The Best Coding Games for Kids

Best Coding Games For Kids

In this age, where our society heavily relies on technology, coding has become an essential piece of employment qualifications. And if you wish your children to have a successful career, then it is best to give it a quick running start.

Coding for children does not merely help improve their writing and mathematical skills because it also supplies them crucial abilities in life and, ultimately, in the workforce.

Why should we become aware of the significance of coding in our kids? There are several reasons for it, but the most crucial factor for that is, if they know how to code at a younger age, it significantly increases their chances of getting their dream job in the future.

Why is coding a vital skill to learn?

Knowing the basics of programming is a vital skill not only for adults but for children as well. Specifically, for the young ones, learning the fundamentals of coding in the early stages of life provides a massive benefit. 

One advantage of this skill is that when students are capable of creating simple websites and games, it will help them polish their logic, plans, and problem-solving skills. Besides, it also enables them to formulate ideas and show creativity in uncommon ways. That is why coding is indeed a useful tool for learning for children.

As we observe how the world develops, it is evident that coding is a highly essential skill to have. Why? Because there is a rising number of institutions that rely heavily on computer code, not just the sector in technology.

A student who knows how to code at an early age will possess an advantage in life. This advantage means more opportunities in employment waiting for them in the future. Regardless of which industry they will settle in, be it in the health sector, retail sector, finance sector, or others will never be a problem because our society currently revolves around technology.

So, if you have a child who spends a lot of time playing mobile games, why not incorporate coding into it? It is an excellent way for them to learn how to code while having fun at the same time. As kids expose themselves to technology, it will surely help them become a vital part of huge corporations as they grow up.

How can you teach your child to code?

This question is probably the first one an interested parent will ask. Well, many parents are as clueless when it comes to coding as the others, and that is particularly normal.

The most beneficial component of programming is that we can learn it at any period. Although the retention of various languages can be quite hard, especially for late adults, it can still turn out to be an excellent experience.

If you are going to ask about the most effective approach for your kids to learn to code, then the answer is for you to learn it with them.

You can stimulate interest in your children if they notice you doing the same.

So, if you become interested in coding and put in a little effort to learn it, chances are your children will follow.

To help you start, here are some top coding applications for kids.

Bee-Bot

Available on iOs and ANDROID

This app is available on Google Play and the App Store. The Bee-Bot floor robot inspired this coding application, which now enables the children to learn the fundamentals of programming at various levels quickly.

The little ones who learn to code may entirely use this application to enhance not their problem-solving skills alone, but also their programming skills. Bee-Bot has 12 levels encouraging progression in total. Each level is time-bound, and the quicker you complete the stage, the more stars you acquire.

It enables children to enhance their skills in directional languages together with programming through the various sequences of backward, forward, left, and right 90-degree turns in every level. 

The progression within this game will allow students to improve their knowledge and their problem-solving abilities through encountering difficult challenges throughout the various aspects of Bee-Bot.

Daisy the Dinosaur

available on all major platforms

This application is suitable for ages 5-8 and is free to download. Daisy the Dinosaur serves as an excellent foundation for programming or to assess your child’s curiosity in the topic. Kids can program Daisy and in the process, learn some fundamental practices of programming. 

Daisy the Dinosaur has a couple of sections for your students to explore, one is the free-play mode, and the other is challenge mode. 

In the free-play mode, juniors can explore with commands to see how Daisy will move as an outcome of their program. Meanwhile, in challenge mode, kids will challenge themselves to solve a presented problem.

They need to use the given commands to finish the challenge. Apply the smooth drag and drop symbols to make Daisy the Dinosaur move. This Gaming application sets the foundation for learning the fundamentals of programming.

The content in this application is not huge, but sufficient enough for a free app. 

Code Adventures: Coding Puzzles For Kids

available on ios and android

This remarkable app is ideal for ages 6 to 8 that concentrates on child-friendly computer coding puzzles.
This game features exciting puzzles while learning how to code, loveable characters, funny sounds, engaging visuals along with around 30 puzzle stages.

The main goal of this game of puzzles is to help Aurora go home by finishing the 30 stages of challenges. Also, this app works through different levels, which include the basics, functions, and repetitive control structures (conditional loops).

Students will have to set the commands into the correct order, which indicates a practice in sequencing ability. Besides, they will find the necessity to repeat the commands to help move the character around, as each movement hardly takes it one block in any direction.

