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At-Home Coding Camp, No Computer Required

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We hear so much about how important it is for kids to know how to code, or at least to understand the way computer code works. Even for kids who won’t go into computer programming as a career, the world is increasingly reliant on technology, and being able to understand what makes it all work will always be helpful.

But if you’re not a coder yourself it can be difficult to know where to being or how to teach kids about something you might not completely understand yourself.

iGameMom is coming to the rescue with her at-home coding camp. The five-day series of activities is suited to kids ages 5 to 10 and involves printable games and activities — no computer required (future camps will use computers to teach hands-on coding principles.)

The first day, for instances, uses a printable game where kids have to work out the code to get a hot dog to a bun. The game helps to illustrate the skills someone needs to be a good programmer, including the ability to work backward from the goal and see the steps that need to happen in between and being willing to try again when something doesn’t work the first time.

This looks like a lot of fun and an easy way to introduce some coding concepts without going over your head. You just might learn something, too.

Looking for more ways to teach binary coding? Check out these binary Code resources.

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Comments

  1. Hi thanks for sharing my coding camp idea and link to my post. However, I’d appreciate you use your own image, instead of my original image. Thanks,
    Beth (iGameMom

Have you read?

Reflecting on the Past Year with Kids

I’m in deep denial about the fact that new year is almost upon us again! It’s been the fastest and the longest year at the same time, and I can look back and see some good things as well as some things I wish had gone differently.

Doing a year in review with your kids — whether in the classroom or at home — is a good way to capture some of their memories and the things they really liked about the year gone by.

There are a lot of different printable year in review worksheets you can use if you want to make this super easy. Here are links to a few (often part of larger posts about NYE celebrations with kids that are worth a read, too):

  • Teach Beside Me has lots of fun printables fro the end of the year, including a year in review that covers favorite memory, funniest memory and the best book they read, among other topics.
  • NurtureStore‘s version has space for a self-portrait and prompts like favorite toy, best day out this year and future dream job.
  • Remember favorites, their “best idea” of the year and have room for setting goals for next year with this one from The Keele Deal.
  • The year in review from Yes We Made This has room for drawing or writing and includes things like something they learned, a memory they made and a place they visited.

Of course you could pretty easily make your own year in review for the whole family to do that asks questions based on what you most want to remember. (Favorite video game? Best friend? Favorite family memory?)

And if after the year in review you’re ready to look ahead a bit, Mrs. Merry has new year’s resolution printables to inspired kids to look ahead and set goals for things they want to try. You can totally fill this one out as a grownup, too.

[Photo: Mrs. Merry]

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