Coding for Kids

Normally, I'm the one at our house that is always hiding the electronics, nagging everyone to "turn it off and go outside!"  I have to set the limits and enforce them. Because if it were up to my dear Hubs, we'd all be glued to the computer 25-8.  He loves electronics and he's always in front of some device.  Grrrr...not something I endorse, but we've learned to find a few boundaries over the years.

So, then I saw this YouTube video making a sensation on the web this past week


I confess, it made me think.  We do live in an ever increasingly electronic world.  Coding and programming permeates so many of our daily activities. There's no reason why we shouldn't try to understand it as much as possible.
I think my husband must have seen it too, because out of the blue he got our daughter a coding book for her birthday


I wasn't expecting her to do much with it.  And I didn't even encourage her to give this much of a try, because honestly, it seems so dry and boring to me.  I can't imagine anyone getting all jazzed up about it.  But my computer-loving husband was really enthusiastic and helped her get started.  Well, all she needed was a little push and she's taking off with it!  She has found a new interest, which is always a happy thing.

She must have spent two hours with that book today (after school work was done) working on the exercises in the book to create simple games and exercises.  The book is written like a comic, which is perfect for her because she thrives on all things comics.  Our daughter has LOVED this!

Even her younger siblings find it interesting and keep trying to get in on the action.  And I will say, that it's the one computer activity that I don't really mind them engaging in. I do think it has some value.