Frequently asked questions
What's Bitsbox?
Bitsbox teaches kids to code by delivering insanely fun app-building projects in the mail every month. Kids code their projects on the Bitsbox website and their apps work on any device with a web browser.
What ages is it for?
Bitsbox is designed for kids 6-14 years in age.
How they engage with it will depend on their age, of course. If your kiddo is 6 or 7, they'll tend to choose shorter projects and make simpler customizations. It's best if a parent or teacher can be around to help, especially at first.
Older kids will move through the projects faster and need less help.
All that said, we have a number of younger kids (as young as 4) who have had success with one-on-one help from their parents. If your kid is a good reader, then they are ready for Bitsbox.
Can teenagers or adults learn to code with Bitsbox?
We have a lot of teenagers and even grownups who have enjoyed Bitsbox and learned basic coding skills from it.
Can one subscription work for multiple siblings?
Yes! If your kids can share toys, they can share Bitsbox. Each kiddo can have their own coding account online for free, so each gets their own virtual tablet and their own little coding space. They can then take turns with the activity book and app cards.
What do kids need to use it?
A computer (Mac, PC, Linux, or Chromebook) with a web browser (Google Chrome is our favorite.) Bitsbox works inside a webpage. No complex tools to download and install. No worries about managing files. It's all in the cloud. And though it's theoretically possible for kids to do Bitsbox on a tablet, we'd recommend using a machine with a physical keyboard—typing a set of {} on an iPad is an ordeal, even for grownups.
You don't need a powerful machine to do Bitsbox. Any computer made in the last few years should be fine.
How does it work?
When you create a coding account, you get a virtual tablet for your son or daughter (or niece or nephew or student or neighbor). Kids learn by copying code into a little text editor next to their tablet, which in turn runs their new apps.
Once they're written, Bitsbox apps run on most any mobile device. They can be shared via an email, text message, QR code, or a web link. Changes to the program go to your device in real time. You can even play multiplayer games across screens.
But truly, the best way to understand it is to try it yourself.
But how does my kid know what to type?
We provide piles and piles of new coding projects every month. These aren't structured lessons. They're creative play that the kids choose to do. Not so long ago, copying code from books and magazines was a common way to learn programming, and it worked great. We're bringing it back.
So what's the story with the monthly box?
Bitsbox works best with our monthly subscription box. Think of them like craft projects that are ready to be typed in and customized. Kids do the ones that interest them and skip the ones that don't.
The fact that it arrives in the mail every month keeps your budding rocket scientist coming back for more, and it provides feature learning, activities, and encouragement for this whole computer science thing—without more screen time.
I want to try it first. How can I order a single box?
You can sign up for a month-to-month subscription, get your first box, and try it. If your kid doesn't like it, you can cancel at any time.
How much does it cost?
The Bitsbox website is free to use. Want to get coding projects, tips, and inspiration every month? Subscriptions start at $16.95 per month. Order here!
How long will it take to receive my first box?
We'll ship your first box within a week of receiving your order. You'll receive a tracking number when it goes out! Boxes within the contiguous US are typically delivered within 5-7 days.
When will I be renewed/billed?
This one's a little complex :)
If you started your Bitsbox subscription before February 20th, 2018 you'll be renewed on the first of the month.
If you signed up for a Bitsbox subscription after February 20th, 2018 you'll be renewed on the anniversary of your order. For example, if you bought a month-to-month Bitsbox subscription on November 7th, your subscription would renew on December 7th. If you bought a three month Bitsbox subscription on November 7th, your subscription would renew for another three months on February 7th.
If you ordered Bitsbox on Amazon, you will be billed each time we ship a box. This will happen within 2 days of your original order, or within two days of the anniversary of your order.
If you're not sure which camp you fall into, just reach out to us at help@bitsbox.com and we'd be happy to look into your account for you!
Do you ship to Canada? What about other countries?
Yes! We have customers in over 70 countries.
For countries outside the U.S.A., additional shipping charges will be applied at checkout. The cost ranges from $5US per month to $18US per month, depending on the level of your subscription. Or you can choose the digital delivery option, where shipping is always free.
Is it hard to get started?
Not at all. Bitsbox gives you several starter apps that are entirely online. The system comes with a big library of free graphics, sounds, and music that will grow over time.
As a parent or teacher, you don't need to know how to code. You just need attention to detail. Your job is to help the kids type in the code as it appears in the activities.
I tried to sign in with the account that I made when I subscribed, but it didn't work! What's up?
There are two kinds of accounts on Bitsbox:
- Grownup Accounts, aka Store Accounts, are for setting up subscriptions, managing your credit card, etc. You get to your Grownup account through our store login.
- Kid Accounts, aka Coding Accounts, are for your kids to save their work. You sign in to coding accounts from the Bitsbox coding page, and make as many as you need. They're free!
If you ordered your subscription through Amazon, your subscription will be managed through your Amazon account and you do not need a 'Grownup Account'. You’ll still need to set up Kid Accounts to build your app projects.
Do the Kid Accounts ever expire? Do the projects ever expire?
Nope! You don't have to do the projects at a particular time or in a particular order. They never expire. Even if you end your subscription, your kiddos will still have access to the website and all of the apps they have ever built.
My kid doesn't have their own email address to sign up with. Can they use mine?
If your kids have their own email addresses, then they can sign up for individual coding accounts, each under their own address.
If your kids don't have their own email, they can use yours. If you add a +SOMETHING to your own email, our system will recognize it as a unique email address, but any emails we need to send (say, if you need to reset a password) will go to you.
Here is an example. Let's say your address is techmom@gmail.com, and your kids are named Amy and Sam...
