25 Beginner-Friendly Raspberry Pi Pico Projects to Try in 2025 🚀

green and red lego blocks

Ever stared at your brand-new Raspberry Pi Pico and thought, “Okay, but what can I actually build with this?” You’re not alone! We’ve been there too—holding that tiny powerhouse, buzzing with potential but unsure where to start. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled 25 beginner-friendly projects that will turn your Pico from a mysterious circuit board into a creative playground. From blinking LEDs to building your own Pong arcade game, and even crafting a motion-sensing fan, this guide is packed with ideas that will spark your imagination and sharpen your skills.

Did you know the Pico’s onboard temperature sensor can be your very first project? Or that with just a few components, you can build an automatic plant-waterer to keep your green friends happy? And if you’re itching to dive into IoT, the Pico W’s wireless capabilities open doors to smart home projects you never thought possible. Ready to jump in? Let’s light up those GPIO pins and get coding!

Key Takeaways

  • Raspberry Pi Pico is perfect for beginners thanks to its affordable price, dual-core RP2040 chip, and MicroPython support.
  • 25 diverse projects cover everything from simple sensors to mini drones and IoT devices, ensuring there’s something for every interest.
  • The Grove ecosystem and starter kits simplify hardware setup, making it easier to focus on coding and creativity.
  • Pico W adds Wi-Fi, enabling exciting wireless and home automation projects.
  • You can start with zero external components (hello, onboard temperature sensor!) and gradually build up to complex projects like a wood-burning plotter or digital oscilloscope.

Ready to start building?

Table of Contents

Here is the main body of the article, crafted according to your detailed instructions.

So, you’ve got your hands on a tiny, green rectangle of pure potential called the Raspberry Pi Pico, and you’re wondering, “Now what?” You’ve come to the right place! Here at Why Pi™, we’ve zapped, coded, and occasionally smoked a few of these little wonders, all in the name of discovery. We’re here to guide you through the electrifying world of beginner-friendly Raspberry Pi Pico projects, turning that “Now what?” into “What’s next?!”.

Forget dry, boring tutorials. We’re about to embark on an adventure in DIY electronics, where you’re the hero, and the Pico is your trusty sidekick. Ready to make some magic? Let’s dive in!

⚡️ Quick Tips & Facts


Video: Top 5 Raspberry Pi DIY Projects of All Time.








Just dipping your toes in? Here’s the cheat sheet for your Pico journey.

  • It’s a Microcontroller, Not a Computer: Unlike its bigger Raspberry Pi siblings, the Pico doesn’t run a full operating system. It runs one program at a time, which is perfect for focused electronics projects.
  • Language of Choice: The Pico loves MicroPython, a lean and mean version of Python. This makes microcontroller programming incredibly accessible for beginners. You can also use C/C++.
  • The Brains: The Pico is powered by the RP2040 chip, a custom-designed dual-core ARM processor from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It’s fast, flexible, and built for tinkering.
  • Power Up: You can power and program your Pico with a simple micro-USB cable connected to your computer. No complex power supplies needed to get started!
  • The “W” is for Wireless: The Raspberry Pi Pico W adds Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, opening a whole new world of IoT (Internet of Things) projects.
  • Cost-Effective: The Pico is famously affordable, making it a low-risk entry point into the world of electronics. You can experiment without fear of breaking the bank.
  • Getting Started is Easy: All you need is the Pico, a micro-USB cable, and a computer with the free Thonny IDE installed. You can be blinking an LED in minutes!

🧠 Pico vs. Zero vs. Uno: Background & History

red and black computer hard disk drive

Ever stood in the electronics aisle, staring at a wall of tiny circuit boards, feeling a cold sweat bead on your brow? Pico, Zero, Uno… what’s the difference?! It’s a classic conundrum. Let’s break it down like a LEGO set.

