Coding for kids

Syman

Coding is in the curriculum, so most primary aged children will encounter it.
Having run a code club in primary schools for all year groups from Yr1 to Yr6, Scratch is easy to pick up and can produce results quickly. in the hour sessions we had made a playable game. Scratch is based on python under the blocks I believe
https://scratch.mit.edu
Another good place to look is Hour of code. lots of step by step programming activities using various methods. Some of the activities tie into other franchises such as, Disney and Minecraft. IIRC you can also see the base code commands
https://code.org/
There are a few other places that i tapped into on occasion
https://www.tynker.com/
https://microbit.org/code/
https://www.kodugamelab.com/

Cornucopia

The advantage of HTML is that you can get started with it without needing any hardware or software (any PC/Mac will do).

There's also an excellent resource at https://www.w3schools.com/

It's very practical and visual, especially if combined with a few lines of CSS (which don't necessarily have to be understood to start with).  Alternatively, use a design framework like the very simple https://www.w3schools.com/w3css/default.asp which can enable very fast, good looking results and also provides easy implementations across different types of device.

Add Javascript to make the page(s) interactive.   The only disadvantage being that if the code is developed in-place as text files, not much feedback is given for errors.

(I have no connection with w3schools).  

mksysb

Neil_Jones said:

silly_moo said:

I think it may be a good idea to introduce my 8 year old to coding but I'm not sure how and where to start. I have decided on Scratch but now am reading Python may be a better option at that age, especially that my son has no imagination but he's very good at maths and anything requiring brain power.

Would you suggest we start with a book or is it better to book a course to start with? Would you recommend any courses/titles for complete beginners suitable for children?

My coding experience is limited to Pascal and Delphi I did years ago at school so know absolutely nothing about Python and won't really be able to help him. I was hoping this would be something he could work on on his own during the October break while I'm working.

Your child's school will almost certainly introduce him to coding (themselves or via Code Club) and it will almost certainly be through Scratch in the first instance.

There are a bunch of resources for the Code Club here you can work through, including some Python material (no dead parrots ):

https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/codeclub

A lot of the programming languages like Delphi were later developed into what's called Object-Orientated Programming languages (ie actual "proper" user interfaces - windows, menus, something you can physically see and interact with on the screen with your mouse - and Delphi is pretty much Pascal with that add-on.

HTML, the language of web pages, is always a good starting point too, since you come into (indirect) contact with it everyday on the internet.  What you're looking at now is built in HTML (with one or two underlying other technologies to help).

Think what you are refering to there are GUI Frameworks.  Object-Oriented Programming is different.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming

a

Cornucopia said:

The advantage of HTML is that you can get started with it without needing any hardware or software (any PC/Mac will do).

There's also an excellent resource at https://www.w3schools.com/

It's very practical and visual, especially if combined with a few lines of CSS (which don't necessarily have to be understood to start with).  Alternatively, use a design framework like the very simple https://www.w3schools.com/w3css/default.asp which can enable very fast, good looking results and also provides easy implementations across different types of device.

Add Javascript to make the page(s) interactive.   The only disadvantage being that if the code is developed in-place as text files, not much feedback is given for errors.

(I have no connection with w3schools).  

Comucopia, horses for courses, but think for most nothing is more soul sapping than html, but personally feel it is more joyful than machine code programming. C, VB, excel, and sql queries produce a faster typing input to output return, and one of my colleagues was blown away by Scratch and its programming speed vs useable output for his kid. 

Writing a piece of html code that is screen size dependant, effectively creating a rectangle, that can be very quirky and does not show exactly where the error is, and if yuou do not close tags the errors accumulate to produce weirder effects, plus you often need to integrate a second language - javascript. Then that page does not play equally well on all browsers, may not root kids to the spot in amazement and glee. Never heard a kid in a supermarket say "mommy, mommy I want to go home to write some HTML code" - just saying

Cornucopia

a said:

Comucopia, horses for courses, but think for most nothing is more soul sapping than html, but personally feel it is more joyful than machine code programming. C, VB, excel, and sql queries produce a faster typing input to output return, and one of my colleagues was blown away by Scratch and its programming speed vs useable output for his kid. 

