Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker and Code Jam winner, 12-year-old Gia from Massachusetts! Gia likes to paint, dance ballet and code. Super! Gia recently spoke with us about her experience coding with Tynker.
Do you have an idea of what you want to be when you grow up?
When I grow up, I want to be a teacher and teach things like coding and maybe art. And I also want to do graphic design. So it’s still kind of like coding. Things like that where I can design things.
What’s your favorite subject in school and why?
I like English because I like reading and writing, and it’s just fun to learn different things. And I like grammar because it helps me with my writing. So that’s why I like English.
What was your favorite thing about doing the Code Jam?
My favorite part was making the projects because it was fun and exciting. And I got to be very creative.
How did you feel when you found out that your project had been featured, that it had been number one?
I was really excited and proud of myself. And well, I had worked hard on my project, so I was just happy to know that all my hard work had paid off. I was screaming when I saw the email.
What is your favorite project you’ve made so far? What do you like about it?
My favorite is the one that I entered in the Code Jam because I think it’s the most complicated one I’ve made and it’s the most creative, and it’s now the most special to me too,
How did you get introduced to Tynker, and how long have you been coding?
I got introduced to Tynker from school and I think coding for maybe three years, four.
How did you learn to use Tynker when you were first starting out? What were some of your favorite Tynker courses or tutorials?
I started with the tutorials Falling Trails and Spin Draw. Then I got ideas to make my own project. So I just started from scratch and did that. When I got an idea, I just started creating it, and then I started adding onto it until I thought it was finished and that it was complete.
How have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
I’ve learned new functions and how to do different things and make my coding more complicated. So I think I’ve really improved since when I first started coding.
How did you get inspiration for your projects?
I get inspiration for my projects from things I see or just sometimes ideas I get in my mind and I create them.
Why do you like to code?
I like coding because it’s fun and I can express all sorts of things. I could tell a story or I could make a game or just something that pops up in my mind and I think will be a good coding project.
What is your favorite way to use code? Do you have a favorite code block?
My favorite code block is probably the one that changes the costume because I can make an animation and make the actors move or change colors or do different things. And I also like the glide code block because I can make the actors move quickly and smoothly without anything getting in the way.
What do you do with the project when you’re done with it? Do you debug it, show it to someone, publish it?
Well, first, I make sure that there aren’t any problems or bugs or glitches, then I show it to my parents. And the first project I actually published was the one that I entered the Jam with.
So what are you planning to make next? Do you know?
Well, I started this project with this bunny that I drew using the Tynker drawing tool. And I think I’m going to make the bunny do things like hopping, maybe make it a pet game. I’m not quite sure. But it was just an idea my mom helped me come up with. So that’s what I’m doing next.
Is there anything we should change about or add to Tynker?
I really like Tynker the way it is. So I wouldn’t want anything to change about it because it’s easy to use, but you still learn and you can always go to a higher level of coding. So it’s just fun to use and learn about coding.
How do you think learning to code has prepared you for your future?
Well, since I want to do graphic design and teach coding when I grow up, I think it’s prepared me for that. And I also think if I ever wanted to do something else with coding, like design a game or something, it would help a lot. And I could just do all sorts of things.
Do you think other kids should try coding? Why is that?
Definitely. Because it’s lots of fun, and even though sometimes it’s frustrating or it gets a little tricky, you can always learn more and practice. And there’s no reason to get upset because it’s a fun way to create things and you can always fix your mistakes and keep trying.
What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker?
Not to worry too much about jumping all the way to the hard coding right away, because first, when I started coding, I just learned basics and then I started building up from that and started learning different functions and more complex things.
Gia’s mom spoke with us about Gia learning to code.
How does it feel to see the projects that she is making?
Oh, I love it. It’s amazing to see what she can do with technology. I’m versed in computers but not in coding at all. So it is very mesmerizing to me to see how she can do all these animations and come up with these great ideas on her. On her project, she did the snowflake, the snowman, the Christmas tree. All these things she did on her own. She drew it from her own mind and put it in there and it was original art for her, not getting stock images or any well, there were a few ready- made images, but a lot of the stuff was her own art. So it brings this creativity in her that I have been nurturing for so many years, but with paint and brushes, not on a computer. So I’m just amazed how much she has grown and how much she has learned.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what Gia creates next – HAPPY CODING!
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