Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 14-year-old Rylee from Pennsylvania! Rylee likes to swim in her new pool, but the fun doesn’t stop once she goes indoors because she also likes to code! Rylee talked with us about her experience coding with Tynker and being a Tynker Code Jam winner!
How did you get introduced to Tynker?
Mom showed me Tynker!
How did you first learn to use Tynker? What are your favorite Tynker courses or tutorials?
I started at beginner levels. I first used tutorials like, Make a Joke, which became the first tutorial I made.
Have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
The code blocks are getting easier. I want to learn more about JavaScript, Python, and HTML. I did a bit of HTML lessons.
What’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
The first week project and the 5th week project (of Tynker’s Summer Code Jam). The first week one is with an avatar and the 5th week one is a soundscape. I like my avatar because I used her with animation. In the first week project, I drew her from scratch and I used animation to put her in different costumes. I made it look more anime-looking.
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
From my mom! In my head!
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
I publish it! I hit enter! I’ve been submitting every week!
Why do you like to code?
Because it’s fun! It makes me want to learn!
Do you have a favorite code block?
My favorite is the costume blocks, along with the other blocks.
What’s the best thing about Tynker?
The best thing on Tynker is that the code blocks are easy! The pen drawing block is one of my favorites too! I love making art on Tynker, of course!
Do you have an idea of what you want to be when you grow up?
I would like to be a game developer. If I become a game developer, I might be rich.
What’s your favorite subject in school?
I’m in a reading book club! I like reading a lot of books. I really liked Where the Red Fern Grows. But I hate math. I also love history, along with science! I like nature, geology, English! English is easy.
How do you think learning to code has prepared you for the future?
It shows me what I’m good at! The more I do it, the better I get at it!
Do you think other kids should try coding?
I think so, yeah! My little brother is learning to code.
What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker?
Doing an introduction to code blocks. Start at the beginning! Don’t give up!
Rylee’s mother, Danielle, spoke to us about her daughter learning to code:
She really likes programming a lot! Her uncle is a programmer and so he kind of introduced the world to her and that’s kind of how she’s getting into the world of coding.
She really wants to get JavaScript and Python mastered. I think she knows it’s a higher demand language too, out in the workplace as well. There’s gonna be a lot of employment opportunities for her.
What does Rylee like about coding?
She’s interested in creating her own apps, like phones, you know, a phone game app. When she first started, it was funny because she’d say, “Mom, I got this program to do this!” She was so excited she could make it happen. It was awesome to see it come together for her.
How does it feel to see Rylee’s coding projects?
Her father and I are really excited for her. She has a learning disorder and ADHD, but we knew she was really smart and so we’ve always pushed really hard. We’ve always told her that “never” is not a vocabulary word, and neither is “can’t.”
So, we decided to homeschool her to help out and we could see how she caught onto things really fast. It’s exciting for us because she’s really determined and there’s not much that stops her! Before, she’d work on projects here and there, but the Code Jam really refilled her engine! We’re really proud of her.
How did you find out that she was a Code Jam winner?
We were driving home because we had a few errands to run and I’m like, “Oh, wait, they’re announcing the winners!” So, I put it on my phone. And we’re driving and she’s like, “I don’t think I got it.” And I was like “Oh, don’t sweat it!” And then they said, “We have some more winners.” And when they said her name, she screamed and I said “That’s you!” It was very, very exciting. We told her family and her aunts and uncles and stuff. She was very excited!
What benefits do you think coding has for your child?
Problem solving, definitely! Problem solving, details, attention to detail. It really helps with her focus because she will focus on it and she will work hard at it. It’s something she’s definitely interested in. She’s already starting to come up with different careers that require programming. My brother is a programmer, and he goes, “there’s a lot of satellite jobs where you just stay home and program all day long!” You just never know.
Thank you!
We want to thank Rylee and Danielle for taking the time to speak with us about Rylee’s coding and how it has impacted her life. We’re looking forward to more projects from Rylee – HAPPY CODING!