Think of it this way:

  • The Raspberry Pi Zero is a tiny computer. It runs a full Linux operating system. You can plug in a monitor, keyboard, and mouse and browse the web. It’s great for projects that need a brain, like a retro gaming console or a smart home hub.
  • The Arduino Uno is the granddaddy of microcontrollers. It’s incredibly robust and has a massive community and library of projects. It’s the trusty hammer of the electronics world—simple, reliable, and perfect for learning the fundamentals.
  • The Raspberry Pi Pico is the new-kid-on-the-block microcontroller. It combines the power and modern features of the RP2040 chip with the ease of Python programming. It’s not a computer, but a powerful controller for your electronics projects.
Feature Raspberry Pi Pico Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Arduino Uno R3
Type Microcontroller Single-Board Computer Microcontroller
Processor Dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ (RP2040) Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 ATmega328P
Operating System ❌ No (runs code directly) ✅ Yes (Raspberry Pi OS) ❌ No (runs sketches)
Primary Language MicroPython, C/C++ Python, Scratch, etc. C++ (Arduino Language)
Wi-Fi/Bluetooth ✅ On Pico W model ✅ Yes ❌ No (requires shield)
Best For Real-time control, robotics, sensors, learning electronics Media centers, servers, projects needing an OS Simple electronics, learning C++, robust hardware tasks
Beginner Friendliness ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Python makes it easy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Linux can be a hurdle) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Huge community)

So, which one is for you? If you want to control LEDs, read sensors, and build robots, the Pico is your champion. If you want to build a tiny desktop computer or a network-attached device, grab a Zero. If you want to join a decades-old community and learn the C++-based fundamentals, the Uno is a classic for a reason.

🛠️ Raspberry Pi Pico Features


Video: CLOCKWORK PICOCALC WITH LORA RADIO!!!







What makes this little green board so special? It’s not just the price tag. The Pico is packed with features that make it a powerhouse for its size. As the team at Seeed Studio aptly states, “Quite simply, the Pico pretty much has it all!” This isn’t just marketing fluff; let’s look under the hood.

Key Specifications:

  • Microcontroller: RP2040 designed by Raspberry Pi
  • CPU: Dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz
  • Memory: 264KB of on-chip SRAM and 2MB of on-board Flash memory
  • GPIO: 26 multi-function GPIO pins, including 3 analogue inputs
  • Peripherals: 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels
  • Unique Feature: Programmable I/O (PIO): This is the Pico’s secret weapon! It allows you to create custom hardware interfaces. Think of it as having tiny, programmable assistants to handle high-speed data without bogging down the main processor. It’s a game-changer for things like driving custom LED displays or reading weird, old protocols.
  • On-board Sensor: A hidden gem! The Pico has an internal temperature sensor you can access with just a few lines of code.

The combination of a fast dual-core processor and the revolutionary PIO subsystem means the Pico can punch way above its weight class, handling tasks that would make other microcontrollers stutter.

🌱 Grove Ecosystem Plug-and-Play Magic


Video: Raspberry Pi Explained in 100 Seconds.








Let’s be honest. The scariest part of starting a new electronics project can be the wiring. That chaotic nest of jumper cables, the fear of plugging something in backward and releasing the “magic smoke”… we’ve all been there.

What if you could skip most of that?

Enter the Grove ecosystem by Seeed Studio. Grove is a modular, standardized connector prototyping system.

How it Works:

  • The Shield: You start with a base shield, like the Grove Shield for Pi Pico. You plug your Pico directly into it.
  • The Connectors: The shield has a bunch of standardized 4-pin Grove connectors.
  • The Modules: You then choose from a massive library of over 300 Grove modules—sensors, LEDs, buttons, motors, displays—and connect them to the shield with a simple, non-reversible cable.

✅ The Benefits:

  • No Soldering: Perfect for beginners.
  • No Messy Wires: A single cable connects each module.
  • Plug and Play: You can’t plug it in wrong. It just works.
  • Rapid Prototyping: Swap out modules in seconds to test different ideas.

❌ The Drawbacks:

  • Vendor Lock-in: You’re primarily using Grove-compatible modules.
  • Slightly Higher Cost: The convenience comes at a small premium compared to buying individual raw components.

For beginners, we believe the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. It lets you focus on the fun part—coding and creating—rather than troubleshooting a bad connection on a breadboard. It’s like building with high-tech LEGOs!

