Coding for Kids
Our 2020 Summer Code Jam has come to an end (although the grand prize winner is still to be announced!). We’re so impressed with the tens of thousands of submissions from throughout the summer and so excited to talk to some of our winners about their awesome projects and experiences with Tynker!
Next up is Fatemah, a Week 6 Summer Code Jam winner! She’s 11 years old and loves to read and write stories, particularly comics which she says she gets a lot of information from. Fatemah is currently working on a comic about a city in the future that runs out of supplies, but with the help of their ancestors they find more!
When Fatemah grows up, she has aspirations to become a cardiovascular surgeon! She likes the heart and how it works! Her favorite subject in school is math because it just makes so much sense to her!
How did you get introduced to Tynker and how long have you been coding? I started coding when I was in second grade in school, but then I left until last year when the pandemic started. I got introduced to advanced coding in the 4th grade when I went to Lego Robotics. My team won the county competition and then we advanced to the state competition and I wasn’t able to go because we were traveling internationally so I gave the code to my teammates and we were so close to winning (3rd place)!
How did you learn how to use Tynker when you were first starting out? I did the Barbie tutorial and started Glitch Manor, but never finished it!
How have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker? A lot! It’s so much better than the first week! At first I didn’t quite understand AR, but now I do!
How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured? I felt really, really good!
What is your favorite project you’ve made so far and what do you like about it? My Week 6 one. I like how it has cars that you could move and all that, and also has sharks that you can also make sounds when you press them.
How do you get inspiration for your projects? Just from myself, my imagination!
Why do you like to code? It’s fun and you could do anything with it!
Do you have a favorite code block? The loops one, like repeat!
What’s the best thing about Tynker? I like how you can look at other people’s code, the competitions and all the lessons!
Is there anything we should change or add to Tynker? No, I like it the way it is!
How do you think learning to code has prepared you for the future? I think it can help me a little, I don’t know how with wanting to be a surgeon though.
Do you think other kids should try coding? Yes, it’s fun for your imagination that you can build anything!
What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker? They should keep going because at first nobody is the master of anything but if they keep practicing for a week or month, they could do a lot!
How did you come up with your code jam idea? Well, I like comics and so I just got the comic background and at first I was going to do a story, and when you click on them they talk, but then I just did it when you click them they make sound!
Have you done a Tynker Code Jam before? No, this is my first year!
How long did it take you to complete the project? About 15 – 20 minutes!
Did you have any interesting challenges that you had to figure out – like how to move legs or add the right music? At first I didn’t know how to put, when click play sound, because it was the first few weeks of me coding.
How did you feel when it was over – how excited were you, did you share it with friends or family? I felt good! Relieved!
Are you going to do other Tynker Code Jam Challenges? Yes, I did week 7 and 8 already!
Do you like to code and will you keep learning more about coding? Yes!
Fatemah’s older sister, Miriam, joined us to speak about her experience with Tynker and how it has helped Fatemah. “I was really happy for her when she won. She was the one that mostly introduced me to coding,” Miriam said. “She told me about the Summer Code Jam and I got motivated and I wanted to do it, so she’s the one that helped me start coding and everything.”
Miriam supports Fatemah by giving her ideas, telling her what she can do to improve, and says that it has helped her understand computers more and help solve any problems that they may encounter with a glitchy computer.
Miriam sees how Tynker benefits Fatemah, saying that she spends her time more wisely now and will be able to help others with coding if they need it. When asked if Fatemah is better prepared for the future, Miriam definitely feels like she is. “When she codes she does it independently. She doesn’t ask for help and she’s going to be independent in the future,” Miriam said, “so that totally helps her!”
We want to thank Fatemah and Miriam for taking the time to speak with us about their experience with Tynker! We’re looking forward to more projects from Fatemah in the future and want to congratulate her again for being a Week 6 Code Jam winner! Happy coding!