The app slowly introduces different puzzle details such as ladders, movable bridges, flying platforms, and portals, which makes the programming even more enjoyable.

Children will solve tricky puzzles while learning how to code. It also grants an excellent opportunity for a family to bond together while stimulating the child’s curiosity in STEM subjects.

Kodable

avaialble on ios and android

This coding application cuts down computer science into the fundamental thoughts that children require to build a stable foundation in life. 

Kodable gives materials that concentrate on subjects ranging from communication and social-emotional knowledge to the real influence of computer science in the world.

This application hosts lessons for coding and games for children between 5 and 10. The main objective of Kodable is to assist elementary school educators in bringing programming basics into the classroom in the form of a game. 

While Kodable is indeed useful in the classroom setting, parents can also take advantage of this app to teach coding to their kids in an engaging and entertaining method. The design of the teaching guide of this app is so excellent that even people who have no experience in coding at all can also use it.

Kodable applies the sets of principles and processes of JavaScript, which makes it an outstanding source to learn to code for beginners. 

While this app focuses on younger ages, older children can take classes regarding JavaScript too. It will lead learners through the concepts of programming using various challenges and games, such as maneuvering a labyrinth. 

Kodable is one of the best apps for coding because it also enhances vital skills such as problem-solving abilities, social-emotional learning, decision-making abilities, communication skills, and a lot more.

ScratchJr

available on all mobile platforms and devices

This game is a free coding application for young children.  With the help of ScratchJr, kids ages 5 to 7 can program their games and stories. While having fun, children will develop their skills in problem-solving, project designing, and will be capable of expressing themselves creatively.

Students snap together blocks to help make the characters move, sing, dance, and jump. They can also modify the characters in the app using the paint editor, add their voice, and even add their photos, which can truly develop their imagination and creativity.

Furthermore, as children learn how to design projects and solve problems while playing the game, they can also enhance their abilities in sequencing, which is an essential factor throughout life.

To Conclude

A lot of people believe that teaching students to code is almost an impossible task, and they are correct. However, if you introduce yourself in these coding apps and by recognising the benefits of coding in your children, then you would probably change your mind.

Teaching the little ones how to code will truly be advantageous for them, particularly later in life. Not only that, learning how to code at an early age would grant them a skill that they can utilize throughout their lives, but it would also prepare them for several new careers that will arise. 

This effect is a result of the rising inclination of the current generation towards technology, which makes it more reasonable for every parent to introduce coding to their kids.

Free 57 page Christmas activity book for Elementary / Primary Teachers

Thanks for your support in 2018

2018 has almost passed us by, and without your support, by visiting this site it would have been a really tough year.

So the best way that we feel we can thank you is to give you a little present to get you through the Christmas season in the classroom.

There is plenty of different content here to keep your students engaged, and save your sanity as we wrap up 2018.

Download our 57 page Christmas Activity book COMPLETELY FREE HERE. Have a great Christmas and a happy new year.

Regards

Kev and Belinda

Teaching STEM and Digital Technologies ( Our First Book ) is now available

Available now: Teaching STEM & Digital Technologies

I am going to put in a shameless plug here for my first ever book. It has taken me over three years to complete outside of raising a family with my lovely wife and working full time.

It is available now in digital epub and Printable PDF format here and in hardcover via Amazon.

It has been getting rave reviews on TpT and I can strongly recommend it for all teachers.

Teaching STEM, Digital Technologies and Critical Thinking presents data literacy, coding, robotics, digital systems, critical and computational thinking in a structured manner teachers can understand and follow with ease.

This interactive DIGITAL and / or PRINT book provides teachers with the skills to navigate the information era with confidence.  Creating students who are...

• Technology creators; not just consumers.  Possessing an understanding of computer science, hardware, and software.

• Critical and Analytical Thinkers who can solve complex problems through researched and proven methods.

• Highly Data literate; and can collect, manipulate and organize data for varied audiences and purpose.

• Able to challenge technology when required, through an understanding of algorithms, data mining and digital citizenship.

Countries around the world are making these skills a compulsory part of the curriculum to provide students with the skills to think and do.  They understand that the industrial era has passed and we now require teachers and students with initiative, higher order thinking skills, and digital literacy skills. This book is aligned with the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum, United States Common Core and British Curriculum.

Now in its third edition, this book provides hundreds of visual examples of making STEM, Digital Technologies and Critical Thinking actionable tasks in your classroom.  It also provides case studies and context to the skills being taught so that you can talk the talk, and walk the walk in this space.

