Learning Binary Code: Use Binary Letters to spell I Love You

What you'll learn:

How to use a binary code translator with our binary alphabet printout and what is binary.

Key takeaways:

Computers speak a language that is different from all others, a language with only two letters, 0 and 1, or binary code. These 0s and 1s are converted to letters through ASCII code.

Have you ever wondered just what is binary code?

We will take a look at the binary alphabet and learn binary code in this fun Valentine’s day inspired activity.

Wondering how to learn binary? We have a binary alphabet you can download for free.  The binary alphabet will tell you how to translate binary code into letters we read on a computer screen.

In this activity, we will spell out “I love you” in binary, but you can customize your own message in any way you like. We don’t have an online binary code translator, but with the download and a little elbow grease (and really, just a pinch) you can convert binary to text or text to binary. You’ll find that learning binary is easy!

This is a super silly and geeky way to write secret love letters! And in a snap, you’ll learn how to write in binary and how to read binary code!

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Writing in Binary Code Activity

  1. Gather two colors of pony or perler beads and 7 chenille sticks.
  2. Download our binary code alphabet.
  3. Use the binary alphabet to string on one letter to each chenille stick.
  4. Form each of the binary letters into a heart and chain together.

1. Gather your supplies

For this project, you’ll need two colors of beads and 7 chenille sticks. I suggest purchasing perler or pony beads that are already sorted into their own colors – otherwise, you will have to pick out two sets of colors, about 50 each. The beads will need to be able to fit onto a chenille stick. If you have alphabet beads that is a great addition since you can put in the English letter for the binary letters you are writing onto each stick!

2. Download our binary alphabet page

To be able to write in binary you will need a binary code translator. Our chart will help you go from English letters to binary letters through ASCII code tables – it is the Babelfish of binary! It’s not an online binary code translator, but it doesn’t take anything more than a little bit of time to convert binary to text and text to binary.

3. Use beads to write I Love You with the binary alphabet

Each binary letter uses one byte of information. A byte is made up of 8 bits, and each bit is either a 0 or a 1. That means each of your binary letters will use 8 beads, one to represent each bit of information. You will have to assign your two bead colors to be either 0 (white in our binary code alphabet) or 1 (black). 

Using our binary code alphabet download string on the right sequence of 0s and 1s to make each letter. Use one chenille stick per letter, this helps you see the end of one binary letter and the beginning of another.

4. Form each chenille stick into a heart.

Now that each chenille stick has a single binary letter beaded on you can string the letters together to spell out I Love You. Form each of the chenille sticks into a heart that you can then chain together. This makes a great Valentine’s day decoration and one of my favorite Valentine’s day STEM activities!

Check out more fun Valentine's projects!

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