Nowadays, everyone wants their kid to learn how to code. Considering that pretty much everything we do on a day to day basis somehow involves code, it’s a completely understandable desire. From scheduling a meeting on Zoom to sending a text to let your kid know you’re running late to pick them up from school, we are completely dependent on code, yet most of us don’t know how to write it! That’s basically like living in Spain your entire life without learning how to speak Spanish…

There in lies the issue: if I don’t know how to code, how am I supposed to teach my kid how to code? Surprisingly, you don’t really need a computer, or any knowledge of a programming language to help your kid learn to code, especially if they’re still very young. Sure, eventually if your child wants to delve deep into the world of programming (like making games or developing machine learning algorithms), they’ll have to pick up a computer and learn a programming language or two, but for now, we can teach the little ones the fundamental thinking behind all coding and all algorithms (and maybe even make it fun!).

The fundamental idea behind all algorithms and all coding is logical thinking - like a flow diagram. Take for example, the block shape sorter toy picture above. Your child will take a block, let’s say a cube, and try and push it through the circle-shaped hole in the box. Soon, they will realize it’s not going to fit, so they will try and push it through a different shaped hole in the box. Eventually, after several tries and several failed attempts, they will find the square shaped whole -success! You may not realize it, but this is essentially an algorithm - a set of instructions to figure out where the cube fits into the box.

The fundamental idea behind all algorithms and all coding is logical thinking

Now that you’ve seen that programming can be pretty simple to teach, here are some more fun ideas to get your toddlers thinking like a programmer:

Cooking with your child can teach them they way an algorithm works - it’s basically following a set of instructions. Each step of the recipe is like a line of code, and the chef (in this case, your child), is the computer carrying out each line of code. The output is your delicious cookies!

This great little toy is perfect for getting your child excited about coding. Each part of the caterpillar is like a block of code, and your child gets to decide what order to put the blocks in. Once they’re done, they can watch it dance away. This is great because it teaches them about sequencing and ordering code.

This is a great one to get your children excited about programming and STEM. Simone is a Swedish-American YouTuber and Inventor. Her videos delve into the design process - from coming up with an idea, planning the build, through to making and testing the final product. Some of her most recent inventions include turning a Tesla into a pick-up truck and a paper shredder that looks like a brain. Her videos are fun, colourful and exciting, and are likely to light a spark in your child’s imagination (and maybe even yours).

There are so many fun games, toys and YouTubers out there to teach children as young as three how to think like a programmer! Once they’re a bit older, if they’re still interested in coding and want to learn more, head over to our online camps and check out our Scratch courses. Scratch is a block programming language created by MIT, which is a great stepping stone to traditional programming languages like Python or JavaScript.

Image Credits in order:
Betty Crocker
Amazon
Business Insider

Author: Richa Lad