How Coding for Kids Fosters Development
Coding for kids has become a buzzword in children’s development today with research showing that coding games for kids help them learn essential developmental skills. Introducing coding as an activity for children provides them an opportunity to pick up multiple skills through a single coding activity/game, such as computational thinking, math and creative thinking.
One of the best ways to introduce children to coding is through engaging coding games. Parents can introduce their children to coding games to provide them an edge to excel in today’s technology driven environment. Coding has various benefits for children’s development, the most important of which are given here:
Promotes computational thinking and problem-solving
Coding is built around computational thinking which enables children to break down complex ideas into simple concepts. When children come across problems that seem difficult, they can break down the problem into components which can be solved, thus coming up with a solution to the initial problem as a whole. This is a useful skill that can be applied in real time across various instances in life.
Builds math skills
Children will need to use simple arithmetic to code successfully. This will help with their math skills, and serves as a foundation for future education. This is because coding will involve iterative sequences which will require basic math to complete the code and the place the same within a program.
Enhances creative thinking
Coding brings out creative thinking in children as it teaches them to look at a problem from different perspectives. Such out-of-the-box thinking is useful for children to solve problems in real-time.
Sets up children for career success
Providing children with coding based games gets them accustomed to the logic behind how present day technology works. Practice with coding will serve as a foundation for coding in the future and making programming easier later on in computer science.
Builds Persistence
If the coding task at hand is engaging enough, children will learn the significance of persistence in solving a problem through trial and error without being discouraged by initial failed attempts.
Coding Games for Children
Coding for kids is usually centered around interesting gameplay to raise interest in children to code and complete game objectives. Parents can swap children’s passive screen time with fun kid games for kids and activities such as interactive coding games which engage and educate them.
Osmo Coding Family is a prime example of creative games for coding which promote logical thinking and problem solving skills in children. Osmo Coding Awbie game has children hunting for strawberries as the online character Awbie. Physical game pieces allow children to experience essential hands-on play, while the interactive digital media keeps the children engaged, learning more.
Children with an artistic bent of mind can learn from Osmo Coding Jam composing music with peers or animated characters. While children will learn how to use melody and rhythm to generate musical compositions, it also encourages them to use math creatively.
In Coding Duo children can code using two characters Mo and Awbie at the same time to hunt for strawberries. Children will learn to share and collaborate while playing Coding Duo with others. Since both characters will occupy space in the same map, the complexity of motion for both characters increases, requiring the children playing to communicate and coordinate with each other.
The fundamentals of coding can provide children with transferable skill sets which are applicable across various situations in life. When you use the right learning games for kids, they are bound to grasp the concepts of coding leading to more opportunities as an individual in life and as a professional in the future.
