At-Home Coding Camp, No Computer Required

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.

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

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