The zeal for learning coding skills in now on the rise than ever before. The browser you might be using on your computer or phone, their operating systems, apps on the phone, social media platforms such as Facebook and any other website are all made through some form of coding language. So, why is coding important?
Firstly, coding empowers you to do a lot of things you would not typically be able to do such as crafting own websites, creating a program, even building a robot. The world more than ever depends on quality coding in basically every function of human life. As technology develops so must its coders, so why not start early and give your kid a head start on learning to code.
Coding for Kids
There has been an uproar about kids learning to code lately. In the year 2017, approximately, 200 million kids have been exposed to coding while over 80% of parents want programming to be added to their kid’s curriculum. In our world today, coding is an essential and fundamental skill.
Coding Websites for Kids
Learning how to build simple websites and games will improve their design and problem-solving abilities as well as their logic and reason. They can also express their ideas in new creative ways. Various free websites offer online coding lessons on how to play around with code. I have covered some of the best coding websites that can teach your kids to code.
Code.org
This is a great website for starters. Being a nonprofit foundation website, the website shares plenty online resources about coding. The website also shares useful apps and local schools that teach coding. When you open the main page of the website, there is an inspirational video that is important to you. The website includes free coding lessons and also has an initiative of encouraging kids from schools around the United States of America to learn Computer Science education and join various coding courses for kids.
Code Avengers
This as a New Zealand based website that helps in learning programming. Code Avengers provide online coding courses on how to code games, websites, and apps. Although Code Avengers doesn’t have an eye-catching graphics, the website still offers free introduction classes into the cording course. Code Avengers will provide your kids with interactive online coding lessons on how apps, webs, and games are built using Python, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The courses are available in different languages, and each course takes 12 hours. The courses are specifically designed for first-time coders and those with little experience. This can be good for kids. You can also graduate to the more advanced paid option.
Code Academy
This is an interactive website that is user-friendly and helps the kids in learning to code. The website helps the kids through teaching them basic code using fun and simple exercises that are just like games. The online platform offers free coding classes in 12 different programming languages. The site also offers a paid option that gives the users access to personalized learning where they get a learning plan, real projects, quizzes and live online help from tutors.
Code Combat
Code combat is best for older kids. It uses an interactive and competitive gameplay mode to enhance learning. The browser-based video game will teach players various skills of computer programming.
Scratch
This is a website designed by MIT students and is aimed to be used by kids between age 8 to 16. It contains an easy to use programming language that allows kids to build anything they desire. Kids will arrange and put together scratch blocks in a manner of virtual Legos. Scratch blocks are more than a coding guide, they train kids basic coding logic and let them experience code results. Scratch is a community of coders and programmers who share various ideas and inspirations, cool stuff.
Tynker
Tynker is like many other famous coding programs. It works through interlocking blocks of code to make coding language easy and accessible for kids to learn code. Introduction courses are offered for free, but after that, the rest of the classes will have to be paid for. Classes are also broken down into various categories according to the recommended ages. This will make it easy for parents to determine where their kids should begin.
Coding Games For Kids
Apart from websites that offer coding courses for kids, some games are now available to teach your kids how to code. Here are some of the coding games online for kids that will make them active technology users.
Lightbot and Lightbot Jr
This is a programming puzzle game that was designed by Danny Yaloslavski, a university student from Canada. The goal of the game is to make the robot light up all the blue tiles on a 3D grid. The challenge is that you will have to make this possible through programming the robot with various instructions. Lightbot teaches various concepts such as planning, debugging, procedures and loops. The game can be played for one hour on the mobile device for free. However, other versions of lightbot can be bought from iTunes and Google Play.
Code Monkey Island
This is programing basics for kids that use fun to teach them. Raj Sidhu, the designer of the game, choose to use a low tech solution for high tech problems in a friendly board game. Code Monkey is a game that takes 45 minutes. Sidhu chose a board game because it brings families together. The parents, kids, grandparents can share ideas in a process that allows children to express their capabilities through playing the game.
Kodable
Kodable’s 105 maze-like levels will teach young kids concepts of programming such as conditions, loops, functions and debugging. The game doesn’t use texts entirely thus a great starting point for the kids. The kids can be appealed with the fuzzy and colorful protagonist. Kids get challenged at a very early.
What Are the Benefits of Coding for Kids?
Very few kids have been given the opportunity to learn code. One reason is that most schools and parents don’t understand why coding is very important for the kids. Here is why knowing how to code is important for kids.
Coding Leads to Innovation
The future of our world is all digital. We have seen how technology has done greater things than could be imagined by our forefathers. We all started with standard vehicles, and currently, we have now seen the development of self-driving vehicles. In hospitals, surgery was done by the surgeons themselves, and currently, robotic technology is taking over, and we now enjoy robot-assisted surgery. We had social media platforms that have made the world a global village and revolutionized every aspect of our lives. For children to continue with this movement, they have to be taught coding correctly when they are young.
Coding Allows Kids to Be Creative
Kids who learn to program at an early stage gain a deeper understanding of the thought and logic behind programming. Learning coding in life influences the child’s brain and this, in turn, builds up their confidence. The children are empowered to create projects of their own and share them with family members as well as friends.
Coding Helps Kids Secure Future Jobs
As the current numbers show, the number of kids being taught how to code is very alarming, it’s estimated that the future will see up to a million computing jobs going unfilled in the United States alone. So, you can imagine what will happen to the rest of the world. Currently, students are graduating from great universities with wonderful grades but don’t get positions that fit their expertise. However, those who graduate from colleges with diplomas in computer science or degrees get high paying jobs and positions just after graduating.
Coding Builds Confidence
The ability to communicate to machines is the closest thing to superpowers that can be taught. Through such knowledge, a kid is given tools to express themselves in cooler ways. Teaching children to code empowers them to be able to show their projects to people close to them. When they receive compliments every time, their confidence is boosted.
Coding Is Best Learned Early
Learning to code is just like learning the second language. The child’s brain can understand complex things at an early age because they are not occupied with lots of things. The earlier the kids are exposed to fundamental coding topics such as sequencing, conditionals and loops the faster more they will understand complex topics as time goes by.
Coding Leads to Success in Other Areas
Learning to program will lead to kids being successful in other learning areas. Such areas include science, mathematics, and reading. Coding will help kids think better as it creates a way of thinking about things that may be helpful in all domains.
The earlier you start teaching your kids through the fun coding games and coding courses through the websites, the better they will become in this world of technology.
