5 Tips to Teach Your Kids to Code From the Futurist

5 Tips to Teach Your Kids to Code From the Futurist

Looking to teach your kids how to code? The world is different than it was just a few short decades ago.

Looking to teach your kids how to code? The world is different than it was just a few short decades ago. Coding is an essential skill that can help children boost their cognitive abilities and overall successful integration into modern life. Therefore, while you should definitely help your children develop reading and math skills, it is also vital to boost their coding potential from an early age. Here are five tips designed to teach kids to code from the Futurist.

1. Appreciate the Benefits of Coding

Coding does much more than just help youngsters learn to create computer programs. Coding has been proven to help young children develop analytical thinking skills. It also helps boost problem-solving skills and logical thinking. In addition, children who learn coding alongside others often learn valuable interpersonal and teamwork skills.

2. Learn to Code Yourself

One of the best ways to make coding interesting to children of all ages is to learn to code yourself. Children pay close attention to what their parents are doing, even if they may act like they don't care. Therefore, if they see you playing with coding kits, coding programs, or experimenting with code-based toys, they will likely want to get in on the fun. As a bonus, this also creates a natural way for parents to interact with children through child-led play.

3. Make Coding Fun

Coding doesn't have to mean sitting in front of a computer staring at keys for hours. These days there are hundreds of coding toys, coding books, coding games, etc., to help make coding fun. When children see the instant ramifications of their coding work, they are encouraged to keep going to build more intricate and challenging code. 

4. Purchase a DIY Coding Kit

4. Purchase a DIY Coding Kit

Not sure where to start? Coding kits are a great starting point for older children who are just getting exposed to code. The Futurist offers a DIY Coding Kit for Ages 9-12 that lets kids use code to create a piano out of bananas while learning the fundamentals of computer programming. Both advanced and beginners can work their way through the kit. The kit includes a mobile app along with a hardware kit.

5. Look Into CodeSpark Academy Sibling Bundles

5. Look Into CodeSpark Academy Sibling Bundles

If you have more than one child in your home, then it may be worth it to look into the CodeSpark Academy Sibling Bundle. A special trial is available for three months, so you can explore the bundle to see if it is the right fit for your family. The app is designed for children between the ages of four and nine and teaches everything from the foundations of coding to intricate coding tasks. Some of the coding tasks included in the app include loops, sequencing, conditional sequencing, and more. Each app offers unlimited access to coding challenges, puzzles, games, and more. The sibling package allows for up to three profiles and is completely ad-free with no in-game purchases.

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