Connor Codes to Answer His Own Questions!

Ten-year-old Connor discovered Tynker at a summer camp and loved it so much that he started coding at home! “Every chance he gets,” his mom told us, “he says, ‘Mom, can I do 5 minutes of Tynker?’” He’s been teaching himself to code and knows so much about Tynker that he even has favorite blocks – “Broadcast” and “Hide.”

Connor, who attends the 5th grade in Texas, enjoys coding, reading, playing video games, and acting in musicals! He loves making games but has also created some really cool animations, so we chatted with him to learn more about him as a person and as a programmer. His mom, Liz, told us that he was so excited when he found out he was going to be featured on our blog – and the excitement goes both ways!

What do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t know yet! I do think it’d be cool to be an engineer, though.

What’s your favorite subject in school? Reading. I like sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure!

How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured? I was quite surprised!  

How did you get introduced to Tynker? I went to a coding camp! I thought it would be too advanced but it was just right. They had a bunch of tablets and a Sphero, so we followed someone else’s example first and tried to code a basic game. Then we had a chance to code whatever we wanted, and people made some insane stuff! We got the Tynker app I’ve been coding ever since!

How do you get inspiration for your projects? I just think, “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” and then I make a project! The project that got featured started like that. I wondered, “What if a cowboy and a werewolf had a fight?”

Why do you like to code? It’s cool that you can make pretty much anything with coding!

What is your favorite project you’ve made so far? It’s not finished yet, it’s still in the making, but it’s called Werewolf Blaster 3.  

“werewolf blaster beta 2” – see more of Connor’s projects here

What do you do with a project when you’re done with it? I show it to my family, get their reactions, then just hit the publish button!

What’s your favorite feature in Tynker? I like the Broadcast and Hide blocks. My favorite part of Tynker would probably the community!  

Do you ever Tynker with your friends? Not really, because I’m the only one that knows how to code! My little brother knows how to use certain blocks, but I’m the one who went to coding camp.

How do you think learning coding now might help you in the future? I’ve heard that some teachers have Tynker in their classrooms, so maybe it’d help me there!

Do you think other kids should try coding? Yeah! I don’t think there are many educational things out there that involve working for half an hour after school to learn and that will let you make any sort of insane thing that you want!

What advice would you give for kids starting out with Tynker? I’d tell them to do the tutorials. Definitely go for one of the beginner projects. Get involved with movement and sound and anything else you’re interested in!

Connor’s mom Liz thinks it’s fantastic that Connor is learning to code! She told us, “He does online school, so in between classes I let him Tynker or read. Tynker is something that he’s stuck with.”

She continued sharing her experience as a Tynker parent, noting that, “He’s done some other coding programs, but there’s something about Tynker that’s just different – it’s more enjoyable, easier to figure out. He really likes figuring things out in Tynker.”

Connor’s projects have lots of fans, and invariably, his mom is one of them! Her favorite project that he’s made is called “Modern Road Trip.” She told us a bit about it, saying, “the sun is going up and you can read a book (you can even turn the page), play music, or do a trivia game. It was really well thought out and executed really well. It’s clever. I think he’s a really clever boy, but I’m a little biased.” We can’t wait to try it out!

When asked why learning to code is important, Liz made a great point about the predicted future, saying, “People say that technology is taking over a lot of jobs, but also at the same time there’s a high demand for people who write code.”

She continued with, “I think it’ll be really important in the future, in all fields. I read about the people in the New York Stock Exchange being replaced. People think so many jobs like that are disappearing, but for everyone that leaves, there are three people coding to replace them.”

It sounds like Connor has a lot of support from his parents, and a lot of drive to learn more and more coding! Thank you for speaking with us, Connor and Liz – we can’t wait to see what Connor codes next. Happy Tynkering!