As primary educators, we're always searching for resources that make learning meaningful, engaging and accessible — especially when it comes to introducing coding and computational thinking in the early years. Sphero indi is a product that delivers on every front.
Available now in Australia from Sammat Education, Sphero indi is a small but mighty learning robot designed specifically for students aged 4 and above. Whether you're in Foundation, Year 1 or Year 2, indi is built to spark curiosity, build critical thinking and make coding genuinely fun.
Here are five key features and benefits that make Sphero indi a must-have for your primary classroom:
1. Screen-Free Programming That Puts Learning First
One of indi's most celebrated features is its ability to teach coding concepts without a single screen in sight. Using an on-board colour sensor and a set of durable silicone colour tiles, students physically lay out a path and watch indi respond — turning an abstract concept into something wonderfully tangible. For early learners, this hands-on, unplugged approach is not only more developmentally appropriate but also more memorable.
Each colour tile represents a different instruction — turning left, speeding up, slowing down — so children learn cause-and-effect thinking, sequencing and algorithmic reasoning simply by placing tiles on the floor. It's coding made physical.
2. A Four-Stage Learning Cycle That Grows With Your Students
indi isn't a one-trick robot. Its curriculum is built around four stages of learning:
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Exploration — Students freely investigate what indi can do, building curiosity and generating questions.
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Skills Building — Focused activities reinforce specific skills such as sequencing, pattern recognition and decomposition.
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Challenge — Students apply their learning to complete a specific task, demonstrating their understanding.
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Extended Challenge — For students ready to go further, extended challenges provide opportunities to demonstrate deeper understanding and creativity.
This scaffolded approach ensures that every learner — from those just starting out to those who are ready for more complex thinking — is catered for in the one classroom activity.
3. Free Sphero Edu Jr App for Extended Digital Learning
When your students are ready to take their learning to the next level, the free Sphero Edu Jr app provides a seamless digital extension. The app uses a simplified drag-and-drop coding interface designed specifically for young learners, allowing students to program indi to respond to colours and create more complex sequences.
The combination of hands-on, screen-free exploration and guided in-app coding gives students a complete introduction to computer science fundamentals — all within a safe, age-appropriate environment.
4. Classroom-Ready Kits With Everything You Need
Sammat Education offers the Sphero indi range in several configurations to suit your school's needs:
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At-Home Learning Kit — 1 robot, 30 colour cards, sticker sheets and a beginner's programming guide. Great for family engagement.
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Student Kit — 1 robot, 20 silicone colour tiles, 15 challenge cards and a student case. Perfect for 1–3 students.
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Class Pack — 8 robots, 160 colour tiles, 8 sets of challenge cards, a classroom tote, charging case and Educator Guide — everything you need for a full class.
The Class Pack also includes FREE online Professional Development, so you and your colleagues can get up to speed quickly and confidently.
5. Award-Winning Literacy Integration with the indi Code Mat
Looking for a way to link STEAM and literacy? The Sphero indi Code Mat & Literacy Cards is a double-sided coding mat that won the 2024 Curriculum Innovation Award from EdTech Breakthrough Awards. One side features indi Land — eight locations linked to literacy concepts — while the other is a blank grid for custom programming. Paired with 168 letter and image cards and 114 word cards, this resource supports letter identification, word formation and sentence construction alongside coding.
It's an extraordinary example of how robotics can genuinely support cross-curricular outcomes in early learning classrooms.
Ready to Bring indi Into Your Classroom?
Download the free Australian Teacher Guide from the Sammat Education website for ready-made lesson plans, activity ideas and design challenges. Or browse our full Sphero indi range — from individual robots to full Class Packs — and find the right option for your school.
🛒 Shop Sphero indi at Sammat Education
