  Algorithmic thinking is a central concept in the context of computational
thinking, and it is commonly taught by computer programming. A recent trend is
to introduce basic programming concepts already very early on at primary school
level. There are, however, several challenges in teaching programming at this
level: Schools and teachers are often neither equipped nor trained
appropriately, and the best way to move from initial "unplugged" activities to
creating programs on a computer are still a matter of open debate. In this
paper, we describe our experience of a small INTERREG-project aiming at
supporting local primary schools in introducing children to programming
concepts using Ozobot robots. These robots have two distinct advantages: First,
they can be programmed with and without computers, thus helping the transition
from unplugged programming to programming with a computer. Second, they are
small and easy to transport, even when used together with tablet computers.
Although we learned in our outreach events that the use of Ozobots is not
without challenges, our overall experience is positive and can hopefully
support others in setting up first encounters with programming at primary
schools.