This book is an essential resource for not only specialists involved in learning technologies, but generalist teachers looking for new and engaging strategies to teach their students to problem solve, better integrate technology and build the skill set required to contribute to modern society.

About the Author:

Kevin Cummins is a lifelong learner and educator in the space of Digital Technologies and STEM.

Kevin has taught at primary, secondary and tertiary levels internationally  Currently, he works in Victoria, Australia as a Learning Technologies consultant with over sixty schools, presenting professional development to teachers and students on a regular basis.

Kevin has a Masters In Learning Technologies from the University of Melbourne and runs educational websites which are visited by millions of teachers annually on these topics.

Kevin is a teacher, husband, and father to three wonderful children and is actively trying to make a difference to our educational systems, curriculum and classrooms to provide genuine 21st-century teaching and learning opportunities that make a difference to student outcomes.

Teach your students the history of the internet

Many people alive today can’t remember a time before the internet; it can be easy to forget how recently the internet was closer to science fiction than reality. In a little over forty years, the internet has evolved from a small network to an almost infinite source of information available around the world -- and even in outer space.

This interactive website is a great opportunity to introduce students and teachers into the people, technology and events that led us to where we currently are in cyberspace.

Mathcracker: Free math help for students and teachers

Mathcracker.com is a cornucopia of math tools, calculators, solvers, and tutorials all in one
place that is a one-stop solution for the vast majority of math calculations and operations that
the student or professional needs to perform, whether for assignments, theses, reports, or
professional documents. The tools run the gamut from basic to advanced math calculations,
with 120 tools and growing. The solvers, graphing tools, and “math cracks”, which are
Mathcracker’s signature form of plain English tutorials, are all accessible from an easily
navigable menu bar with drop down menus. The number and high quality of the tools are
quite impressive, and all the tools are available for free!

To give an idea of the range of tools you can choose from, starting with the categories of
algebra, calculus, statistics, or probability calculators, you are then led to a variety of
calculators and solvers under the same category. You’ll find calculators for cross product, dot
product, permutation coefficient, factorial of a number, absolute value, algebraic expression,
angle conversion between degrees and radians, arithmetic sequences, area and volume of a
circle, cone, cube, and cylinder, and the list goes on and on. For probability and statistics,
you’ll find 11 pages of tools, including calculators for chi square test for goodness of fit,
Kruskal-Wallis test, Lamda coefficient, critical Chi square values, uniform probability
calculator, ANOVA, Cramer’s V, Z test, F test for the equality of two population variances,
relative risk, odds ratio, effect size Cohen’s d, binomial probability, and many more. There are
graphing tools for bar charts, box plots, functions, histograms, line charts, pie charts, scatter
plots, time series, and many more. To list all the tools here would take several pages, so the
recommended approach is just to go see for yourself.

Each tool comes with clear instructions on what it does, how to use it and what information to
enter. To use a calculator or solver, you enter the information you want into the appropriate
labeled form field boxes in the calculator. Each element of the calculator is labeled so you
know what information to enter and where to type it in. Upon pushing a bright yellow
“calculate” button, you are provided with the solution along with a brief explanation of the
background of the concept you are working with and how to interpret the result. If for any
reason you did not enter the right information or you are missing information, upon clicking

“calculate”, you will be presented with a message in red indicating to you what you are
missing so you can check your information. This is really helpful because sometimes
beginners or the less well-versed in math don’t necessarily know exactly what type of
information they need to solve a given problem, so the tool nudges you in the right direction.

To understand the background of the people who created this site, according to the designers
of the site, who include PhD’s with backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, engineering, and
education, the site emerged out of a desire to make math transparent and accessible to
people from many different backgrounds, including those with strong math skills as well as
those who are not so comfortable performing high level mathematics. Currently, the site is
used by students and professionals all over the world as a cornerstone math resource. They
have been linked to by major universities, teachers’ personal blogs, and included in
classroom curriculum.

