Let's CODE This Summer!!☼
Not travelling anywhere
this summer; Can’t keep your children away from technology for too long?? No worries;
don’t take their Ipads away; instead engage them in some fun filled computer
coding activities. CODING is the base, the ABC of all
computer languages. I know what you are thinking “How can you make a child
learn CODING at this age?" “Why so early?"
To answer that, let me
open you up to a certain fact:
Estonia, the birthplace
of SKYPE. A small country with a population of 1.3 million. It is the first
country where the government has launched a nationwide campaign to teach kids
how to code, ageing 7 to 19. The brainchild Ava Lauringson said “We want to
change the thinking that computers and programs are just things as they are.
There is an opportunity to create something, and be a smarter user of
technology." She also stated that " In Estonia, kids are walking
around in pampers and ipads, so we see that there has to be some logical
movement with tech". Step aside highschoolers, the elementary schoolers are the new coders.
I remember when I was
introduced to computer programming in my university, I soooo hated it. It all
seemed like rocket science. That's because I didn't get enough time to strengthen the
basics of computer logics at an earlier age. The new CODING APPS have
come as a blessing to the millennial generation. I wish I had those during my
aeon.
Being a tech savvy mom;
I introduced my son to CODING when he was 6 years old. It was
just an experimental move. For him it was just another game on the IPad.
He loved it and soon it became his favorite game.
I quickly downloaded a
couple of free CODING APPS and we were set. I was on my way to
teaching computer logics and trouble shooting skills to my lil one.
The new Tech Guru in
making!!
There are a whole range
of FREE CODING APPS you can download from the apps store.
Here's a list of seven recommended coding apps to start with:
- Bee Bot
Platform- iPad
Cost- Free
Age- 4+ yrs
About- Bee Bot is a fun interactive game developed with 12 levels. The levels are set in a garden scene and the kids have to give directions to the bee to reach its destination. This app helps kids improve their directional and basic programming skills.
Bee Bot has also introduced exiting new robots for young children.These robots are easy to operate and understand up to 40 commands. They also have the Pro Bots, the big brother of Bee Bots which require higher programming skills. Bee Bot offers a complete range of material including curriculum, accessories and mats to make learning easy and economical.
- Daisy The Dinosaur
Platform- iPad
Cost- Free
Age- 5 To 7 yrs
About- This cute little Dinosaur app teaches basic coding to kids. Students can easily drag and drop command boxes to perform various functions. They grasp the basics of objects, sequencing, loops and events by solving this app's challenges.
- Cargo Bot
Platform- Web
Cost- Free
Age- 10+ yrs
About- This is a highly addictive app that teaches kids to think like programmers. Elementary kids may need adult assistance first. Young programmers may find the implementation quite challenging, and just like in coding, a working solution may not be the optimal solution. Scores depend on how concisely the program runs.
- Kodable
Platform- iPad
Cost- Free
Age- 4 to 11 years
About- Kodable has an award winning curriculum which is much more vigorous. It encourages you to think like a programmer in kinder garden,to become a Java Script writer in 5th grade. I would suggest parents to introduce this app to kids only after they get enough practice on other apps.
- Scratch Jr
Platform- web
Cost- Free
Age- 5 to 7
About- This programming language created by the MIT team,is my personal favorite. This programming language enables kids to create their own interactive stories and games. Kids snap together blocks to make characters perform various actions. Scratch runs on both iPad and Android tablets. There are teaching guides and community forums that help getting started easily. There is a guide to ScratchJr. Written by app creators Professor Marina Umaschi Bers and Mitchel Resnick of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, this new book is an easy-to-use, hands on resource for parents and educators alike to teach children how to code with ScratchJr.
- Hopscotch
Platform- iPad
Cost- Free
Age- 10+ years
About- Hopscotch is another favorite. A fun to learn programming app that is extremely easy to follow and will take you to a world of wild and magical imagination. I personally would recommend every child to try this app. You can pretty much make anything with this app.
- Tynker
Platform- iPad
Cost- Free
Age- 9 to 11 years
About- Tynker helps individuals experiment with visual blocks and eventually progresses towards other computer languages. you can design games, build apps and make incredible projects.
Let the kids keep their iPads and Tablets, let them explore a whole new world of CODING. A world that has become a necessity, majority of fields today require coding somewhere or the other. Let us also help our children become proud young programmers!!!!!
- Bee Bot
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