Can you teach shapes and geometry with computer coding games? Today I am excited to share a new coding toy that I used to just do that. Teaching kids Coding has become a popular topic nowadays. We all know today’s kids will grow up into a new world that computers and robots are essential parts of life. Even if they don’t want to be a programmer to write computer codes, it is important to understand how programs and coding work… Read more

Computer coding involves many different knowledge and skills. Have you ever tried color mixing with coding with kids? On computers, a very common color coding system is the RGB color model. According to wikipedia, “the RGB color model is an additive color model in which red, green and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three additive primary colors, red, green… Read more

If you are going through our computer coding series, by now, you have learned the 5 crucial coding skills someone needs to be a good computer programmer. You also practiced the skills of decomposition and thinking from different perspectives. Today, we talk about debug, finding and fixing mistakes. Debugging skill is essentially problem-solving skill because you debug when the code is not working.No matter how good you are at programming, you will always run into situations that the code is… Read more

Thinking from a different perspective is a critical thinking skill that is essential for kids to learn computer coding. In fact, it is essential to many jobs. There are many ways to help kids develop the skill. Today we share a coding game we developed that can get you started on training kids the critical skill of thinking from a different perspective. Today’s game is an extension of the Hot Dog Coding Game. The story behind the game is the… Read more

How can coding game improve kids executive functions? As I mentioned in the article 5 Crucial Skills Kids Need for Computer Coding, breaking down a big task into smaller manageable pieces is an important skill for any coders and programmers. It is called decompose. An important aspect of executive function is organization skill to streamline and to finish a project. Many studies have found that kids who can’t finish projects on time are not lazy. Instead, they have poor executive… Read more

I used to write computer codes all the time. It was part of the job, although I had no formal programming training. I took an entry-level class from a local college, and after that I pretty much learned on the job. To my surprise, I became one of the best programmers in my group, and became a go-to person when someone needed help on program codes. I loved coding. I know it is important for today’s children to learn coding… Read more

I have introduced several apps teaching kids computer language and coding, including some free apps. Each app has pros and cons, and each app has its target users. Today I have another free coding app teaching kids coding. It is called Daisy the Dinosaur. It is designed by the same developer of Hopscotch, which is also a free app teaching kids coding. What are the differences between Daisy the Dinosaur and Hopscotch? First they both are very intuitive to use… Read more

A while ago, we did a color mixing with Arduino coding and electric circuit. That activity is designed for older kids who already have programming experience. Today we share a fun activity for kids who have no computer coding and electric circuit experience. Kids can use RGB color codes to color a picture drawn in Microsoft Word. This is a digital way to learn about colors. Kids learn basic coding concepts that computers talk in a special language “code”, we… Read more

Best coding learning websites and apps that are designed for kids! Computer coding is becoming a more and more essential skill for today’s kids. Even if they are not planning to become a computer programmer, it is important for them to know how computers work and be more comfortable when interacting with digital machines. I am glad to see many organizations recognize the need and developed fascinating tools teaching young children programming. Amazingly, many of these learning tools are free, some… Read more

Computer coding is essentially a language that computer uses. When we think about helping kids learn computer coding, we automatically think we need a computer first. But in fact, there are many ways to learn computer coding without a computer, as many thinking and coding approach can be learned in different activities off-screen. Today we share some off-screen activities that teach kids computer programming. Learn Computer Coding without a Computer Unplugged Activities for Computer Coding Skills One of the important… Read more

Learn computer programming with coding toys. What a fun idea! Have your kids started learning computer programming? Computer coding or programming is basically the language we use to talk to computers. Since computers will be an essential part of the future world our kids going to be in, it is important for today’s children to have fundamental knowledge of how to communicate with computers. For some very basic concepts, they can learn coding through cool activities without using a computer… Read more

This is our last Hot Dog Coding Game in the series. The focus of this game is to help kids understand when and why you need backward thinking, or thinking the end result before starting your coding project planning, or the design thinking process. In the previous coding games, the objective of the game is singular, just one objective. However, in real world projects, there are usually more than one objectives. Sometimes these objectives are even intertwined together. This is… Read more

We talked about how learning computer coding skills can improve kids’ executive functions, such as organization and staying on task. Decomposition is an important skill for a programmer, and it is also an important building block of executive function. We used a coding game to demonstrate how to break down tasks into smaller actionable steps. As an extension, we will showcase an example how to help kids practice decomposition using everyday life activities. All tasks have processes. With the Hot… Read more

Color mixing is always a fun activity for kids. Now adding computer coding and electronic engineering into the play, it will be more fun and more challenging. Today we share fun coding activities for kids to learn about colors and light. For kids who had some experience with coding and electrics, I highly recommend using Arduino and Breadboard. For kids who had no coding experience, I have recommendations for easier programs too. Learn Color Mixing with Computer Coding Using Arduino Arduino is a… Read more