When President Obama tells us we need to get our kids into coding, the only reply is: Yes We Can!
President Obama is saying it.** Bill Gates is saying it. And even Snoop Dogg is saying it!
Kids learn to learn how to code, and they need to learn young!
But how do you go about getting a five-year-old into coding? Luckily, there’s an app for that!
The Good Bits: The Foos: Hour of Code is an engaging, simple and fun app that teaches the basics of programming via a fun Pac-Man style game.
Set in a cute street scene, with really funny and sweet characters, the environment is immediately appealing. The music is fun, but not annoying, and the characters don’t talk, so no cheesy American accents to watch out for!
Using simple drag and drop commands kids ‘program’ the Foos to navigate their way around obstacles and collects stars and coins. The simplicity of the interface is what makes this app so excellent and what makes learning to code so easy.
When it comes down to it, coding is based around creating commands and solving problems – this app teaches this to kids in the simplest way possible.
The Not So Good Bits: We’re really hard pressed to say anything negative about a free app that’s been designed so well….seriously…still can’t think of anything…
We Love: While this app is advised for kids aged between 6 – 8 years, the interface is so simple and so intuitive, we think it could be suitable for kids as young as four.
Kids get immediate feedback on their coding, by seeing how the way that they dragged and dropped the command buttons made their character move – they know immediately if something doesn’t work.
What It Teaches: The app is based on curriculum from MIT and Exploring Computer Science at UCLA. Kids will learn pattern recognition, problem solving, sequencing, spatial visualization, algorithmic thinking, how to debug programs, loops and conditionals. Kids also become more persistent and creative in their pursuit of solutions.
Most Suitable Age Range: While the app is recommended for kids aged between 6 – 8 years, we think even a four year-old could have a go (with a little help) with the easier levels.
Tech Info: iOS and Android
How Much: FREE
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