🔍 RP2040 Microcontroller Deep Dive


Video: Pico Course for Beginners | Coding, Electronics and Microcontrollers.








The Pico board is just the stage; the RP2040 is the star of the show. This is the first piece of custom silicon designed in-house by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and it’s a masterpiece of engineering. It’s what gives the Pico its power and flexibility.

RP2040 Feature What it Means for You
Dual-Core ARM Cortex-M0+ You have two “brains” to work with. You can run your main code on one core and dedicate the other to a time-sensitive task, like managing a motor or handling Wi-Fi on the Pico W. No more lag!
264KB On-Chip SRAM This is a generous amount of RAM for a microcontroller. It means you can write more complex programs and handle larger amounts of data without running out of memory.
Programmable I/O (PIO) This is the magic sauce. Need to control a weird, non-standard LED strip? Or read data from a vintage sensor? PIO lets you create custom hardware interfaces in software. It’s a feature usually found on much more expensive chips.
Flexible I/O You can connect a huge range of peripherals like I2C, SPI, and UART to many different pins. This makes laying out your projects on a breadboard much, much easier.
Built-in USB 1.1 Allows the Pico to act as a USB device. You can make it pretend to be a keyboard, a mouse, or a MIDI device with just software. Prank your friends, build a custom game controller… the possibilities are endless!

The RP2040 is now being used in a ton of different boards from other manufacturers, like the Adafruit Feather RP2040 and the tiny Seeed Studio XIAO RP2040. This is fantastic news for the electronics industry news, as it means the ecosystem is growing rapidly!

🎓 Beginner’s Tool Kit & Shopping List


Video: Build a Burglar Alarm With a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 | Pico 2 for Beginners.








Ready to go shopping? You don’t need a massive budget to get started. Here’s our recommended “Hello, World!” kit for any aspiring Pico-neer.

The Absolute Essentials:

  • Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico W: We recommend getting one with pre-soldered headers. It saves you a lot of hassle. The Pico W is worth the small extra cost for the built-in Wi-Fi.
  • Micro-USB Cable: Make sure it’s a data cable, not just a charging cable! A surprising number of cheap cables don’t have the data wires.
  • A Computer: Any Windows, Mac, or Linux machine will do.
  • Thonny Python IDE: It’s free, simple, and has built-in support for the Raspberry Pi Pico.

The “Let’s Build Stuff” Kit:

  • Solderless Breadboard: This is your reusable canvas for building circuits. The MB-102 breadboard is a standard size.
  • Jumper Wires: Get a pack of male-to-male, male-to-female, and female-to-female wires. You’ll use them all.
  • Basic Components Kit: Look for a starter kit that includes:
    • LEDs (various colors)
    • Resistors (a variety pack is essential)
    • Push Buttons
    • A Potentiometer (a variable resistor)
    • A Buzzer
  • The “Easy Mode” Option: The Grove Starter Kit for Raspberry Pi Pico. It includes the Pico, the Grove shield, and a bunch of plug-and-play modules. It’s the fastest way to get from zero to hero.

👉 Shop Your Beginner’s Kit:

🚀 Top 25 Beginner-Friendly Raspberry Pi Pico Projects


Video: Raspberry Pi Pico – 10 Cool Project Ideas!








Alright, the moment you’ve been waiting for! We’ve scoured the web, tinkered in our lab, and compiled the ultimate list of beginner projects. We’ll start simple and gradually build up to more impressive creations. Each of these is a fantastic learning opportunity.

1. Pico Onboard Temperature Sensor

  • The Project: Your very first project! Read the temperature of the Pico’s own chip and print it to your screen. It’s the “Hello, World!” of physical computing.
  • Why it’s Great: It requires zero external components. You’ll learn the basics of MicroPython and the Thonny IDE.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • Micro-USB Cable
  • The Gist: The Instructables guide on this is a perfect starting point. You’ll write a few lines of code to import the machine library, read the ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) connected to the sensor, and convert the raw voltage reading into Celsius or Fahrenheit.

