Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 7th grader Khurziya from Connecticut! When she grows up, she wants to be a neurosurgeon. Awesome! Meanwhile, she likes to read, rollerblade, swim, and of course code. Khurziya recently spoke with us about her experience coding with Tynker.
How did you get introduced to Tynker?
I’ve been coding since I was six. Eventually, I just wanted to look for different programs I could use so I did a quick search and I found Tynker. I’m enjoying my experience.
How did you learn how to use Tynker?
I really liked the AR course because I didn’t really know anything about that so I started out with that one.
Have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
With Tynker you have a lot of like options for what you can make and which blocks you can use. And so you have the Featured Maker Program and the Summer Code Jam. So I really got good at coding during Summer Code Jam because I was trying to win.
How did you feel when your project was featured?
I got an email when my dad got an email saying that I was a Featured Maker. Then I read it, and I literally ran around the house jumping up and down.
What’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
I like my Rainbow Umbrella project because that got 20,000 views. And it was really easy and simple but satisfying at the same time.
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
Sometimes I just make projects I want to do, and other times I do projects for special occasions for my family and friends.
Why do you like to code?
Coding is important for the future because everything’s going to become tech.
What’s your favorite way to use code?
I guess I like to repeat or forever block because you can make something and then just repeat it, on and on and on.
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
I look it over and play the project a few times, like read through each of the lines and see if anything seems off, like if it’s not showing up in the game. And then if it’s all good, I publish it depending on the project
What are you planning to make next?
Maybe like an avatar builder or like a dress-up game.
What’s the best thing about Tynker?
What I like is that it’s free, like the basic program is free. So it’s easily accessible to everyone.
Has learning to code prepared you for the future?
Yeah, like I said before, I feel like everything in the future is going to be like, techie. So learning to code is going to be really important. And also, for a lot of careers, you’re going to need code.
Do you think other kids should try coding?
Yeah, definitely. It’s educational, fun, and a way to express your feelings sometimes.
What advice would you give to kids starting with Tynker?
I would search tutorials. Use the courses that Tynker provides..
What’s your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject is math because you can solve any equation just using a set of algorithms with formulas. It’s kind of like coding.
Bonus: What’s a fun fact about you?
I was born in Uzbekistan, and I skipped fourth grade.
Parent Questions
Khurziya’s mother, Elnara, spoke with us about her daughter learning how to code with Tynker:
Well, I’d say that it’s amazing, amazing in the pure sense of this word. I’m a PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering so now I am in the process of searching for jobs and wherever I apply, they ask for Python, MATLAB, and all that stuff. Khurziya naturally delved into this coding environment since she was like six and now I can tell her that yeah, this is a future.
What benefits do you think coding has for her?
Well, I think the future is going to be about data, information analysis, whether it’s in medical science, political science, social science, or engineering; lots of data everywhere, whether it’s water resources, water quality, and air quality. Analyzing data definitely requires lots of coding, lots of good technical solutions are going to come up based on the data analysis that will be implemented through the coding.
Do you feel that she’s better prepared for the future?
I believe so. And as a parent, we definitely sort of guide them in this field, in this direction, saying that this is where the future is going to be. So coding is definitely a good hard skill that kids should possess.
How do you support Khurziya’s coding endeavors?
We support both of them by signing up to these free resources, but also we try to create the environment in a family where they can freely work, so we try to create the scheduling, this suitable environment for them.
Thank you!
We want to thank Khurziya and her mother for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what she creates next – HAPPY CODING!
