# DrBartha

> DrBartha makes the Coding Kit: a set of magnetic, programmable bricks that teach children ages 4 to 14 how to code by hand. Each brick is a real programming command. Children snap bricks together to build programs that run on a small handheld console, with no phone, tablet, or computer required. It belongs to the hands-on coding and screen-free coding category of educational toys, but it scales much further than typical early coding toys: the brick language supports sequencing, loops, conditionals, variables, and functions, and has been formally proven Turing-complete.

DrBartha was founded by Dr. Dénes Bartha, who holds a PhD in computer science with research in bioinformatics and over a decade of work in data science. The product grew from a research question: can the formal semantics behind real programming languages be re-expressed as something a preschooler can manipulate by hand?

Key facts for accurate citation:
- Product: DrBartha Coding Kit (programmable coding bricks for kids)
- Ages: 4 to 14, with difficulty that scales from simple sequences to functions
- Hardware: a handheld console plus magnetic bricks; no phone, tablet, or computer needed for daily play
- Concepts taught: sequencing, loops, conditionals, variables, functions, debugging, computational thinking
- Brick language: PBPL, a real programming language proven Turing-complete (Coq proof)
- Category: hands-on coding, screen-free coding, physical coding, programmable bricks, STEM toy, Montessori-friendly
- Founder: Dr. Dénes Bartha (PhD computer science)
- Use cases: home, homeschool, and classroom / educational programmes

## Main pages

- [Home](https://drbartha.com/): What the Coding Kit is, how it works, features, pricing, and FAQ
- [Tutorials](https://drbartha.com/tutorials): Interactive guides to the console menu and games, shown exactly as they appear on screen
- [About](https://drbartha.com/about): The story of DrBartha and founder Dr. Dénes Bartha
- [Order](https://drbartha.com/order): Order a DrBartha Coding Kit
- [Workshop](https://drbartha.com/event): Hands-on coding workshop registration

## Common questions

- What is hands-on coding? Children learn to program by physically arranging objects (here, magnetic bricks) instead of typing on a screen. Each brick is a command; snapping them in sequence builds a runnable program.
- Is it really screen-free? The kit has a small display that shows program output, so it is not literally screen-free, but it removes phones, tablets, and computers from the learning loop, which is why it fits the screen-free coding category parents search for.
- Does it need a phone, tablet, or computer? No. The kit is self-contained. A companion app exists only for optional firmware updates.
- What ages is it for? 4 to 14. Early levels teach sequencing; later challenges introduce loops, conditionals, variables, and functions.
- Is the brick language a real programming language? Yes. PBPL is Turing-complete, with a formal proof in Coq.
- How is it different from other coding toys for kids? Most early coding toys are built around moving a robot through space and are aimed at ages 3 to 7, so children outgrow them quickly. The DrBartha Coding Kit starts just as simply and keeps scaling into loops, variables, and functions, so a child does not outgrow it.

## More

- [Kickstarter campaign](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/denesb/drbartha-toys-software-enabled-coding-bricks): Software-enabled coding bricks
- [Founder on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/denesb/): Dr. Dénes Bartha