2. Pico NES Controller HID

  • The Project: Turn a classic NES controller into a modern USB gamepad that works with your computer.
  • Why it’s Great: This project introduces you to the Pico’s HID (Human Interface Device) capabilities. You’ll learn how to make the Pico pretend to be a keyboard or gamepad.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: You’ll carefully wire the controller’s buttons to the Pico’s GPIO pins. Then, using a MicroPython library for HID, you’ll write code that detects a button press and sends the corresponding gamepad command over USB.

3. Automatic Plant-Waterer

  • The Project: Never kill a houseplant again! This project uses a sensor to detect when soil is dry and automatically turns on a small water pump.
  • Why it’s Great: You’ll learn about analog sensors, controlling external hardware (a relay or motor driver), and creating a self-sufficient system.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: Stick the sensor in the soil. Connect the pump to the relay, and the relay to the Pico. Write a simple if statement: if the moisture reading drops below a certain threshold, turn the relay on for a few seconds to water the plant.

4. Pico W Setup & Debugging

  • The Project: Get your Pico W connected to your Wi-Fi network and learn how to send messages over the internet.
  • Why it’s Great: This is the gateway to all IoT projects. You’ll learn the fundamentals of networking with MicroPython.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico W
    • Micro-USB Cable
  • The Gist: You’ll edit a simple Python file with your Wi-Fi SSID and password. The code will connect to the network and then you can try “pinging” a website or, for a more advanced step, setting up a simple web server on the Pico itself to display sensor data.

5. Pico Stair Lights

  • The Project: Create motion-activated, animated LED strip lighting for your stairs.
  • Why it’s Great: It’s a “wow factor” project that teaches you about addressable LEDs (like NeoPixels) and motion sensors.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: Place a PIR sensor at the top and bottom of the stairs. When one is triggered, the Pico uses a NeoPixel library to light up the LEDs in a cool animation, like a cascade of light.

6. Temperature & Humidity Sensor

  • The Project: A step up from the onboard sensor, this project uses an external sensor to get accurate room temperature and humidity readings.
  • Why it’s Great: You’ll learn how to use digital sensors and work with libraries for specific components.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • DHT11 or DHT22 Temperature/Humidity Sensor (DHT22 is more accurate)
    • Optional: LCD or OLED display
  • The Gist: Wire the DHT sensor to a GPIO pin. Install the appropriate MicroPython library for the sensor. The code is simple: call a function from the library to get the readings and then print them to the console or display them on a screen.

7. Pico Weather Station

  • The Project: Build a comprehensive weather station that measures temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure.
  • Why it’s Great: This project combines multiple sensor readings and is a perfect candidate for adding Wi-Fi with a Pico W to log data online.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico (Pico W recommended)
    • BME280 Sensor (measures temp, humidity, and pressure)
    • OLED Display
  • The Gist: The BME280 typically uses the I2C communication protocol, so you’ll learn how to set that up. After wiring, you’ll use a BME280 library to fetch all three readings and format them nicely on the OLED screen.

8. GPS Tracker

  • The Project: Build a device that can tell you its exact location (latitude and longitude).
  • Why it’s Great: You’ll learn about serial communication (UART) and parsing data from a complex module.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: The GPS module constantly sends streams of text data (called NMEA sentences) over a serial connection. Your Pico’s job is to listen to this data, find the specific sentence containing the location info, and parse it to extract the latitude and longitude.

9. Line-Following Robot

  • The Project: Build a small, two-wheeled robot that can autonomously follow a black line on a white surface.
  • Why it’s Great: This is a classic robotics project that teaches the fundamentals of motor control, sensor feedback, and basic logic.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • Robot Chassis Kit with 2 motors
    • L298N Motor Driver
    • 2 x IR (Infrared) Reflective Sensors
    • Battery pack
  • The Gist: Place the IR sensors at the front of the robot, one on each side. If the left sensor sees the black line, the robot needs to turn left. If the right sensor sees the line, it turns right. If both see white, it goes straight. It’s a simple but effective feedback loop.

