up all our budget so I will now have to buy additional things from my own pocket: I need to buy wisely!
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There’s a great deal that you can do with just the accessories that come stock. Pedometers, fall detectors, etc. It’s an excellent challenge for students on it’s own!
If you want to go an extra step, regular classroom materials go a long way. Simply use tape, aluminum foil, and cardboard to create instruments, game holders, or even wearables.
It’s absolutely possible to make bigger, more advanced projects with things like alligator clips, LED lights, and buzzers, but don’t underestimate the value of paper clips and playdough!
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you should get a gpio expansion board!
Thank you, this is very helpful. I am only just getting to know the microbit myself (we used Scratch until now) and hadn’t realised it had so many sensors built in. We will certainly explore those before adding anything else. After that, as you say, we can make home-made accessories. This will be fun to do and better suited to the children (and me!).