Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 7th grader Sadie from North Carolina! Her favorite subject in school is English because she loves reading books. She also loves drawing and playing with her little sister. Cool! Sadie recently spoke with us about her experience coding with Tynker.
How did you get introduced to Tynker?
I’ve been coding for maybe a little less than a year. I was introduced to Tynker for school in my first semester of sixth grade.
How did you learn to use Tynker?
I used a lot of the tutorials they had but I mostly remixed the projects in the community and I watched some videos online.
Have your coding skills improved since you started with Tynker?
Before Tynker I had never coded at all so they improved a lot.
How did you feel when your project was featured?
I was so excited. I went around and told everyone.
What’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
My favorite project is Blizzard, Episode One. I liked that one the best because of how I animated it and how I could use voice-over so she actually talked to them.
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
I get inspiration from my friends and family. And really when I’m playing with my friends, we all think of these ideas, and then I just create them with Tynker.
Why do you like to code?
I like to code because I really love drawing, and so like when I code I can bring my projects to life and they can be seen by more people.
What’s your favorite way to use code?
The repeat 10 block is the one I use when I make Blizzard speak so that’s my favorite one to use.
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
I usually show it to my sister, and then she judges if it’s good.
What are you planning to make next?
Well, I’m just starting on making episode three of the Blizzard Show but maybe like an animation with someone singing or something like that.
What’s the best thing about Tynker?
The best thing about Tynker is how you can see everyone’s projects. And like you can just see everyone’s personality by looking at their projects.
Do you think learning to code has prepared you for the future?
I think learning to code is everything in the future. I think it’s going to be a lot of technology so knowing how to code would be very important.
Do you think other kids should try coding?
Definitely, coding is so much fun. And just the feeling you feel after coding is amazing.
What advice would you give to kids starting with Tynker?
I would tell them not to give up. I made a lot of mistakes making the Blizzard Show, but I just feel like that taught me how to make it better.
Any idea of what you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be an animator or someone who makes graphic novels.
Bonus: What’s a fun fact about you?
I love animals. I just love all animals
Parent Questions
Sadie’s mother, Stephanie, spoke with us about her daughter learning to code with Tynker:
She gets really excited about it. And it’s like a self-confidence boost to see them [her projects] get published. When people like them, it’s got that positive reinforcement. And that was really important to us this past year because Sadie did virtual school through our school district.
So coding was really cool because our teacher introduced it. It was really nice to find something that she could take, like her books that she’s written and her characters that she’s drawn or created with clay, and then I guess animate is the right word, you know to put that in there.
And we recently moved and one of the high schools in our new district is strictly an arts and coding school. Like that’s their emphasis. Yeah, so we were really excited about that. That’s perfect for Sadie.
What benefits do you think coding has for her?
I think it’s really good for math. Also, just the way coding progresses is similar to how math progresses. So it kind of helps reinforce. But then also just the self-esteem and independence and being able to do things on her own is really cool too.
Do you feel that Sadie is better prepared for the future?
Absolutely. My husband’s in IT. And so he’s super excited that she likes coding. I think it’s important. Everything is turning into some type of technology so getting someone that’s in middle school interested is really important.
How do you support her coding endeavors?
Well, we took away screen time limits because it’s like her own hobby now, but she’s learning while she’s doing it, which is a win-win.
What do you think of Tynker?
I really like Tynker. We didn’t even know about it until her coding class so that was a good something new, and it got her interested. And it was, you know, although there were mistakes at the beginning, it was easy for her to learn and to continue on and kind of learn something new each time. So that was really cool.
Thank you!
We want to thank Sadie and her mother for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what she creates next – HAPPY CODING!
