littleBits for Schools
Complicated status in 2026. Still buyable, but the ecosystem has shrunk. What is actually available, what to substitute, and what to watch for.
Status note: verify availability before you buy
littleBits was acquired by Sphero in 2019. The brand still exists and some products are listed on Sphero's store, but the ecosystem has contracted over the years since. Most notably, Sphero announced that the standalone littleBits apps are being consolidated into the Fuse app and littleBits Classroom, and the Code Kit app has been retired (curriculum migrated to littleBits Classroom).
As of this writing, the physical littleBits STEAM Student Set appears to still be listed on Sphero's store. The broader product line - including individual bits, the Cloud Module, the original Workshop Set, and various legacy invention kits - has been pared down significantly.
Our recommendation: before placing a new order for any littleBits product, check directly with Sphero education sales that the SKU you want is in production and will be supported with app updates for the next 3-5 years. If the answer is not a confident yes, go with a modern equivalent (see the alternatives section below).
littleBits are snap-together electronic modules. A power bit, a sensor bit, a motor bit, an LED bit - each magnetically snaps to the next, and kids build circuits without touching a solder iron, a breadboard, or a datasheet. The pedagogy is elegant: abstract components to the "what does it do" level, let kids build real electronics in minutes.
At its peak (roughly 2014-2018), littleBits was the default classroom electronics kit alongside Makey Makey. The acquisition by Sphero consolidated the company, but the product line has thinned since. This page is honest about where the brand stands in 2026.
Short version
STEAM Student Set: ~$300. Still buyable as of this writing. The main current product.
Invention Kit class pack: availability unclear - verify with Sphero direct.
Code Kit: physical kit may still ship; the standalone Code Kit app has been retired, curriculum moved to littleBits Classroom.
Modern equivalents: Makey Makey, Snap Circuits, micro:bit + accessories, SparkFun Inventor's Kit.
littleBits STEAM Student Set
The STEAM Student Set is the current flagship, and as of this writing it still appears in Sphero's catalog. Each kit includes 19 bits and 38 accessories, enough for 1-4 students to work through the packaged curriculum (around 40 hours of standards-aligned lessons).
The kit is designed for grades 3-8. A classroom deployment typically buys one kit per 3-4 students, so a class of 24 would need about 6-8 kits - budget roughly $2,000-$2,400. That is comparable to other classroom electronics platforms, but the ecosystem longevity question applies: if Sphero sunsets more of the littleBits line, those kits become harder to expand or replace. Verify supply and future support before the district PO goes out.
Invention Kit class packs
littleBits used to sell several classroom bundles: the Code Kit Class Pack, the Pro Library, the Workshop Set. Most of these have been quietly discontinued in the years since Sphero's acquisition. A few may still be available through education resellers (STEMfinity, Eduporium, Midwest Technology), but new availability is the exception not the rule.
If you find a class pack listed at an education reseller, confirm with the reseller that the item is in-stock (not a dead SKU) and confirm with Sphero that app support will continue for a few years. If either answer is uncertain, skip it.
Code Kit (physical) and Code Kit app
The Code Kit paired physical bits with a block-based coding app designed for kids to program interactive games. The app has been retired - Sphero consolidated all littleBits coding into the Fuse app and the broader littleBits Classroom web curriculum.
If you already own physical Code Kits, the hardware still works, and the littleBits Classroom curriculum covers what the original app taught. If you are considering buying a Code Kit new, verify whether what you are ordering is a still-supported hardware SKU or a clearance-out-the-warehouse sale on a soon-to-be-unsupported product.
Modern equivalents to consider first
If you are making a fresh platform choice in 2026 rather than expanding an existing littleBits investment, these are the products that do what littleBits did, with clearer long-term support.
Makey Makey
Alligator clips turn anything conductive into a keyboard key. Different workflow than littleBits (less electronics, more creative-input), but the same "snap it together and it works" energy. Huge free curriculum. Still actively developed.
Snap Circuits
The original snap-together circuit kit that predates littleBits. Less trendy, more durable, less "tech" and more classic electronics - resistors, capacitors, switches. Perfect for K-5 circuit fundamentals. Not a coding platform; pair with something else for that.
Micro:bit + Kitronik accessories
Hits the same "programmable electronics for grade 3-8" target with a much bigger ecosystem. More code-first than littleBits was, but the Inventor's Kit gives you the physical-electronics layer. Our preferred fresh-start pick.
SparkFun Inventor's Kit
Arduino-based electronics learning kit for middle school. More traditional (breadboard, jumper wires) than littleBits' snap-together model. The right pick if your curriculum is headed toward real C code, soldering, and a makerspace-makerspace endgame.
What to pair with littleBits (if you already own them)
Cloud Module (replacement: the Fuse app)
The original Cloud Module put bits online via WiFi. Sphero's Fuse app is the current coding entry point. Download Fuse, walk through the onboarding, and you have a working playground for any littleBits the school still owns.
Carrier-board storage trays
Bits are small and easy to lose. Whatever storage came with the original kit is worth keeping. If the trays are worn, a generic tackle-box organizer works as a substitute.
littleBits Classroom (free)
The web-based curriculum library. This is where the old Code Kit app lessons ended up. Free to teachers with an account.
Replacement power bits and batteries
The 9V battery-powered bits wear out faster than the passive ones. If Sphero no longer sells replacement power bits, eBay and education-reseller liquidations are realistic sources. Budget $30-$50/year for a 20-kit deployment.
What to skip
Common mistakes when schools evaluate littleBits in 2026.
The legacy Synth Kit
The Synth Kit was a littleBits specialty kit for building modular synthesizers. It is cool, it is fun for music electives, and it is not classroom-appropriate for a general STEM Studio. Narrow use case, high novelty, low curriculum alignment. Skip unless you already run a dedicated music-tech course.
Agree to Disagree ›Amazon third-party sellers with inflated prices
Discontinued littleBits SKUs pop up on Amazon at 2-3x their original price, sold by third parties clearing out old inventory. Paying $600 for a $200 kit because it is the only available source is usually a bad trade. If the SKU is no longer supported by Sphero, the inflated price is paying for a sunsetting product. Check Sphero direct, and if it is not sold there, consider one of the modern alternatives instead.
Agree to Disagree ›Buying littleBits in 2026 for a brand-new program
If the school does not already own any littleBits and the teacher is not already trained on the platform, starting a new littleBits deployment in 2026 is harder to justify than it was five years ago. The ecosystem has shrunk, supply is uncertain, and every alternative (Makey Makey, Snap Circuits, micro:bit with accessories) has a more confident five-year outlook. Be honest about what you are buying.
Agree to Disagree ›All the links
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