Creative Ways to Incorporate Coding Into Your Kid's Education

The prominence of tech startups and conversations concerning the improvement of education has made teaching kids to code a priority for many. A future with a greater emphasis on coding in the early stages of education is very much in the realm of possibility, and it is something to look forward to. But, you don’t need to wait for that day to come — here are 6 tips to help you encourage a child’s interest in programming.

Emphasize that Coding = Creativity

Coding is much more than just math, science, and problem solving — it’s a creative activity, too! Unfortunately, the stereotype of computer programmers as ‘nerds’ puts many people off, adults and children alike. But coding is a great way to bring things to life — games, robots, artwork, and applications. Most children enjoy making things, so coding is just like painting a picture or building with Lego. To capture their attention and spark their creativity, focus on the fun side of coding — not everyone likes to paint, and not everyone will like coding either.

Encourage Exploration

If you’re looking to get your child started in coding, it’s important to equip them with age-appropriate tools that are easy to use and require minimal instructions. Let your child explore and discover for themselves; it’s a key part of being a coder.

When your child has mastered an app, look for more advanced options to keep them challenged. Don’t worry if you don’t have coding experience yourself; you can learn together with your child! To get started, check out these free apps and websites.

• Daisy the Dinosaur (iPad, ages 6–10): This simple iPad app will get kids excited about being able to control the movements of a character on screen using basic commands. As an intro to coding it’s even great with younger children, but may not hold older children’s attention for very long.
• Hopscotch (iPad, ages 8–12): From the makers of Daisy the Dinosaur, this app is fun, easy to use, and lets kids create drawings and more complex animations with a whole cast of characters to choose from. You can also share your programs with other Hopscotch users via email, which is great for encouraging kids to play with friends and share their creations.
• Scratch (web, ages 8–16): Scratch has been around for a while and has an active community of young programmers. It builds on some of the basic programming controls used in Hopscotch, and introduces many new tools for creating more unique and complex animations and games.
• Codecademy (web, ages 12+): Codecademy provides free online courses in specific programming languages. Older children who show a sustained interest in coding may be ready to start learning to program on their own. The course on HTML and CSS is a great place to start, and it will teach your child how to create web pages from scratch.

Tap Into Each Child’s Passions

If your child is interested in coding, don’t limit them to just one type of programming. There are so many different kinds of coding apps that focus on a variety of activities, such as drawing, animation, storytelling, and game design.

Moreover, with kits like Lego Mindstorms, Sparki, and littleBits, your child can design robots and write programs to control them. Additionally, even avid readers can use coding to create websites to review the books they’ve read, and sports fanatics can use it to track the stats of their favorite players or teams. Ultimately, by tapping into something your child already loves to do, you can show them how to use coding to bring their ideas to life.

Make Coding a Social Activity

Encourage your child to explore coding and the opportunities it brings. Having a network of peers who share their interests can help to keep them motivated as they grow. As Mimi Ito recently stated in Fast Company, “Kids become coders because they are friends with other coders or are born into coder families.” You can easily search for local summer camps or after-school programs in your area. Alternatively, you can connect with a few children and help them join a virtual program, or find someone to help you create a project for them to get started.

Find a Mentor

Although Mimi Ito has observed that children of programmers are more likely to code than those of non-programmers, parents who do not have a programming background themselves can still help their little ones learn to code. Finding someone who codes or works in a technical field to serve as a mentor for your child is a great idea. It could even be better than mentoring them yourself, especially if your child tends to reject advice from their parents. Your child’s mentor can help them overcome struggles, encourage them to continue learning, and give them insight into coding careers.

Keep Problem Solving Fun

Programmers are naturally curious and motivated to tackle challenging problems, so many professional coders are drawn to jobs with interesting puzzles to solve. If your child has an affinity for creative problem solving, you can help foster their interest by engaging in puzzle games as a family or encouraging them to explore how different apps work.

While coding is an incredibly powerful tool for creating new things, it’s not for everyone and it’s important not to push them too hard. Let them take the lead: show them the apps, provide some support, and see how it goes. With some luck, they may find coding to be a fun and fulfilling activity.

What are you waiting for? Make your kid a codaholic with Brainlox!

Learn more about our pedagogically curated courses at Brainlox.