Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 7th grader Joaquin from Virginia! His favorite subject in school is math because it comes easily to him. Awesome! Joaquin recently spoke with us about his experience coding with Tynker.
How did you get introduced to Tynker?
I’ve been coding for a few years, at least three years, or four. Yeah, it’s been a while.
How did you learn to use Tynker?
I first learned In school so I had a bit of practice beforehand and that really helped me get into it.
What are your favorite Tynker courses or tutorials?
I’m doing a little bit of web development here and there.
Have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
They’ve improved a ton. I barely knew anything when I started, but now I’m comfortable using it.
How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured?
I was really surprised. I did not expect it at all.
What’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
My most recent one. It’s called Ninja Balance. I like it because it was one of my first times using physics, and it was fun experimenting with physics.
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
Just things I see online or just around.
Why do you like to code?
It’s fun placing blocks and just seeing the difference that it can make in the game.
Do you have a favorite code block?
It might be the start physics block because that makes so many things possible.
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
I usually show it to my parents and see if they have any recommendations or changes I could make, and then I make the changes.
What are you planning to make next?
Definitely something with the physics block because that was a lot of fun, but we’ll see.
What’s the best thing about Tynker?
All the different blocks. It’s so simple and easy to use once you get used to it.
Is there anything that we should change or add to Tynker?
I don’t think so. It’s so much fun.
Has learning to code prepared you for the future?
Well, it opens a lot of job opportunities in the future. So I could be a programmer.
Do you think other kids should try coding?
It just teaches you a lot. You can learn a lot from coding.
What does it teach you?
Any time there’s a bug or something, and you have to solve it, that can prepare you for a lot.
What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker?
Just have fun because if you don’t have fun, then you won’t do it again.
Do you have any questions about Tynker?
Are there any new things coming to Tynker in the future?
We have a new artificial intelligence and machine learning course coming out that we’re really excited about.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I love dogs. I am bilingual. I speak Spanish.
What are your hobbies outside of school?
Well, I play guitar and I read a lot. And tennis.
Do you have an idea of what you want to be when you grow up?
I’m thinking some kind of engineer. Not 100% sure yet.
Parent Questions
We asked Joaquin’s mother, Sol, how she feels about her son learning to code with Tynker:
It’s really exciting. My husband and I are both in IT. So we know how many people we need to go into this field and how much it can give you, how much money, and how rewarding. And even if they don’t go into it, just problem-solving, how it opens your mind to approach a challenge.
So seeing him flourish, how he started and where he is now after so many years in Tynker, it’s been incredible. And coming from you guys, from a game perspective, not from mom and dad wishing something that they don’t want to do, so that’s a big, big thing for us.
What benefits do you think coding has for Joaquin?
Problem-solving is a huge one, just logical thinking, how to approach a problem, how to solve things by breaking it down into little pieces so that it doesn’t look so overwhelming. Critical thinking is just huge with coding, just perseverance, and just hang in there and stick with the problem. And eventually, if you work on it and don’t get frustrated, you figure it out.
Do you feel that he’s better prepared for the future?
Definitely, yes. So it’s been great. We parents love that he can do stuff on his own. I mean he goes and it’s self-explanatory. The steps are easy for him to follow on his own. So that’s a big, big win for Tynker, definitely.
Thank you!
We want to thank Joaquin and his mother for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what he creates next – HAPPY CODING!
