Do you think that teaching kids how to code is a new initiative that hasn’t gained much momentum yet? Let me take a moment to set you straight. About 36 million kids have taken part in the Hour of Code, a global initiative to encourage kids to code. There are also many programming games for kids online, all of which are designed by programming education providers. These tools and more exist to help kids get into the programming world so they can make better use of technology.
Programming can teach kids new values and enhance their mindsets. It improves their problem-solving and thinking skills. The challenge in the recent years has been to attract more kids to coding programs. The response to this challenge has been the creation of many coding games that teach coding concepts to students in the form of a fun game that helps them focus and keeps them interested and curious about what is to come.
While there are plenty of coding games around, we have compiled a list of some of the most famous ones.
Lightbot is a programming puzzle game developed by a university student. The idea is to make your robot light up the blue tiles on a grid. You can only do so by programming your robot with the proper instructions. Lightbot can teach you a lot of programming concepts like procedures and loops. Your kids will also learn valuable testing and debugging skills.
Kodable is another coding game that consists of about 100 levels presented in the form of mazes. You must exit each maze to accomplish the mission. It teaches young kids programming concepts like conditions, loops, functions, and debugging. Kodable avoids using text code, making it easy for younger children to join in. The game’s color 2D graphics attracts kids’ attention so it is an appealing option.
Cargo-Bot is a game that was programmed on iPads. It consists of a moving crane that is programmed to move boxes around a factory. The missions progress from easy to hard and they are accessible to younger children.
Robogarden tops the previous games with 3D graphics and worlds that have been designed with different themes including a volcanic island, a golden mountain adventure, an ice world, and a birthday party. You can easily learn many programming concepts while playing the missions in RoboGarden. What really differentiates Robogarden from the other platforms are the NGSS and the K-12 curriculum mapping, where learning outcomes from different subjects that students take at school are integrated into the missions. Kids don’t only learn programming in a visual language. They also learn about physical concepts, earth and life sciences, art, and more. They transition easily from coding with blocks to using scripting languages like Python and JavaScript. In other words, RoboGarden is a platform for all age groups. Whether RoboGarden is used for young kids or for adults who want to shift their careers or learn programming from scratch, it provides the perfect formula.
