This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
Schools right now are really putting a lot of focus on STEM. Along with other STEM activities, classes take whole blocks of time to practice coding. Why is that, you might ask? Is coding for kids really all that important?
You might think it’s only important for your kid to learn about coding if they are planning on being a game developer someday. And although, that is a good example of a job that requires coding knowledge, it’s not the only job that coding and STEM help kids prepare for.
Coding for Kids
Their are a lot of benefits that come from coding for kids. Many of the skills that children gain from coding are transferrable to all areas of their lives (even non-tech ones!).
Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills
The first is always my go-to reason: PROBLEM SOLVING! Coding helps kids become great problem solvers! When coding, the child has to take a goal and find a way to accomplish that goal.
They observe cause and effect, as well as the importance of sequence. Through trial and error, children find solutions!
Kids have to think about why does this work? What can make it better? Why is my character not doing what I thought it would do?
Creativity
Yes, there are a lot of academic reasons to promote coding, but really, a very important reason is CREATIVITY!
Allowing kids to create something of their own is so empowering! I said this before about crochet. Children need to have something that allows them to make their own creations.
Coding allows them to not just play games, but to MAKE games.
And for a kid, that’s pretty incredible!
It can be the simplest game or story, but the fact that THEY made it makes it the coolest thing ever.
Giving and Following Directions
A lot of learning to code is understanding the way that directions work.
When children are working on code they are writing instructions for the computer. In order for it to work, the directions must be in the correct order and make sense.
Kids also need to be able to read the instructions and know whether they will have the desired outcome. They start to learn that order matters!
This can carry into other areas, too.
Career Opportunities
Coding is NOT going away anytime soon. Even if your child, does not go into a career in web development or game design, the ability to do basic coding is useful in so many job fields now!
You cannot have a successful business without a great website. Even a basic understanding of how code works can help a business owner manage their website successfully without paying someone to do it for them.
When applying for jobs, they can put the coding languages that they know on their resume which will give them an edge in this digital age!
Now What?
Ok so now you want your kids to learn to code but where do you go?
I don’t know how to code? How do I teach my kids?
There are a TON of resources out there to get your kids coding. There are even ways to do SCREEN-FREE coding!
If you already signed up for my list of 100 indoor activities (haven’t yet? Click the link or use the form below!), then you already have some of my favorite coding resources both on and offline!
Some of my favorite online coding resources include:
Scratch
Scratch is by far my FAVORITE coding language for kids.
This coding language is block based, color-coded, and simple enough to learn quickly, but robust enough to make some pretty cool games and animations!
Below is the game that I teach in just ONE session for kids ages 9-12!
Want your child to learn to code? Check out my “Learn the Basics of Scratch” class on Outschool!
Just go explore some of the featured projects! You will be very impressed by what kids can do with this language!
Once I was introduced to Scratch, I got pretty obsessed and began teaching myself how to create VIPKid rewards right away!
Check out my very popular reward spinner, which was one of my first rewards I made:
Scratch Jr.
Scratch Jr. is an app made by the same creators of Scratch. It is available for Android and iPads.
This language is even more simplified to help little kids get started with coding. And despite it’s simplistic design, it really allows kids to create some amazing things!
My 5-year-old son LOVES his coding lessons during homeschool and he has already learned how to create so much!
I love teaching Scratch, but there is also a very special place in my heart for Scratch Jr. The littler kids get so excited when they learn something new and start seeing their pictures come to life!
Tynker
As a stem teacher in a brick and mortar school, I taught using Tynker. Tynker is very similar to Scratch with the way the blocks work but also has the ability to create classrooms and assign courses.
Tynker has it’s own block coding system (like Scratch) but also has courses to teach Python and web development.
There is a free account that allows you to create classrooms and some free courses, but there is also the opportunity to pay for the curriculum to get much more from it.
Code.org
Code.org is is another free resource that is great for teachers. Like Tynker, you can create classrooms that allow you to assign courses.
Kids start with simple puzzles that help develop some of the skills necessary to be successful in coding (sequence, debugging, etc.) and gradually work up to writing code on their own!
Happy Coding!
However you do it, go get coding! Your kids will LOVE it and it’s a great way to improve their STEM skills!