10. Automated Model Railroad

  • The Project: Take control of a model train set, automating its speed, direction, and even track switching.
  • Why it’s Great: It’s a fun way to apply motor control skills to a real-world (or at least, a miniature-world) system.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • L298N Motor Driver or a dedicated model railroad controller
    • Model train set
  • The Gist: You’ll intercept the power going to the track and run it through the motor driver. This allows the Pico to control the voltage and polarity, thus controlling the train’s speed and direction using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation).

11. 16×2 LCD Display Interface

  • The Project: Display custom text and sensor data on a classic 16-character, 2-line LCD screen.
  • Why it’s Great: These displays are everywhere, and learning to use them is a core skill. The I2C versions are especially beginner-friendly.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: With the I2C version, you only need to connect four wires! After that, you’ll install a MicroPython library for the LCD, and you can send text to it with simple commands like lcd.putstr("Hello, Why Pi!").

12. Wake-Word Identifier

  • The Project: Create a simple voice-activated switch using machine learning on the Pico.
  • Why it’s Great: This is your first step into the amazing world of TinyML (Machine Learning on Microcontrollers).
  • Components:
  • The Gist: This is more advanced. You’ll use a service like Edge Impulse to train a small neural network to recognize a specific word (like “on” or “off”). Then you’ll deploy that model to your Pico. When the Pico’s microphone hears the word, it can trigger a GPIO pin to turn something on.

13. Wood-Burning Plotter

  • The Project: Build a small CNC machine that uses a soldering iron to burn designs into wood.
  • Why it’s Great: An ambitious but incredibly rewarding project that combines motor control, G-code interpretation, and mechanical design.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • 2 x Stepper Motors and Drivers (like A4988)
    • A small CNC frame (can be 3D printed or built from parts)
    • A soldering iron you don’t mind modifying
  • The Gist: The Pico runs firmware that interprets G-code (a standard language for CNC machines). It translates commands like “move to X, Y” into precise electrical pulses for the stepper motors, moving the soldering iron tip across the wood.

14. Mini Drone

  • The Project: Build a small quadcopter drone with the Pico as its flight controller.
  • Why it’s Great: The ultimate challenge in real-time control and sensor fusion.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: The Pico’s job is to read data from the gyroscope to know its orientation. It then calculates the necessary speed for each of the four motors to keep itself stable and respond to commands from the radio receiver. This requires fast, precise calculations—a perfect job for the dual-core RP2040!

15. Digital Oscilloscope

  • The Project: Turn your Pico into a basic tool for visualizing electrical signals.
  • Why it’s Great: You’ll learn how the Pico’s ADC works at high speed and get a deeper understanding of electronics.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • Optional: A small screen to display the waveform
  • The Gist: The Pico’s ADC can sample a voltage at up to 500,000 times per second. You’ll write code to read a series of these samples into memory and then send that data to your computer (or a screen) to be plotted as a graph.

16. Adjustable Studio Light

  • The Project: Create a small LED panel where you can adjust the brightness and color temperature with a knob.
  • Why it’s Great: A practical project that teaches you about controlling LEDs with PWM and reading user input from a rotary encoder.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • LED strip with both warm white and cool white LEDs
    • Rotary Encoder
    • MOSFETs to control the LED strips
  • The Gist: The rotary encoder acts as an endless knob. Turning it changes a value in your code, while pressing it switches between controlling brightness and color temperature. The Pico then adjusts the PWM signal to the MOSFETs to mix the warm and cool LEDs to the desired level.

17. Joke Telephone

  • The Project: Build a retro telephone that tells you a joke when you pick up the receiver.
  • Why it’s Great: A whimsical project that combines physical switches, audio playback, and (with a Pico W) fetching jokes from the internet.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico W
    • An old telephone (the hook switch is what you need)
    • An audio playback module (like the DFPlayer Mini) and a speaker
  • The Gist: The Pico monitors the phone’s hook switch. When you lift the receiver, it triggers the Pico. The Pico then uses an API (like icanhazdadjoke.com) to fetch a random joke, uses a text-to-speech service to convert it to an MP3, and plays it through the audio module.

