Coding for Kids
Try This 6-Step Brain Bootcamp at Home
Brainstorming ways to make your child’s screen time more productive and active? You’re not alone! It can be hard to keep kids stimulated while striking a balance between screen time and active time. Although kids should be engaging in at least an hour of physical activity every day, most kids are not meeting that recommendation. To engage your child’s brain and body at the same time, try this fun Tynker circuit!
How does it work? Just follow the steps and alternate between coding and moving. Set up a playspace with a tablet or laptop in your living room or yard, and watch as the kids stay busy for hours!
- Code: Play through a coding puzzle. Each puzzle, ranging from beginner to advanced levels, has 10 fun lessons that will get your child’s gears turning. Start the adventure with a beginner puzzle like Space Quest or Dragon Dash.
- Move: Do 15 “Java jacks.” It’s time to switch off the device and get moving! A fun twist on the classic jumping jack, Java jacks will prepare your child for their next round of coding by getting their heart pumping and creativity flowing. Kids can do these by standing in one place, then jumping up and extending their arms and legs out and back.
- Code: Animate an Actor to do 15 Java jacks. Create a project using a blank template or one of ours. Your child can program the project to switch between different costumes to make it look like the Actor is doing jumping jacks! (Hint: use a “repeat” block to quickly get to 15 sets.)
- Move: Do 15 “coder crunches.” Like typical crunches, coder crunches strengthen your child’s muscles and get them ready for another round of coding. Kids can lay back on a rug or grass (depending on where their playspace is) with knees bent and hands behind their head, then gently curl up and forward.
- Code: Animate your Actor to do 15 coder crunches. Challenge your child to create a project simulating crunches, just as they did for the Java jacks. How can they create costumes that make it look like their Actor is doing coder crunches?
- Code & Move: Time for a dance party! Your child can play through our Monster High puzzle and learn to code their own dance party. Kids can even gather friends or siblings to join as they follow along with the monsters’ dance moves!
When your child completes one round of the circuit, it’s time to move onto the next coding puzzle and repeat! Can you think of new activities to do and program, like “Python push-ups” or “loop lunges”?
Expand or shorten this circuit so that it best fits your child’s interests! The important thing is that they keep coding and stay moving. Make Tynker time a weekly habit – as they work through more puzzles, be sure to check out our Tynker Pro plans to access 30+ coding courses and unlimited activities!
