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Learning how to program and code has immense benefits for young children’s cognition. It’s become an integral part of our future as we communicate and instruct computers to perform tasks. Teaching kids programming from a young age will help them in many aspects of life so let’s look at 5 ways to get your kids into programming.
How will coding benefit my kid?
While learning about programming, children learn and develop numerous skills. They learn to think critically and creatively while trying to solve problems. Coding also helps their pre-existing knowledge domains and ways to communicate.
It’ll be beneficial for your kid’s job prospects. In an ever-changing job market, new technological careers are constantly popping up, and more and more employees are required to know basic or advanced educational skills.
Bringing the past and the future together, programming board games and coding games are helpful ways to encourage children to learn to program and are great educational games. These board games can also introduce parents to the wonderful world of programming. These games help children learn about coding in the physical world. They’re a great introduction to spatially understanding how programming works.
Robot Turtles, Code Money Island, and Qwirkle are a few suggested games to add to your board game shelf at home or in the classroom.
One of the fastest-growing niches in the school market is coding clubs and camps. They’ve become a top after-school activity, and there are many options out there for you to choose from.
Code.org is a non-profit organization that encourages underrepresented students to pursue programming. With over 60 million students registered, the course catalog is extensive and suitable for different ages. Code.org has a great way to get kids into programming through their Hour of Code program. These are short tutorials that are loads of fun. These tutorials feature many famous artists, sea animals, and Minecraft.
Codeclub is another global network of free coding clubs for 9- 13-year-olds. You can start or join a club all around the world. A club provides a project with step-by-step guides, resources, and even a downloadable certificate. This club is excellent for children who’d enjoy learning with their friends. A great way to socialize, have fun and understand code.
Kids love playing games. Why not create a fun and interactive way for kids to learn to program. Scratch is the most popular coding app for kids. It’s an app designed for kids up to ten years old. They’ll learn programming while being creative with loads of different things, such as creating their own cartoons, stories, and games.
Scratch is a free programming environment that starts with kids moving objects, changing their colors, building anything, and building their own objects. Two other recommended coding options are Daisy the Dinosaur and Kodable.
Another fun way to introduce your kids to programming is by investing in robotic games. These robots come blank, and you have to try to program them on the computer to move around and change colors.
Sphero Bolt is a programmable robot ball used in many coding camps and school curriculums. It’s controllable via various apps on your smartphone and packed with loads of sensors to program, changing color, direction, and speed.
Another fantastic robotic toy to encourage programming is Botley the Coding Robot. The Innovative Toy of the Year Award winner in 2019, Botley teaches kids programming step by step to maneuver the robot and make sounds.
Once the basics have been learned, students graduate to text. Learning these languages opens up the opportunity for your child to communicate to anyone around the world of any language. Bill Gates believes it should be a required language in schools.
Introducing coding to your child opens up a world of possibility. Getting them into programming from a young age will help them develop multiple skills and support them later. It’s important not to force learning, but with all of these fun and educational ways to introduce them to programming, your kids will be avid programmers in no time.