My current project is HTML, CSS and Javascript running on a Microcontroller Web Server written in C++, and running a scripting language similar in structure to assembly language - but that works for the project concerned, and I still have my sanity. 

For a slightly older child, I probably would have suggested Arduino, which again has a lot of computing potential for very little cost.  

a said:

Writing a piece of html code that is screen size dependant, effectively creating a rectangle, that can be very quirky and does not show exactly where the error is, and if yuou do not close tags the errors accumulate to produce weirder effects, plus you often need to integrate a second language - javascript. Then that page does not play equally well on all browsers, may not root kids to the spot in amazement and glee. Never heard a kid in a supermarket say "mommy, mommy I want to go home to write some HTML code" - just saying

There are simple to use HTML syntax checkers out there.   Also, the design framework I suggested produces very nice results with a minimum of coding.  

Overall, I think the advantage from a parent's POV is zero cost of entry, and minimal need for parental technical knowledge.   The only software required to get started is a text editor.

I could see some kids being quite enthusiastic about creating their own webpage/website over the space of half-term week.    

onomatopoeia99

mksysb said:

Neil_Jones said:

silly_moo said:

I think it may be a good idea to introduce my 8 year old to coding but I'm not sure how and where to start. I have decided on Scratch but now am reading Python may be a better option at that age, especially that my son has no imagination but he's very good at maths and anything requiring brain power.

Would you suggest we start with a book or is it better to book a course to start with? Would you recommend any courses/titles for complete beginners suitable for children?

My coding experience is limited to Pascal and Delphi I did years ago at school so know absolutely nothing about Python and won't really be able to help him. I was hoping this would be something he could work on on his own during the October break while I'm working.

Your child's school will almost certainly introduce him to coding (themselves or via Code Club) and it will almost certainly be through Scratch in the first instance.

There are a bunch of resources for the Code Club here you can work through, including some Python material (no dead parrots ):

https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/codeclub

A lot of the programming languages like Delphi were later developed into what's called Object-Orientated Programming languages (ie actual "proper" user interfaces - windows, menus, something you can physically see and interact with on the screen with your mouse - and Delphi is pretty much Pascal with that add-on.

HTML, the language of web pages, is always a good starting point too, since you come into (indirect) contact with it everyday on the internet.  What you're looking at now is built in HTML (with one or two underlying other technologies to help).

Think what you are refering to there are GUI Frameworks.  Object-Oriented Programming is different.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming

I'm glad someone pointed that out, because while the post you quoted sounded authoritative, it was completely wrong.

rach_k

You'll probably find that he's been doing coding at school since Reception, although it's using things like 'bee bots' when they first start.

My kids have been using code.org and Scratch at school for years (they're Y5 and Y6 now).  My 9 year old loves coding and will happily sit and play on just the computer as there are tutorials on the websites, but she also likes the books we have, which guide her step by step.  She has some 'Little Coders' ones e.g. Code your own pirate/space/jungle adventure and Usborne Coding for Beginners: Using Scratch.  I think she has something to do with Star Wars somewhere, too.  Maybe have a look on Amazon for whatever interests him and see if there's a coding book related to it.  

silly_moo

rach_k said:

You'll probably find that he's been doing coding at school since Reception, although it's using things like 'bee bots' when they first start.

My kids have been using code.org and Scratch at school for years (they're Y5 and Y6 now).  My 9 year old loves coding and will happily sit and play on just the computer as there are tutorials on the websites, but she also likes the books we have, which guide her step by step.  She has some 'Little Coders' ones e.g. Code your own pirate/space/jungle adventure and Usborne Coding for Beginners: Using Scratch.  I think she has something to do with Star Wars somewhere, too.  Maybe have a look on Amazon for whatever interests him and see if there's a coding book related to it.  

I checked, he says he hasn't done any coding at school and parents of older children confirm no coding as far as they're aware ☹️We're in Scotland so this may be why. No IT specialist at school either.
Many thanks for your recommendations.

MrPea

I know this is an old post but The Code Zone runs coding clubs for children both online and in person, the Game Dev club has different levels to take children through scratch and python, and is generally a lot of fun!