The ease of use and completeness of the tools makes them compatible with the needs of a
wide variety of people and projects, and the solution and graphic outputs are of a high quality
and can be used in reports and for educational purposes. Far and away, this is an excellent
and advantageous resource for anyone who needs to perform calculus, algebra, statistics or
probability calculations for nearly any conceivable purpose, and can replace many of the
functionalities of other proprietary software programs.

https://mathcracker.com

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We're Doing It Wrong: 25 Ideas in Education That Just Don't Work―And How to Fix Them

David Michael Slater is a veteran middle and high school teacher who was named the City of Beaverton, Oregon’s Educator of the Year in 2012. He is also an acclaimed author of over 20 works of fiction for children, teens, and adults. His work for children includes the picture books Cheese Louise!, The Bored Book, The Boy & the Book and Hanukkah Harvie vs. Santa Claus; the early chapter book series, Mysterious Monsters; and the teen series, Forbidden Books. David's work for adults includes the comic-drama, Fun & Games, which the New York Journal of Books called “hilarious.” David teaches in Reno, Nevada, where he lives with his wife and son. 

David has written an insightful book about the 'Broken' American education system which is really worth a read.  As a result I have given the David the very rare opportunity to share some insights about himself and his great book below.  Please note that this is NOT a paid article.  We never receive payment for articles.

I’m not humble-bragging when I tell you that I’ve been stunned by the praise piling up for We’re Doing It Wrong: 25 Ideas in Education That Just Don’t Work – And How to Fix Them. I was hesitant to begin the project (my first work of nonfiction), unsure whether there was really any need for a collection of thoughts that, in my opinion, were 1) mostly common sense and 2) shared by many, if not most, teachers I’ve worked with over nearly twenty years. In other words, I feared wasting my time stating the obvious.

“It seems the obvious needed to be stated – and that our discussions about education could benefit from an injection of common sense.”

— David Michael Slater

Teachers who read early drafts of the book confirmed that they shared many of my opinions – but pointed out that no one ever asks for them. And it’s true: in all the endless chatter about public schools, the last people consulted on how they operate and might be improved are the people who actually work in them. Seeing their views and experiences working in an increasingly fraught environment reflected by a fellow teacher felt like a victory all by itself for many of the book’s first readers. It was equally exciting that a slew of educational gurus found the book worthy as well, experts who’ve read and written countless books on the subject.

But perhaps the best news is that WDIR has also been appealing to non-teachers. It’s been gratifying to hear from folks who are finding the book valuable in combating the chaos of misperceptions the general public has about public education. Everyone knows our schools have issues, but they really don’t know what they are. What they do know is that they’re tired of being told what to think about education by people with zero training in it – and who have never stepped foot in an actual classroom.

We’re Doing It Wrong is for everyone who wants to hear from people who spend every single day, year after year, in the classroom doing the hard work of teaching. It’s a conversation for them – for you I hope – and I’m humbled and honored to do my part in getting it started. If you’re interested, we’re continuing this critical dialogue at www.weredoingitwrong.com, where anyone with strong opinions about education are encouraged to share their thoughts.

ViralEd showcases excellent educational animations on YouTube

There is little doubt video is both the present and future of self paced learning, and this week I was contacted by an Australian teacher Chris Burgess who is taking this concept to new heights by creating his own animated high quality educational content at ViralEd. 

It is great to see innovative teachers who can speak the language of modern day teachers and students, and I commend him for this.  His animations and instruction are excellent.

I first and foremost highly recommend checking out ViralEd and subscribing as I know he is working on loads of great new content as we speak.

Below is a sample of the great content he is producing.  If you read on after the video I asked Chris to supply some background about ViralEd.  

So great stuff Chris, keep up the good work and don't forget to subscribe to his channel.

(The content below was written by Chris.) 

About ViralEd
We are a newly formed YouTube channel that creates both enjoyable and easy to understand animated videos that cover a variety of subjects. Unlike most channels our videos we are unique, being made up of teachers, we understand what is needed in the videos, meaning all videos are relevant. As a teacher, we found that videos to support content being taught were hard to come by and therefore this channel was created.
Channel Link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtdKQw0oZK1u5szxXr9MEA

Check out the videos at our channel the link is provided above. If you like the videos hit the like button, leave a comment on something you think can be improved or subscribe so you don’t miss out on any videos in the future.

Target Audience
If you’re a teacher, pre-service teacher or just someone who loves learning new things this channel is perfect for you. These videos will assist you in your classroom as a visual aid to back up the content being taught. This will therefore assist students in gaining a greater understanding. ‘

Future Aspirations
We currently produce 1 video a week, covering Science and Health and Physical Education topics. As the channel grows in popularity we have planned to cover a wider range of topics and work to producing more frequent videos. We are also working towards providing lesson plans that accompany the videos.