Does your kid grab their Nintendo Switch every chance they get? A teen who stays up just a little too late gaming on their PC? While you may not have much luck with getting a teenager to change their sleep schedule, you can turn a love for playing video games into something more significant with online coding for kids.

Parents are worried about screen time now more than ever, with everyone’s social lives being a little (or a lot) smaller than they used to be. But games can be a positive way to deal with stress and unwind.

They can also be a gateway to a new career.

Online Coding Classes for Kids

Learning how to code can be a life-changing experience for kids – and you get them started early, too. As young as primary school, kids can learn how to code, and online coding classes for kids can take them all the way through high school, at which point they’ll be more than ready for university-level computer programming. In this case, a great way to start is with classes aimed at coding for kids ages 5-14.

For kids who love video games, look for online coding courses that let them make video games. It’s a great project in which students get to apply the coding languages and concepts they’ve learned.

Even primary school kids can do it, rebuilding games from the ground up while they learn about the sprites and shapes that make games come to life. Kids learn how games work underneath the visuals and in the code.

How Coding Can Benefit Kids

Coding is more than just a skill that prepares kids for the workforce. There are tons of reasons to get younger kids to learn how to code:
  • They improve their math skills when they start to apply abstract math concepts to real situations;
  • They get a chance to be creative, experiment, and make mistakes;
  • Their academic performance will improve as coding courses will boost their confidence and teach them persistence;
  • Their problem-solving skills improve as coding requires them to approach problems from multiple angles, collaborate with their peers, and keep trying without fear of failure.
  • They get to work on their language skills, as programming languages like Java and Python are languages in their own right.

Computer Programmers Make Things

Have you ever heard the complaint that people don’t “make” things anymore? With so many manufacturing jobs becoming automated, some wonder what people do while sitting at their computers all day.

When it comes to computer programming, they are making things. Much of the innovation in the world today is done in computing. Thousands of developers are building apps, games, and software. Some of it will make life or work more manageable. Some of it will provide entertainment or relaxation. 

And some of it will change the whole world.

The backbone of the new economy is computer programming. If you want your kids to make things, whether blockbuster video games or software that disrupts entire industries, sign up for coding classes for kids online today. You might be surprised how early kids can start.