Technology is constantly evolving, today a lot of things we do or use are based on codes, ranging from social media, ordering and buying of things online etc. 

Almost every job right now requires some form of computer literacy, most jobs in the future will require more than that. 

Nearly 50% of all jobs today require some coding skills. Thousands of industries depend on computer programs to run their operations. Code is the backbone of work in the finance sector, health sector, food industry, customer services, education etc. In order to prepare your kids and set them up for greatness in the future it’s important they learn to code.

In this post, we will look at 7 tips to get your kid interested in coding

1. Find out what they want to create

The first step to getting your kid interested in coding is to convince them that coding is about creativity. You can achieve that by finding out what they want to create. For example, is it video games, robots, interactive drawings, applications? It’s very important to follow their lead. Creativity is a kid asset when it comes to coding. 

If you notice your kid enjoys playing games, you can get the kid involved in platforms like Tynker which aims at teaching children how to make games and programs, the idea is to make coding a game.

2. Encourage kids to explore

Kids are innately curious and love to explore. They love to discover things for themselves, they pick things up, smell them, touch them and ask lots of questions. It’s important to take advantage of their curiosity when coding, allow them to deviate from the tried and tested path, it helps them explore other possibilities.

Create an environment where they can try out new things, don’t always bore them by making them repeat the same thing over and over.

3. Tap into the kid’s passion

The impact of coding can be felt in nearly all industries like, Health sector, Finance, Agriculture, Sports, Art, Movies etc. find something they can relate to in order to make coding more relevant to them. For example, if the kid loves football, he can create a website for tracking live scores.

Encourage kids to try what seems interesting to them. They can try out different things to figure out the one they love best. There are a number of Apps that focus on everything from drawing to animation, storytelling, robot creation and game designs.

These apps are fun to use since they take the help of games and challenges to teach basic coding constructs like loops, recursion, structural thinking and decision making to kids. For example, Apps like Tynker and Robo wunderkind would be great for kids that love games. Tynker teaches the kid how to make games and programs while Robo wunderkind provides kids with the kits they can use to build robots and power them by an app.

4. Make coding a social activity

As kids code, having friends who are also interested in coding helps to keep them engaged and makes the whole process fun. For example, group coding projects encourage teamwork and allow kids to learn from one another.

Kids can meet up with one another to play coding games or they can use coding Apps to make projects and share with one another. When kids see their friends interested in coding it helps them to develop more interest in the whole process.

5. Get your kid a coding mentor

When kids have a real-life programmer with whom they can share their enthusiasm, they become more excited. It helps them understand that coding is fun. They will be able to interact and ask questions.

A mentor will provide the kid with the necessary guidance when they hit roadblocks, challenge them to keep exploring and help them transition into hardcore coding. As a tip, getting a Mentortribes mentor for your kid would make your kid’s coding journey fun and set your kid up for greatness.

6. Make problem-solving fun

You can make problem-solving fun for kids by making puzzle games a regular activity. If your kid does not enjoy problem-solving, you can always encourage him/her to be curious. Push them to learn how something works and to find different ways of doing things.

7. Learn to code with them

At an early age, children are likely to be attached to their parents. They love to play with their parent.  As parents, it is important to take advantage of this opportunity by learning to code with them, play around with codes together with your kid, it would make the process fun for them. Seeing you go through the journey with them helps encourage and make them confident.

Learning how to code has become a necessary skill especially for the younger generation. It is important to encourage your kids to take up coding at a very young age in order to prepare themselves for what the future holds.