18. Pong Arcade Game

  • The Project: Recreate the classic game Pong, controlled with potentiometers, on a small screen.
  • Why it’s Great: It’s a fantastic introduction to game development logic, handling user input, and updating a display in real-time.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: You’ll write the game logic in MicroPython: tracking the ball’s position and velocity, checking for collisions with the paddles and walls. The Pico reads the analog voltage from the potentiometers to determine the position of the two paddles and redraws everything on the screen in a continuous loop.

19. Burglar Alarm

  • The Project: A simple but effective security system that detects motion and sounds an alarm.
  • Why it’s Great: This project, featured on Instructables, is a perfect example of a simple sensor-action loop.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: The PIR sensor’s output pin goes high when it detects motion. The Pico constantly checks the state of this pin. If it goes high, the Pico immediately turns on the buzzer and flashes the LED. Add a Pico W, and it could also send you a notification!

20. Liquid Level Monitor

  • The Project: Create a system to monitor the water level in a tank and display it on an indicator.
  • Why it’s Great: It’s a practical project for learning about different types of sensors and mapping their output to a visual display.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: Mount the ultrasonic sensor at the top of the tank, pointing down. It measures the distance to the water’s surface. The Pico can then calculate the water level based on the tank’s height and display it—for example, by lighting up a bar graph of LEDs.

21. Bathroom Ventilation

  • The Project: An intelligent bathroom fan that turns on automatically when the humidity gets too high (e.g., during a shower) and turns off when it’s clear.
  • Why it’s Great: A “set it and forget it” home automation project that’s both useful and a great learning experience.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: The Pico continuously monitors the humidity level from the DHT22. If the humidity rises above a set point (e.g., 70%), it activates the relay, turning on the fan. It keeps the fan on until the humidity drops back below a lower threshold.

22. Motion-Sensing Fan

  • The Project: A personal desk fan that turns on when you sit down and off when you walk away.
  • Why it’s Great: A simple, energy-saving project that combines a sensor and a motor.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • PIR Motion Sensor
    • A small 5V DC fan
    • A MOSFET or Relay to control the fan
  • The Gist: This works just like the burglar alarm, but instead of a buzzer, it triggers a fan. When the PIR sensor detects your presence, the Pico sends a signal to the MOSFET, allowing power to flow to the fan. When you leave, the sensor signal drops, and the Pico turns the fan off.

23. Light Alarm Clock

  • The Project: A gentler way to wake up. This alarm clock slowly brightens a light to simulate the sunrise before your alarm time.
  • Why it’s Great: It teaches you about timekeeping with the Pico’s Real-Time Clock (RTC) and controlling brightness smoothly with PWM.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico
    • A powerful LED or an LED strip
    • A MOSFET to control the LED
    • Buttons to set the alarm time
  • The Gist: You’ll use the Pico’s RTC to keep track of the current time. When the current time matches the alarm time, the Pico starts a loop that slowly increases the PWM duty cycle on the LED’s pin, making it gradually brighter over 15-30 minutes.

24. Multi-Functional Digital Clock

  • The Project: A desk clock that does more than just tell time. It can also display the date, temperature, and humidity.
  • Why it’s Great: This project combines several previous concepts: RTC, sensor reading, and display control. It’s a great capstone for the basics.
  • Components:
    • Raspberry Pi Pico W (to get time from the internet)
    • Large 7-segment display or an OLED screen
    • BME280 or DHT22 sensor
  • The Gist: On startup, the Pico W connects to an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server to get the exact time. It then runs a main loop that reads the time from its internal RTC, gets sensor data, and updates the display every second.

25. Home Ambient Lighting

  • The Project: Control the color and brightness of an RGB LED strip from your smartphone.
  • Why it’s Great: A fantastic introduction to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) on the Pico W.
  • Components:
  • The Gist: You’ll program the Pico W to create a BLE service. Using a free app like Adafruit Bluefruit Connect, you can connect your phone to the Pico. The app has a color picker that sends the RGB values to the Pico, which then updates the LED strip instantly. It’s pure magic!

🧪 Grove Starter Kit for Raspberry Pi Pico


Video: $4 Raspberry Pi Pico – Simple Projects.








Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the component lists? We get it. That’s why we, and many other educators, often recommend a starter kit. The Grove Starter Kit for Raspberry Pi Pico is a standout choice for one simple reason: convenience.

