At SchoolSphero Team
Kicking Off 2026: Blueprint Snap, Free Lessons, and App Updates

The first quarter of 2026 is officially in the books! Over the past three months, we shipped our newest engineering system, created even more free lessons, and updated our app to make programming smoother than ever.

Did you miss any of these updates while you were busy changing lives in the classroom? No worries! We gathered everything you need to know in one place. Let's take a look at what’s new at Sphero for Q1 2026.

Classroom Tools

Blueprint Snap is Back in Stock

The wait is over! Blueprint Snap, our easy-to-use engineering and design system built specifically for elementary learners, is officially shipping. The very first units are already in classrooms, bringing a fun, hands-on approach to foundational engineering concepts.

This quarter, we launched a new collection of six free lessons for Blueprint Snap that introduce how simple machines are used in the real-world with marble runs, foosball, and catapults. Students follow build instructions to explore the core mechanics of each simple machine. From there, they iterate and adapt their designs to meet specific success criteria. Included in Blueprint Snap’s curriculum are three more free lesson collections and 15 challenge cards, with more on the way!

Want a closer look? Watch this on-demand webinar to see how educators can use Snap to introduce engineering in elementary classrooms.

New Lessons and Resources

The Sphero Global Challenge

That is a wrap on submissions for Season 6: Outdoor Adventures! We also loved seeing so many in-person competitions hosted around the world this year in Korea, Australia, Brazil, Kuwait, and beyond. The creativity, collaboration, and skills on display were nothing short of inspiring. Our judges are currently reviewing the entries to choose the finalists. Those top teams will compete in the Sphero World Championship this April. Stay tuned!

AI Storytelling with BOLT+

We released two new AI storytelling lessons where learners explore how a Large Language Model (LLM) responds to human prompts. Students use pre-programmed prompts to collaborate with the LLM built into Sphero Edu app to write stories and program them to come to life with their BOLT+ robots. If you have concerns about students interacting with LLMs, don't worry! Students aren't interacting with an open-response chatbot. A model runs in the background based on the blocks students use and carefully crafted prompts and guardrails put in place by our team. You can find both parts, Prompts & Predictions and An AI Helper, on Sphero Central.

Computer Science Foundations

We are thrilled to announce that Sphero’s Computer Science Foundations courses are now completely free for everyone. Students start with logic and sequencing, work their way up to advanced block programming, and graduate with a basic understanding of JavaScript all through nine cross-curricular themes. You can find the collections on the BOLT and BOLT+ lesson pages and the educator guides to help facilitate them on the resource pages.

Platform & Software

Say Hello to the Vertical Block Layout

The Sphero Edu Block Canvas got a fresh new look! The block navigation bar is now defaulted to the left on wider screens. This updated layout makes it easier to find and navigate available blocks. That means your students can spend less time searching for the right command and more time coding.

Prefer the old layout? Just head over to Settings, click on Block canvas orientation, and select your preferred view.

Celebrating User Highlights

We may design the tools, but you make them come to life in your schools. Our educators and learners have been completing some incredible projects and lessons this quarter. Check it out!

What’s Next for Sphero?

Summer is just around the corner. Get ready for months of fun, hands-on learning with the Sphero Summer Camp Guide!

Our guide includes everything you need to start planning and preparing. It shares sample camp agendas, relevant lessons, and resources for each product to make your camp a massive success. We’ve fully updated the guide for 2026 to reflect our new products and lessons, and added four new summer camp agendas.

We also have a huge announcement coming very soon that is going to completely redefine educational robotics. We can’t share details just yet, but we think you’re going to love it. Subscribe to our mailing list and join our community on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook so you don’t miss anything.

Ready to Elevate Your STEM Curriculum?

If you’re exploring Sphero and want to see how all this could fit into your school, the best next step is to book a conversation with your Sphero Rep. Our team can help you

  • understand which solutions make sense for you

  • learn how schools typically get started or scale over time

  • answer high-level questions about rollout, funding, and implementation

Let's make the rest of 2026 an amazing adventure in learning!

At school