Circuit Playground Express
The Circuit Playground Express is the top choice for educators and parents because it has so much packed into it! Use it when you want sensors, buttons, and touchpads to trigger events like lights and sound. It also has an infrared (IR) transmitter and receiver that lets you create interactive games or turn it into a remote control.
MakeCode's extensions allow you to control peripherals you connect to CPX, such as strips of color-changing NeoPixel lights or micro servo motors.
Its sensors can even provide you with real-time data. "Graph" it on the built-in ring of NeoPixels, or read it streaming on your computer screen when you use the MakeCode Adafruit app for Windows 10.
How to Power it
Once you've programmed it, you can detach CPX from the computer and power it with a case that holds three AA batteries.
Suggested CPX Learning Guides for Beginners
Scroll down the MakeCode page for the CPX to see tutorials for beginning projects. You can also find more easy projects on the Adafruit Learning System. Most use just the board (plus a USB cable to upload code and a battery case if it's portable), or the board and one or two other inexpensive components. Here are a few to try:
