Education at home doesn’t have to be anything like education at school. In fact, for it to be most effective, it is best if it is a fun activity that doesn’t even feel educational.
Coding is no different. A parent’s goal should be to make coding education fun for their children. Here’s how you can do it!
You can learn to code at any age.
Learning to code is not only a great skill to have, but also a lot of fun. You can learn to code at any age and get started with simple activities like playing games or making art. As you get older, you can work your way up to real world languages like Python and more complex coding projects like building apps.
There are also many fun programming toys that teach kids how to think logically and solve problems in a hands-on way. Coding toys are especially popular among children ages five to eight.
For ages nine to eleven, check out various drag-and-drop programming languages. Kids in this age group still don’t have the fine motor skills and typing experience for traditional coding to be easy, so there are wonderful platforms to get them started without typing.
Find age-appropriate coding games
The first step in finding the right games for your child is to look for something that’s both fun and engaging. The best way to do that is by playing a few of the games yourself, or asking other parents who have kids of similar ages if they have any recommendations.
You’ll also want to make sure that it’s an age-appropriate game. Interests change over time, so there’s no harm in adjusting the difficulty as they get older. If something seems too easy or too hard at first, this might not be a good fit for them now; but if you find one that clicks with them right away then great!
Give them something to build with their hands
Your kid may be intrigued by the concept of coding and learning how to build things with code, but they may not find it as engaging to start with as actually building something in the physical world. Giving them something tangible to work on can help them see results from their efforts and make coding more relevant and engaging.
One way to do this is by bringing robotics into the equation. If a kid has never worked with robotics before, then he or she will enjoy adding sensors and motors into their project—and seeing how these components interact together when combined with code can give them an appreciation for what goes into programming as well!
Show them the real world applications of coding
The real world applications of coding are endless. From making a website, to building a robot, to developing apps and video games—coding is everywhere! Have many casual conversations about how someone created that app or product they are using. For example, if your child is playing Minecraft with their friends on an Xbox One, talk about how one of the developers made it so they can play together with each other online. Or if your kid loves watching videos on YouTube, talk about what it took for YouTube to grow into what it is today (hint: it was built by coders!).
The more you code, the better you get at it – there’s no need to learn everything in one go!
It’s true, there is far more to learn than most people realize. But you can’t expect a child to retain everything in one go. The best way for kids to learn is by doing and making mistakes, so it’s important not to overload their brains with too much information at once. Instead, focus on getting them interested in coding and give them something fun to do – then let them explore!
This is the secret behind 1-on-1 online kids coding classes with an instructor. It is a regular weekly time to make learning progress in a fun way. With engaged students it is amazing what they can accomplish over time.
Conclusion
So, how do you get started with coding? It’s easy: all you need is a computer and an internet connection! The part that parents need to focus on is how to make it fun. Hopefully this article gave you plenty of ideas and your children will be coding in no time at all.