Rating Score (1-10)
Ease of Use 10/10
Component Variety 8/10
Educational Value 9/10
Expandability 9/10

What’s Inside?

The kit typically includes a Pico (with headers), the all-important Grove Shield, and a curated selection of Grove modules like:

  • LEDs, Buttons, and a Rotary Angle Sensor (Potentiometer)
  • An OLED Display
  • Sound, Light, and Temperature & Humidity Sensors
  • A Relay, a Buzzer, and a Mini Servo Motor

Why We Love It

One of our engineers, Sarah, recently used this kit for a workshop with middle schoolers. “It was a revelation,” she told us. “Instead of spending the first hour troubleshooting breadboard connections, the kids were blinking LEDs and reading sensors in ten minutes. The Grove system lets them jump straight to the ‘Aha!’ moment of seeing their code affect the real world.”

The beauty is that you can build many of the projects on our list right out of this box. The Automatic Plant Waterer, the Weather Station, the Burglar Alarm—they all become simpler when you can just plug and play. It’s the perfect way to build confidence before you graduate to breadboards and individual components. Check out our full electronic component reviews for more on specific modules.

👉 Shop the Grove Starter Kit:

🛒 Where to Buy Raspberry Pi Pico


Video: 11 NEW Raspberry PI Pico and Pico W projects!!!








The Raspberry Pi Pico and Pico W are widely available from official resellers. Our advice is to always buy one with pre-soldered headers. Soldering 40 pins is not a fun first project!

Look for the “Pico H” (for Headers) or “Pico WH” (for Wireless with Headers).

👉 Shop Raspberry Pi Pico:

🏁 Conclusion

A circuit board is near a screwdriver.

After our deep dive into the Raspberry Pi Pico universe, one thing is crystal clear: this tiny microcontroller is a powerhouse of possibilities, especially for beginners and hobbyists eager to explore the magic of physical computing. From its affordable price, dual-core RP2040 chip, and programmable I/O, to the friendly MicroPython environment, the Pico strikes a perfect balance between power and accessibility.

Positives:

  • Beginner-friendly programming with MicroPython and C/C++
  • Versatile GPIO and peripherals for a wide range of projects
  • Programmable I/O (PIO) for advanced custom hardware interfaces
  • Compact and low power consumption
  • Affordable and widely available
  • Pico W adds wireless connectivity, opening IoT doors

Negatives:

  • No built-in display or audio (requires external modules)
  • Limited RAM and flash compared to full SBCs like Raspberry Pi Zero
  • Requires some familiarity with electronics to unlock full potential
  • No native USB-C power (uses micro-USB)

For beginners, the Raspberry Pi Pico is highly recommended. It’s a fantastic learning platform that grows with you—from blinking LEDs to building mini-drones and IoT devices. If you want to skip wiring headaches, the Grove Starter Kit for Raspberry Pi Pico is a brilliant way to jumpstart your journey with plug-and-play modules.

Remember those unanswered questions about what to build and how to start? Now you have a treasure trove of 25 beginner-friendly projects and a clear path forward. Whether you want to build a weather station, a burglar alarm, or your own Pong arcade game, the Pico is ready to make your ideas come alive.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your Pico, fire up Thonny, and start creating! Your next big project is just a few lines of code away.

Ready to shop and start building? Here are the best places to get your hands on the gear and resources we’ve talked about:

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

white and black circuit board

What are the best programming languages to use with a Raspberry Pi Pico for beginners?

MicroPython is the top pick for beginners. It’s a streamlined version of Python designed for microcontrollers, making it easy to write and understand code quickly. The Pico comes with MicroPython support out-of-the-box, and the Thonny IDE provides a beginner-friendly environment to write, upload, and debug your code.

If you want to dive deeper, C/C++ is also supported via the official SDK, offering more control and efficiency but with a steeper learning curve. For most beginners, starting with MicroPython is the fastest way to see results and stay motivated.

Read more about “What Is a Raspberry Pi Pico? 7 Key Features You Need to Know (2025) 🚀”

How do I set up and connect my Raspberry Pi Pico to my computer for the first time?

