Experienced Coder Merlin Shares His Knowledge!

Merlin is in 5th grade and enjoys gaming and playing outside. We asked him a few questions about how he started coding and what he likes to create.

What do you want to be when you grow up? A programmer.

How did you get introduced to coding? In 1st or 2nd grade, I started learning coding. It was kind of easy and I could make cool stuff. My parents are also kind of programmers.

Do your friends Tynker? Yes, I make projects and hang out with them and work on Tynker with them. I play around with Tynker at school and we get assigned a lesson every month or so.

Do you look at the Tynker community projects? Yeah, I look at the other Tynker community projects a lot because you don’t know what they are going to be.

What’s your favorite feature in Tynker? Probably variables.

What are you planning to make next? I’m planning to make something from Undertail, which is a game that I’m trying to recreate.

Do you think other kids should try coding? Yes, I think other kids should try coding because there are many opportunities to have with coding. You can basically do any job if you know coding.

What advice would you give for kids starting out with Tynker? Try to understand the blocks first before you actually do anything with them. I figured out how to use the blocks because Tynker I looked at other people’s projects to figure it out.

Merlin’s mom Yi-Ju programs a bit as well, and thinks coding is a “very, very useful skill” that will be “even more important in the future.” She told us, “I’m glad that it’s natural for him and he can pick it up fast.”

So are we! Yi-Ju and Merlin, thanks for speaking to us. We hope you continue to enjoy Tynker, Merlin, and we’re excited to see your recreation of Undertail.

Check out “Mayan Calendar,” an awesome animation that Merlin programmed in Tynker.