Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 6th grader David from Texas! He likes to draw and play video games. He also likes to learn math outside of school. Cool! David recently spoke with us about his experience coding with Tynker.
How did you get introduced to Tynker?
I got introduced to Tynker by my cousin, and I’ve been coding for four or three years.
What’s your favorite Tynker course?
My favorite course was Falling Trails because it taught me about physics.
Have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
It’s really improved and I started using it a lot. I started using math blocks and variables.
How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured?
I was surprised.
What’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
My favorite project is called Stickman Fight. I like it because I get to play it with my friends or family all the time.
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
I check out other people’s projects and try using their code and putting them all together.
Why do you like to code?
I like to code because I get to show them to everyone on Tynker.
Do you have a favorite code block?
My favorite code block would be the broadcast block because I use the block a lot.
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
I rewatch it a lot until I publish it.
What are you planning to make next?
I’m planning to make the Impossible Quiz, which is a 50 quiz, and it has a lot of twists to it.
What’s the best thing about Tynker?
The best thing about Tynker is how you get to show it to everyone and you get to do things like this.
Has learning to code prepared you for the future?
I think it has helped me a lot for the future because I want to make music and I think it’ll help.
Do you think other kids should try learning to code?
Yes, because you get to learn more and it also has helped me a little bit in school.
What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker?
Check out other people’s projects and try using their code to improve your code too.
Do you have an idea of what you want to be when you grow up?
I want to make music for games.
What’s your favorite subject in school?
Math because I think it’s easy and I like using it in my projects most of the time.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I like to play the viola and the piano.
Parent Questions
We asked David’s father, Ron, how he felt about his son learning to code with Tynker:
It’s been great because I’m also a software engineer and it’s a good way to teach some of the concepts I learned when I was a kid and how to experiment and how I enjoyed programming when I was a kid. And now he’s getting some of the learnings.
Do you think coding has benefits for him?
For one thing, he’s interested in learning more about music. It’s good physics, the things that he would learn. And the good thing is there’s the social component of it, that it actually brings out the community. And I think that’s what Tynker brings about, not just coding and learning, but also learning from others. And every developer that’s a good knows how to learn from others and how to build the community around.
Do you feel David is better prepared for the future?
I believe he’s prepared because it’s also not in the technical way, but also it prepares him to whenever you’re doing research, you’re publishing something online and Tynker requires you to cross reference your sources, some of the media, in order to get approved, there’s publishing. It’s just the same way as whenever you create an app in the app store, those kinds of things. It prepares you to have that thinking of knowing where to source your data, where to cross reference it. And I think it’s important.
Thank you!
We want to thank David and his father for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what he creates next – HAPPY CODING!
