Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 5th grader Bennett from Ohio! He likes to play baseball. And when he grows up, he wants to get into sports broadcast journalism. Bennett spoke with us about his experience coding with Tynker:
How did you get introduced to Tynker?
Last year, I had one other game that I kind of made that I liked, but I didn’t really start coding until fourth grade!
How did you learn to use Tynker?
I got pretty far in that Dragon’s course. And then when Crystal Clash was added, I used that. I used to love playing that!
Have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
I’ve kind of learned what each code bar does. I used to kind of just mess around and put a ton of blocks in and see what they did. And I’ve kind of learned what each coding block a line gets. So, I’m starting to get more of a sense of what to do with them and what to do with code lines!
How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured?
I was pretty excited. I’d actually just checked on it in the morning to see if it was actually published yet. I clicked on the badge, I was pretty excited! I’ve never had a project featured ever before!
What’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
Definitely that one that was featured I like a lot!
Where did you get the idea for your project?
I had started to see dogs with cats so I had an idea to make a clicker about it, and it took around three weeks. I had done it after school. I was pretty relieved to have finished it!
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
My friends sometimes like so many other projects or other funny pictures. So, that’s kind of where I get most inspiration from. Or, if I really think what I like, I’ll make something!
Why do you like to code?
I think it’s just fun to learn how to code, like the main functions have different scripts or stuff like that. I just think it can prepare you for bigger projects like once you learn you can make bigger projects off of it!
What’s your favorite way to use code?
I actually like the show dialog block!
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
I normally play it once, and then I have a friend play it, and then I’ll publish it!
What are you planning to make next?
Now that I know how to make clicker games, that’s kind of what I’ll try and do a lot more. I’m trying to learn like the physical blocks because a lot of games that have these physics blocks end up being really fun, but I’m trying to learn like what those physical blocks do. So, once I can learn how to do that I think I can make better projects!
What’s the best thing about Tynker?
I love how you can interact with other people. Playing Crystal Clash with friends or just getting to know other people!
Has learning to code prepared you for the future?
I just think it taught me how to accept the challenge. I think it will just prepare me for not giving up on learning how to code or anything.
Do you think other kids should try coding?
Yeah, it’s a good challenge to do that. And it can prepare you for many jobs or make more popular games that involve coding, so it can prepare you for many things!
What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker?
Not to give up. I would try the starter coding one and the Dragon’s one because that really teaches you what to use and when to use it!
What’s your favorite subject in school?
I like math, just kinda like playing games online and modeling them.
Bonus: What’s a fun fact about you?
I’m very energetic! I also have a twin!
Bennett’s mother, Kara, spoke with us about her son learning to code with Tynker:
It all seems a little foreign to me so it’s been pretty cool to watch him, just to watch the games happen. And then he’ll go to change something, and it’s just click click click, and then it happens and then, you know, he starts playing it again. And the change, it’s been really interesting to watch that kind of the behind the scenes.
How do you support Bennett’s coding endeavors?
I definitely support him in the sense that I think it’s a great thing to learn new things. It’s been fun to watch him, you know, not be so confident at first you know and not necessarily know what’s happening and then watch the projects grow and get more intricate and just be passionate about it and enjoy doing something that he’s taught really on his own by watching other things and learning. You know, so just encouraging, that is how we best support him, and really he’s taught us. You know it’s been fun to learn and understand what all of this means.
What benefits do you think coding has for him?
I think perseverance and, you know, just accepting those new challenges and being able to say okay I don’t understand this right now and figuring it out on his own, or being able to ask peers because he definitely can’t ask us. Just being able to understand those skills, to be able to figure things out on his own that maybe he didn’t know before.
Do you feel he’s better prepared for the future?
Absolutely. You know, I think it’s a technological future, and technology is so important. So, being able to understand this part of it, I think will definitely help him and serve him as he gets older. He has that kind of a mind that you know works well with this, and so I think it’s just expanded and definitely helped prepare him.
Thank you!
We want to thank Bennett and his mother for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what Bennett creates next – HAPPY CODING!
