RATHDRUM — Tomorrow's jobs will require the experience and expertise of today's young minds.

Elementary students from across the Lakeland Joint School District enjoyed dabbling in age-appropriate robotics and tech toys Wednesday during the "Kids and Coding" Advanced Learning Program event at Twin Lakes Elementary School.

Betty Kiefer Elementary kindergartner Atlas Pursley, 5, was engrossed in the world of Hexbugs, small robotic critters that vibrated along a green track on a table.

“I just mowed that boy!” the animated Atlas exclaimed as one piece knocked another out of the track.

Six stations invited families to explore activities that featured programming, binary code, Morse code and other concepts the students are sure to encounter on their academic journeys.

"I think it's awesome and he's having a great time," said Debbie Haag of Spirit Lake, whose grandson, second grader William, also enjoyed toying with the Hexbugs.

"I'm learning these new things," she said. "We did the Morse code messages over there, and it took us a while. But once we got it, we were really having a good time. I think it's awesome this school can do something like this."

Derek Kolar and his son, Garwood Elementary first grader Corbin, 6, enjoyed having remote control of a Dash Robot and driving it around a small pool-noodle-bordered arena.

"He seems to be enjoying it, figuring out all the puzzles and stuff," Kolar said. “He’s really good at math, he loves puzzles.” 

He said it's good for children to be exposed to this kind of technology, especially considering the breakthroughs that are happening every day.

"Understanding how computers work I think is really important,” he said. "That’s part of why I brought him here. And also to explore future career paths down the road.”

“It’s very fun,” Corbin said. 

Leah Williams and daughter Natalie, a kindergartner at Garwood Elementary, programmed a Bee-Bot — a bee-shaped floor robot — to move in a specific direction on a pathway of pictures.

"Lakeland puts on great, amazing events like this for families and the kids," Williams said. "I think it's great that they provide opportunities for kids to be able to experiment with that."

Lakeland Gifted and Talented Education teacher Julie Anderson said she expected a couple hundred people to visit throughout the Kids and Coding evening.

"It really perks you up to see parents with their kids wanting to do activities," she said. "It's exciting."

    Derek Kolar and his son, Garwood Elementary first grader Corbin, 6, enjoy driving a Dash Robot around a pool noodle arena Wednesday evening at Twin Lakes Elementary School.
  

    Mom Leah Williams and daughter Natalie watch a Bee-Bot traverse a programmed path Wednesday at the "Kids and Coding" Advanced Learning event at Twin Lakes Elementary.