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.

Leif Erikson Day is celebrated on Oct. 9, and it’s a great time to learn more about the Vikings and why we still remember Erikson all these years later.

If you don’t know about Leif Erikson (sometimes spelled Eriksson), he’s believed to have been born in Iceland, and is considered the first European to set foot on continental America, more than 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

123 Homeschool 4 Me has a printable mini book about Leif Erikson and the Vikings for kids to read and color. It talks about who the Vikings were, what kind of ships they used, how they got to America and more. It’s a good overview for younger kids to use.

A good unit study is available from Simple Living Creative Learning, which includes a page where kids can write what they know, what they want to learn and what they learned through the unit, as well as information on the Vikings, longships, helmets, clothing and more.

Get a printable Viking unit study with reading passages, comprehension questions and other activities aimed at grades 4-8 from Creative Classroom Core at Teachers Pay Teachers. (And see more Vikings content from TPT here.)

Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus has some great unit study ideas, too, including suggested books and videos. The post includes information about the Viking voyages, society, mythology and ships, as well as some vocabulary and a list of famous Vikings. While you’re over there also check out her free printable lapbook, which includes mini books on ships, a timeline, a Viking women coloring page, draw your own Vikings, geography, ancient runes and more.

Piqolo Kids has a lesson on Viking women with (available for purchase) worksheets about a day in the life of Viking women. Even if you don’t grab the printables there’s some good resources on that page and a link to a video on Viking women.

Learn how to draw a Viking ship with instructions from Drawing How to Draw, or grab Vikings coloring and labeling worksheets from Kids Puzzles and Games.

There’s a Leif Erikson Festival annually in Norway, Michigan, which you can learn more about here.

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