Christmas Tree Light Show and Motion (Scratch)

Build a festive Christmas tree display and explore how robotics, creativity, and programming come together in a fun project! This lesson blends design, motion, and music using Thymio and Scratch:

• Build a spinning Christmas tree display using Thymio and simple materials.
• Create a program in Scratch to control movement and light effects.
• Design colorful LED patterns to create a holiday light show.
• Advanced: Add music in Scratch to sync lights and motion with a Christmas song.
• Advanced: Use random variables to create dynamic motion and changing light colors.

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, students will:

1. Build and decorate a Christmas tree display powered by Thymio.
2. Create a Scratch program to spin the tree and control LED lights.
3. Add sound to play a Christmas song during the light show.
4. Use variables to create random movement and lighting effects.

By the end of this lesson, students will understand how programming can control motion, lights, and sound to create an interactive display.

Important Notes:

Make sure the tree is securely attached to Thymio so it can spin safely. Test your program slowly at first to ensure smooth movement and stable rotation.

Tips for this Lesson:

1. Start with simple movement and light patterns before adding music.
2. Use bright and contrasting colors for better visual effects.
3. Adjust motor speed to keep the tree stable while spinning.
4. Experiment with random values to create unique light shows each time.

Products/Materials

The following products and resources can be used in this lesson:

FUN FACT!

Did you know that light shows are often controlled by computer programs? From holiday displays to concerts, programmers use code to sync lights, motion, and music just like your project!

Download the Lesson PDF Files Below:

Check out the video tutorial/solutions below: