Ozobot

Coding for all

Have you seen, heard of, or played with an Ozobot™? This ping-pong-ball-sized bot is a great way to introduce coding to your students. Simply put, the ozobot is a robot that can be programmed with color. It follows a line drawn on paper with a marker or a line drawn with your finger on an iPad. Who doesn’t want to have that kind of fun?

The bot has sensors on the bottom that read the colors red, blue, green, and black. It can follow a line of any color but the color combinations for programming bot behaviors are better if you use the recommended colors. Students can create their own mazes, tracks, and even solve coding challenges just by drawing colored codes on paper. The Ozobot™ website has pre-made tracks, lesson plans, and video tutorials that provide multiple levels of support for educators and students.

Ozobot™ apps for android or iPad® have three game modes. Some games include more than one bot, bringing a more social aspect to the mix. There is so much to explore in the app that it is not always easy to navigate. Just keep clicking or watch a tutorial before you start. The Ozo Groove app has programming that turns your bot into a dancing machine. You’ll need to register your bot(s) to access all the cool tools and programs available in the apps.

The bot can also be programmed using blocks of code on the OzoBlockly website. If you use this method, colored markers or patterns aren’t necessary. Go to The bot can also be programmed using blocks of code on the OzoBlockly website. If you use this method, colored markers or patterns aren’t necessary. Go to ozoblockly.com to create a sequence of movements, determine light effects, timing, and loops by dragging and fitting blocks together to create a program. Upload the program to your Ozobot™ and then watch it complete the programmed behaviors. Programming using OzoBlockly starts simply but can get fairly complex so that even high school students are challenged and engaged.

Let your imagination be your guide as your students learn some basic programming by coding with color, creating a maze on a tablet, or using OzoBlockly to make those bots perform!!

How-to videos/links