Sign Amy up under: techmom+amy@gmail.com
Sign Sam up under: techmom+sam@gmail.com
Does this work? Isn't typing really hard for kids?
It's true that for most little kids, typing is painfully slow, but they get faster very quickly. And typing is an important skill these days, so it's not a terrible thing to give them lots of practice. Bonus: we've observed that kids actually enjoy learning to type. It's a distinctly grownup activity, and that's awesome.
That said, to speed things up, Bitsbox uses short commands. Consider these two lines of code:
window.document.getElementById('app-canvas').
style.background = 'rgba(255,0,0,1)';
vs.
fill('red')
They both do the same thing. The second line is the Bitsbox way. Which would you rather explain to a seven-year-old?
What computer language are you using?
It's Javascript/HTML5. However, it's not naked Javascript. We provide a short and sweet library of programming commands, all carefully designed to be easy to type, easy to learn, and flexible.
Why Javascript? Because it's arguably the most popular computer language around. Javascript is neat because it's the language of the web. Facebook, Google, Pandora, and Twitter are all written in Javascript (at least partially). Javascript is also great because it's a close cousin to C, C++, Objective C, and Java, which are Big Important Languages used by Serious People Doing Serious Programming.
Here's what we found in a recent dice.com search. Note how Javascript compares with other languages that are often touted as good ones for kids to learn.
| Language | Number of Jobs |
|---|---|
| Javascript | 10,000 |
| Visual Basic | 7,500 |
| HTML | 7,000 |
| Python | 6,000 |
| Objective C | 5,000 |
| Ruby | 2,000 |
| Lua | 35 |
The average salary for a Javascript Developer in the US? $110,000 per year.
Can it work on an iPad?
Kids love phones. Kids love tablets. If you or your kid has one, then good news: they can play every program they write in Bitsbox on their tablet. All you have to do is point your device at our site, and the fairy dust will do the rest.
Imagine what your kid will say when they see their very own program running on an iPad. Picture their face.
However, when they're coding, we want the kids on the keyboard. That's part of what we're teaching. So they'll need access to a computer with a physical keyboard. (We're exploring a pure-tablet version as well, but it's not our focus just yet.)
How do I run an app on my phone or tablet?
It's really quite simple! Just follow these simple steps.
Are you just focused on the U.S.?
Nope. We will ship the English version of our materials almost anywhere in the world.
But English is only the start. We have a goal to be widely localized. We'd like our API and documentation to work in many languages, and we're designing with that in mind. Today, Chinese or French or Swahili speaking kids who want to learn to program have to do it in English. Imagine how many more young programmers we'd have if the programming language itself worked in their native tongue.
Can I use it in a classroom?
Sure can. See our teacher's page with more information.
I'm not a kid. Can Bitsbox still teach me to code?
Yeah. Go for it! Bitsbox is a wonderful stepping stone for any new coder.
If you have a kid, learning side-by-side with them is a great way to do it.
I wanna help! What can I do?
Best thing would be to sign up for our mailing list. Also, we'd love your help in spreading the word about Bitsbox. Scroll down to the very bottom of this page to follow us on social media and share the love!
If you are an educator, please sign up for our teachers list, and we'll let you know about classroom-oriented opportunities.
Thanks! :)
What's the difference between the PDF, Basic, and Deluxe subscriptions?
Each subscription comes with the same coding projects and grownup guide each month.
The PDF subscription is a monthly email with a link to PDF files you can print out yourself.
The Basic subscription comes in the mail. The coding projects are printed on durable cards and you get a beautiful binder for storage.
The Deluxe subscription comes with all of the above, plus trading cards (more app projects!), a small toy, stickers, and temporary tattoos.
We highly recommend the Basic and Deluxe Bitsbox subscriptions. Our testing shows that kids are much more engaged and motivated by real stuff. Plus, kids love getting mail. The PDF is great for international customers. But it all depends on your child, and you know them best.
What if I want to cancel my subscription? How does that work?
It's easy! If you ordered directly from Bitsbox, login to your store account and click the cancel button next to your subscription. We'll walk you through a short survey, and then the cancellation will get underway. (Please note that it can take up to 48 hours to process.)
If you ordered through Amazon, you can cancel your subscription through your Amazon account. When you're logged in, hover over the "Accounts & Lists" tab while signed into your Amazon account. Click on "Memberships and Subscriptions" from the drop down list. Find your Bitsbox subscription and click the "Manage Subscription" button. This will bring up all your subscription details and you can change any shipping or payment info, or click "End subscription" to cancel the subscription.
Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time—meaning we will cancel the next automatic renewal of the subscription. We will continue to ship all of the boxes that you've already paid for.
If you have any questions, you can always reach us at help@bitsbox.com.
Can I return my Bitsboxes?
Unfortunately, we're unable to accept returns on any product that has already been shipped. We're also unable to refund unshipped products if you cancel your subscription midterm.
You can cancel your subscription renewals at any time. You will still receive all of the shipments that you've already paid for, but you will not be charged for future boxes.
Can I buy Bitsbox with a PO?
Yes! We're able to accept POs for orders exceeding $50; just send your purchase order to help@bitsbox.com. Make sure to include your shipping address. If you are ordering a continuation of a previous subscription, please include that information in your PO. Please email us if you require a quote or any other information to prepare your PO.
Who are you guys?
Bitsbox was started by Scott Lininger and Aidan Chopra, a couple of dads in Boulder, Colorado. They met at Google where they both worked for many years. Aidan was a global product evangelist and Scott was a senior software engineer.
They left their cushy corporate jobs to chase this dream, and built a team of passionate builders, dreamers, and educators.
How can I contact you?
Just email us! We're friendly!
We'd love to hear your thoughts and get to know you! :)