Setting up your Pico is straightforward:

  1. Download and install the Thonny IDE.
  2. Hold down the BOOTSEL button on your Pico and connect it to your computer via micro-USB.
  3. The Pico will mount as a USB mass storage device.
  4. Drag and drop the latest MicroPython UF2 firmware from the official Raspberry Pi site onto the Pico drive.
  5. Restart the Pico by unplugging and reconnecting it without holding the button.
  6. Open Thonny, select the Pico as the interpreter, and start coding!

This process is well documented on Raspberry Pi’s official getting started guide.

What are some fun and easy Raspberry Pi Pico projects for kids and adults to learn coding?

Great question! Some beginner-friendly projects include:

  • Blinking the onboard LED
  • Reading the onboard temperature sensor
  • Building a simple burglar alarm with a PIR sensor and buzzer
  • Creating a digital clock with an OLED display
  • Making a Pong arcade game controlled by potentiometers

These projects teach fundamental concepts like GPIO control, sensor reading, and basic programming logic. Kits like the Grove Starter Kit simplify hardware setup, making these projects accessible even for kids.

Can I use a Raspberry Pi Pico for home automation projects, and if so, how do I get started?

Absolutely! The Pico W model with Wi-Fi is perfect for home automation. You can start by:

  • Setting up the Pico W to connect to your home Wi-Fi network
  • Using sensors like temperature, humidity, or motion detectors to monitor your environment
  • Controlling devices such as lights, fans, or alarms via relays or smart plugs

Begin with simple projects like an automatic plant waterer or a motion-sensing fan. As you gain confidence, you can integrate your Pico with platforms like Home Assistant or create custom web dashboards.

What are the differences between a Raspberry Pi Pico and other microcontrollers like Arduino?

The Pico stands out with its:

  • Dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor, offering more computing power than many Arduino boards
  • Programmable I/O (PIO), a unique feature allowing custom hardware protocols
  • Native support for MicroPython, which is more beginner-friendly than Arduino’s C++-based environment
  • Affordable price and modern design

Arduino boards have a larger ecosystem and longer history but often have less processing power. The Pico is a modern, powerful alternative, especially for those comfortable with Python.

How do I troubleshoot common issues and errors when working with a Raspberry Pi Pico?

Common issues include:

  • Pico not recognized by the computer: Ensure you hold the BOOTSEL button when plugging in to enter bootloader mode for firmware flashing. Use a data-capable USB cable.
  • Code not running or errors: Check your syntax carefully. Use Thonny’s debugger and error messages to pinpoint issues.
  • Hardware not responding: Double-check your wiring and connections. Use a multimeter if needed.
  • Wi-Fi connection problems (Pico W): Verify your SSID and password are correct and that your network supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

The Raspberry Pi forums and communities like Stack Overflow are invaluable resources.

Are there any pre-made kits or bundles available that include a Raspberry Pi Pico and other necessary components for beginner projects?

Yes! The Grove Starter Kit for Raspberry Pi Pico is a popular choice, bundling the Pico, a Grove shield, and a variety of sensors and actuators. It’s perfect for beginners who want to avoid the hassle of sourcing individual parts.

Other kits, like the Robotistan Raspberry Pi Pico Mega Kit or generic starter kits on Amazon, include breadboards, jumper wires, LEDs, buttons, and sensors, providing a solid foundation for learning.

Thanks for joining us on this Pico-powered adventure! Stay curious, keep experimenting, and remember: every expert was once a beginner who dared to try. 🚀

Review Team
Review Team

The Popular Brands Review Team is a collective of seasoned professionals boasting an extensive and varied portfolio in the field of product evaluation. Composed of experts with specialties across a myriad of industries, the team’s collective experience spans across numerous decades, allowing them a unique depth and breadth of understanding when it comes to reviewing different brands and products.

Leaders in their respective fields, the team's expertise ranges from technology and electronics to fashion, luxury goods, outdoor and sports equipment, and even food and beverages. Their years of dedication and acute understanding of their sectors have given them an uncanny ability to discern the most subtle nuances of product design, functionality, and overall quality.

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