You’re never too young to start to learn to code. Google says that this is something fun and useful for kids to learn and for parents to add to their lessons at home or in school. This practical computer science skill will help students be more creative and even bring relevance to other subjects they’re learning in school including history, literature, and current devices. Google is sharing some of the apps and devices that parents and kids can use to learn more about this extra skill.
For kids (and also adults) who are just beginning to code, there are four apps that they can start with. Cloud Stop Motion is something they can use to learn to create stop-motion animation and add things like sound effects, music, speech bubbles, etc to make their own animated movie. Grasshopper is a web app that teaches kids coding through games with JavaScript. Scratch Jr meanwhile is meant for younger wanna-be coders that will teach them coding through interactive stories and games. Even kids who are just learning to read can start to learn coding through the Tynker Jr app that teaches fundamentals through picture blocks.
For the more advanced coders, there are five apps that Google is recommending. Bloxels will help kids build video games with their own characters and art. Codeacademy has a lot of various courses in different subjects like web development, data science, Python, CSS, and Javascript. Piper Make is a drag-and-drop coding platform for Pico which is the microcontroller board from Raspberry Pi and kids can learn through narrative-based tutorials and projects. Replit is an online coding platform that can be for first-time coders as well as teachers and professional programmers. Tynker uses block-based coding challenges to give kids more complex coding skills.
Google is also recommending some devices for those who are looking for something their kids can work on. They mention the Lenovo 500e Gen 3 which works in laptop and tablet mode as well as the spill-resistant HP Chromebook x360 11 G4 EE and the Acer Chromebook Spin 512. Special mention is given to the Lenovo 300e Gen 3 as well as its 3:2 ratio is a good way to read and work on Docs and its Always Connected LTE function with dual cameras can help with coding projects.
Coding is a good way for kids to learn not just about computer science about other related subject matters especially if they have expressed interest in it before. Google has a lot of resources not just for learning but also for teaching for educators and parents. Visit the Code with Google page as well as the CS resources and Chromebook App Hub.
