Programming For Kids: BENEFITS AND FREE PLATFORMS TO BEGIN

Programming For Kids: BENEFITS AND FREE  PLATFORMS TO BEGIN

Our children are digital natives and programming for children is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the educational field. Do you know what the benefits are and how to start training them for free in the basics of the different programming languages adapted for children?

If you have children, you may have heard of concepts such as web camps, robotics for children or programming with Scratch or Arduino. It will sound like Chinese to you, but for them, it is a fantastic opportunity to learn to play and begin to train in a field, computer science, which will be essential for whatever their professional destiny. What do you know about programming for children and what are the tools to start getting to the code? In this post, we give you some keys.

7 benefits for teaching your child  programming

What are the benefits of programming for children? This list is some of the good reasons to teach a programming language to your children. we find compelling reasons such as :

➤ Talking about computer science for children is practically redundant. Our children are digital natives and, therefore, we are providing tools for them to understand much better the world in which they have lived.

➤ Programming for children is fun, in fact, there are more and more leisure options related to programming for children, such as web camps, robotics courses for children, summer activities to learning scratch, activities with Lego Wedo….

➤ It is simple, especially for them who, from a very young age, have become accustomed to living with terms, digital tools, video games ... It is not necessary that your child is a genius, surely you are surprised how quickly he learns the basic concepts of programming for children.

➤ It is accessible, there are dozens of free options with which your child can take his first steps in the world of different programming languages.

➤ It helps them to focus and concentrate so that what they have designed works correctly. Many are the experts who recommend teaching in Infant or Primary courses.

➤ They learn English naturally. Everything related to technology is in English and programming languages are no exception. The programming for children is 100% pedagogical in multiple facets.
Children's programming has a direct effect on improving their logical and mathematical skills, but it also helps them in aspects such as their reading comprehension.

Programming for children: 7 free platforms to start

Now that you know the benefits of programming for children, the big question comes: how to start the little ones in the world of code? Fortunately, there are many options for this and, in addition, several of the programming tools for children are free. This way, you just have to find the programming language that best suits your child's age and tastes. These are some options:

1- Code.org :

Code.org is a non-profit platform that is available in several languages, just sign up for free to access the Code.org tutorials with which your child can start getting started in the basics of languages of programming. One of the most recommended platforms in the field of programming for children. Access Code.org  at this link. Code.org

2- Scratch :

 

If we talk about programming for children we have to refer to Scratch. A tool that, in recent years, has gained significant popularity when it comes to taking the first steps in the world of code (surely you know academies or extracurricular classes that teach Scratch). Scratch is free and is especially recommended for children between 5 and 7 years old who can check the result of their knowledge by creating robots in Lego WeDo. Access Scratch at this link Scratch.

3-Code Monkey :

Once they have started in the basics of programming for children, they can begin to change the blocks for their first lines of code with the free version of Code Monkey, indicated for children between 10 and 12 years. Access the free Code Monkey trial from this link. Code Monkey

4-Arduino :

 

Another of the indispensable when talking about tools and programming platforms for children that, in this case, can be implemented thanks to the creation of robots and projects. Arduino is a free software platform ideal for programming and electronics enthusiasts. In the case of children, this platform is recommended from the age of 13. You can find Arduino guides in Spanish at this link. Access the official Arduino website from here.

5-Alice : 

 

Recommended for children from 12 years, Alice is a platform based on free and free software with which you can learn programming for children and also check the results thanks to powerful software that generates stories in 3-D. On its website, you have tutorials and examples with which you can take the first steps, although like almost everything in the field of programming they are in English. Access Alice on this link.

And, as we have said on many occasions, the best way for your children to learn is to do it while they play. Are you interested in the world of programming for children and do you know of any other resource that should appear on this list? Indicate it so that we can share it and put ourselves Hands to code!