Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 3rd grader Cillian from California! He likes to doodle and draw different characters and superheroes. Cillian recently spoke with us about his experience coding with Tynker:
How did you get introduced to Tynker?
I would say maybe a year I’ve been coding for. I was trying to get good coding apps and then I found Tynker which was one of the best ones I could find.
How did you learn to use Tynker?
I use tutorials to guess the end. I also use a lot of community projects to learn stuff. That’s mostly how I learned stuff.
How have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
Definitely movement has improved, like animation.
How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured?
I felt great. I saw that little badge and I was like what’s that, and I clicked on it.
What’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
If I could choose from an unpublished one, I’d say the one I’m working on. If I could choose from one that’s been published, I would say this is a tricky one. I have so many. My most featured one. Avengers Endgame!
Where did you get the idea for your project? How long did it take you to make?
I got the idea from the movie and maybe like a day!
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
Most of the time from my favorite coders, so I use them as inspiration!
Why do you like to code?
It’s just really fun and I like learning from it, too.
What’s your favorite way to use code?
I would say all kinds of ways to convey your story.
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
I usually check it, double-check it, like keep on checking it. And then, like publish it and then make sure there’s no bugs.
What are you planning to make next?
Super Mario!
What’s the best thing about Tynker?
The best thing is there’s so many things you can do with it. You don’t have to make games. You don’t have to make music. There’s so many possibilities!
Is there anything we should change or add to Tynker?
I really can’t think of anything because it’s so good!
Do you think learning to code has prepared you for the future?
I think it’s prepared me for, of course, school because you first use Scratch and then you go to Tynker.
Do you think other kids should try coding?
Definitely, yeah, it’s a really fun experience, and then it’s like a reward at the end because we get to play it!
What advice would you give to kids starting with Tynker?
Just make it. If you have fun. Anybody else most likely will have fun. And if one thing goes wrong, and it’s just frustrating, you should warm up to making a simple project, and then you can make the big project.
What’s your favorite subject in school?
Science because the projects are always really cool.
Bonus: What’s a fun fact about you?
My favorite animals are kangaroos and pandas!
Parent Questions
Cillian’s dad, Ryan, spoke with us about his son learning to code with Tynker:
I think it’s great. I mean it makes me so proud, especially hearing him talk about it right now. You know, he can be shy in a lot of situations, and then it’s his opportunity right now to talk about Tynker. He’s quite verbose. It’s pretty great.
We know that he’s doing something constructive, you know, it’s not this big waste of time. He gets to see the fruits of his labor because there’s that gratification of having something he made. I think that’s my favorite thing about it.
How do you support his coding endeavors?
I would say we support him with genuine curiosity. He always wants to share the details about what he’s working on, trying to really be engaged and pay attention and understand what he’s doing and what he’s showing me. It’s a great creative outlet as you said, there’s an artistry to it.
As someone who works in the creative arts personally I appreciate that. It’s fostering and encouraging that aspect of their personalities. There’s really no shortage of ways that the skills he’s learning on Tynker can apply to other things down the road so I think it’s great.
What benefits do you think coding has for him?
That’s critical thinking skills, problem-solving. That applies to everything in life. And because he’s doing something that he enjoys and the end result is something he appreciates, it doesn’t bring the same kind of frustration that certain other types of problem-solving might. So, you know, it’s fun to see him having fun figuring out why something doesn’t work and then that satisfaction of getting it across the finish line.
Do you feel that he’s better prepared for the future?
Absolutely, I think it’s one of many tools that crystallize his identity and interests and figures out what he wants to pursue in life and who he wants to be. I think this is a generational thing, so I think it’s really cool that there’s so much access to these things and that they’re available to explore and learn about.
Thank you!
We want to thank Cillian and his dad for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what Cillian creates next – HAPPY CODING!
