Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker and Coding Cup Winner, 9-year-old Arnav from Tennessee! When he grows up he’d like to be a computer scientist focusing on space. Cool! Arnav recently spoke with us about his experience coding with Tynker.
What do you like to do outside of school?
I like to code. I also wrestle. And I also do karate. I also dance sometimes.
That’s fantastic. What’s your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject right now is social studies because it’s just so interesting, how the Patriots fought off the British and how and why that happened. It’s just interesting.
That’s a great favorite subject. Did you like the Coding Cup?
Yeah, it was awesome. So in the first round, we were just starting to get used to it and figuring out how to do it. And then the second and third round was easy because we got a hang of it and could do it.
What was your favorite thing about the Coding Cup?
My favorite thing is when the striker hits the ball really hard. It goes super fast. And then there’s an animation where the goalie tries to jump up but fails.
Very nice. What did your team look like?
It was a red and green shirt with a soccer ball. It has eyes, a nose, a flame on its right cheek, and a mini-soccer ball on its left cheek, and then it has a smirk going this way.
Cool. What was your team name?
Our team name was Awesome Avi STRIKES F.C. 2.0.
Very nice. So how long did it take for your team to get on the leaderboard?
I gained from like 7000 all the way to like 300.
Wow. You went up the ranks really fast. What was your favorite code block that you used?
My favorite code block. . . I think Shoot because you always get so excited.
Do you think other kids should play Coding Cup?
Oh yeah. It’s easy, so even beginners can climb their way up. And there’s a good set of guidelines, like that training stuff. And it’s also super fun when you play the matches. Also super tense.
For sure. So how did you get introduced to Tynker?
I was introduced by my dad who searched up it and then got a lifetime membership. I started coding around kindergarten.
How did you learn to use Tynker?
Space Cadet, yeah, and Dragon Spells. I completed that like two times.
Have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
So I began to understand more code blocks. Before Tynker, there wasn’t that much variety in the code blocks I used. Now I use way more, and in the Coding Cup.
How did you feel when you found out that you were a featured maker?
Oh, I felt awesome. Now I know that even kids can get interviewed for special things. And when my dad told me, I was super psyched, jumping up and down.
That’s great. So what’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
Oh, that’s hard. I’ve made over 200 projects.
So how do you get inspiration for your projects?
Mostly, I followed all the courses, and based on the courses, I made the projects.
What a wonderful way to use what you’re learning and build off of that. So why do you like to code?
I like to code because it’s an algorithm of certain blocks or things which you make a computer do. And you can make a computer just say, “Hello, world.” Or you can make a computer do a dance project, or make it draw whatever you say if you have that much skill. Computers have software, which is basically code, a lot of code.
You’re right. The possibilities are endless. What is your favorite way to use code? I like to use code to make web pages and also make cool projects.
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
First, I publish it, then I play it, then I debug it. Then I start a new project. And sometimes I come back and play that again.
Here’s a gif of Arnav’s project:
That’s a great system. What are you planning to make next?
Probably more web pages, maybe even featuring some of my projects from Tynker.
That would be nice. What’s the best thing about Tynker?
The best thing is that there are so many possibilities that you can do. Suppose if you want to do something really hard. Then you could do some text coding. But if you want to start off easy, do the beginner thing, and start from the basics. It has all the levels from the beginning all the way up to hard.
Do you think learning to code has prepared you for the future?
Well, I think that it will impact my job and also send me to a really good college so I get a really good job and someday, be famous.
That’s great, Arnav. Do you think other kids should try coding?
Yeah, it’s fun, and it’s a good skill to have. Some people who really like video games, they could just make some video games, then play it a lot. And then make another video game, play it a lot.
Absolutely. What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker?
Go from the basics. Don’t start with something really hard or make something really advanced. Start with something basic. And then go up slowly, slowly, slowly until you’re ready to get to the harder stuff. And maybe do the Coding Cup and try to get first place if you’re that skilled.
Parent Questions
Arnov’s parents spoke with us about their son learning to code with Tynker:
Mother: I was surprised how he picked up things. And he is very calculative, which I am not, so it’s good for him to do more math and coding together. But we never thought that he would do coding that early. So I was so glad that we could find something that complements how his brain works. The best part is that he has really been enjoying it.
What benefits do you think coding has for Arnav?
Father: I think he feels accomplished. Earlier, he was feeling like he is bored with academics because they were not stimulating. I think he needs constant challenges. And once he does something, a good project, something like that, he feels very accomplished. I think that’s a very important component for him.
Mother: Yeah, I think that’s the most important thing. And I also feel that it provides him with an activity that is a mix of fun and learning. So coding is a fun activity. It’s almost like playing a video game. At least he thinks so; he equates it with playing video games. And he feels that if a kid is enjoying playing video games, it’s better to code, create his own.
Father: Yeah. This is what we’ve tried to do. A lot of kids play video game. And he wanted to play video games, too. So we said, “Why don’t you code and build your own games?” And Tynker had those games.
Mother: I also think that coding is a skill that’s learned constantly and gradually. It goes to your brain, and your brain starts thinking in a very different logical way. And that is much more important, the ability to be able to think in a multidimensional way. We feel very good that he has been given the opportunity to learn coding at an early age.
Do you feel that Arnaz is better prepared for the future?
Father: I think so. I’m confident.
Mother: Especially when he talks about going to NASA to be a space research scientist or something like that. We think that he will have options to choose from. He will have a good skill set so that he can be whatever he wants to be.
That’s really good. How do you support his coding endeavors?
Father: Initially, when he was interested in coding, we looked at the platform where he could learn. I was looking at the options, and Tynker was not expensive. It was a lifetime membership. And I showed it to him, and he immediately started feeling like this is the way to go.
What do you think of Tynker?
Father: Well, I have seen all the exercises. I think he was very much involved in creating avatars or those artwork graphics. I think it is really very good because it gives him more dimension, how you create the layout of any application. And honestly, I did not know that myself, how these things work, how you create the background, how you bring characters, how you dress those characters, too. So I like the way Tynker is organized.
Mother: Yeah. What I like about it is that the platform engages with the kids in a fun way, so. All those reward systems and a lot of those things, they’re really fun, like the certificates.
That’s fantastic. I’m so glad. We really want to make it encouraging for the students.
Father: Arnav said, “I want to learn Python.” I said, “It’s not for you because you are a very small kid.” So he asked me what a Jupyter Notebook is. So he googled it, and I did not know there was a platform where you can do it browser based. So he started copying and pasting codes, and they were working. So he brought it to me, and I was so surprised to see that. And then I said, “Okay, you can actually copy, paste some codes.” And he did very well with those complicated codes, doing some animations, and whatnot. So I mean, that surprised me that day.
That’s a great story. It has been such a pleasure meeting all of you. You’re such a great family. And I really enjoyed my time with you.
Father: Oh, the pleasure is ours. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Those are all the questions I have. You all did a great job. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker.
We can’t wait to see what he creates next – HAPPY CODING!
