Circuit Playground
Experience hardware programming with the Circuit Playground Express. This palm-sized board features LEDs, sensors, and buttons. Seeing code manipulate physical hardware is a powerful way to learn.
Ready to Build?
Platform initialized for Circuit Playground.
Verify the What You Need checklist below, and then proceed to Project Steps to learn how to build Circuit Playground projects.
01. What You Need
02. Vital Notes
Instructor notes and materials are always displayed in this amber color. They are meant to help you understand the project and how to teach it, but they are not necessary for students to read.
The board is powered via USB. For standalone use, a battery pack or USB power supply is needed.
We use CircuitPython because it allows for 100% offline coding, unlike MakeCode which is web-based.
Students will learn standard Python logic while interacting with hardware.
You will need the Mu Editor installed on every student computer.
CircuitPython must be loaded onto the board once (see link below). Once installed, the board acts like a USB drive.
Ensure the Mu Editor is set to 'CircuitPython' mode when first opened.
Copying code accurately is often the biggest hurdle; consider providing text for them to copy and paste (every code block has a copy option above it).
Every project includes a print link which you can use to create student handouts.
03. Project Steps
Open Mu Editor
Launch Mu Editor from your computer.
Open code.py
Connect your board. Click 'Load', navigate to the CIRCUITPY drive, and open code.py.
Write Your Code
Type your Python hardware code into the Mu window.
Save Your Code
Click 'Save'. The code is saved directly to the board.
Run Your Code
The board resets and runs your code automatically the moment you save.
Fix Errors
If the board's onboard 'NeoPixel' flashes red, check the Mu serial console for errors, fix them, and save again.
Keep Going
Experiment with different sensor inputs and light outputs!