Everyone can learn to code, even kids. In fact, the earlier they start, the easier it is for them to wrap their heads around key concepts, problem solving, and the logic of programming. They can start learning as soon as they begin their early education at school, and advance throughout their primary and secondary school years to the same languages being used in blockbuster console games today like C++ and Unity.
For kids who love video games, starting a coding course can turn a hobby into a passion, learning a valuable skill set along the way. There are plenty of parents who worry about how much time their kids spend playing video games; coding courses can harness that energy into a creative outlet that exercises their imaginations and problem solving skills.
Real Programming 4 Kids offers both year-round coding courses in Toronto (as well as Ottawa, Oshawa, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Richmond Hill, Oakville, and Etobicoke), and summer coding camp for kids when school’s out. Our classes are the smallest in the industry, with a maximum size of just 4 kids per instructor. Every student gets the close attention they deserve.
Kids can learn all kinds of things, but there are only so many hours after school, and kids need time to do their homework, hang out with friends, and just have fun. Why should you pick coding for kids out of all the options available?
The best way to learn is by having fun while you do it. Learning is less stressful and more engaging when kids are enjoying themselves. An engaged and active attitude in class leads to “aha” moments – moments of discovery when concepts click into place, problems are solved, and kids walk away with knowledge that lasts.
In school, kids don’t have a say in what they get to learn. Give them a chance to pursue skills that they’re interested in and that relate directly to the games they love to play, and they’re going to be more engaged and willing to give lessons their full attention. Before long, they’ll see the results of all the effort they put in when their games start to come together.
Math for kids can be confusing. You have to figure out all these numbers, but no one ever really tells you why. Math is behind every video game ever made; without it, games wouldn’t exist. One of the incredible things you see in coding courses for kids is the direct connection between solving math problems and bringing a game to life. From simple integers to university-level math like vectors and trigonometry, video game coding is a hidden math lesson.
As kids develop their understanding of the math behind coding, they gain a stronger footing in real academic subjects. More importantly, they want to learn.
Not only is coding grounded in math, it’s also a creative outlet. Coding can demand creative logical expression to find the right solution for the problem. When you’re making a video game, you have a vision for what you want to do. You’re both limited by the possibilities of the language and enabled to find creative solutions with it.
Making a video game is also a highly creative project. Besides programming, making a game involves art, story, and game design. In coding courses, kids can start to see how it all comes together, and even put it into practice.
One past student in our Intermediate Asteroids course brought the classic arcade game to new levels, not just through exceptional coding skills, but through story and creativity. In addition to creating his own server and enabling online multiplayer, he created a single player story mode complete with RPG-style leveling and customization, as well as new sprites and complexly drawn elements. It was the kind of project that blends technical skills with creativity and imagination.
Coders are in high demand in the job market. Computing currently makes up 71% of all new STEM jobs and 45% of total employment, but only 8% of STEM grads come out of computer science. That’s leaving a big skills gap, and every year, a large number of computer science jobs go unfilled.
There are many computer science careers beyond video game coding, but coding for kids opens up an essential skill set and foundations for a career in CS. The video game industry is also a major one; the video game industry is bigger than Hollywood, and in fact, sales have outpaced box office sales for two decades already. It’s a $1.5 billion industry with plenty of opportunities.
Coding for kids looks great on resumes for internships and schools that want to fill this demand for computer science. Knowing skills that many lack is always an edge on any kind of application.
Every parent wants their kids to have an advantage in life. You’ve seen what it takes to succeed as an adult, and it’s natural that you want to equip your kids with every advantage when it comes time for them to face the world. Let them turn a hobby they’re already passionate about into a skill set that will give them an edge later in life.
There’s more to coding classes in Toronto than making games. Courses can help students understand the world around them. Technology takes up so much space in our everyday lives, but most people don’t know the first thing about how laptops, smartphones, or social media work. Learning programming basics will change the way they see and understand the technology they use every day.
Learning how to code trains your mind to be better at problem solving and logic. Learning a programming language opens up whole new professional opportunities, but even if your kid is interested in jobs not directly related to coding, it’s a skill that looks great on a resume. It communicates to any potential employer that they know how to use the left side of their brain.
Anyone can learn how to code, but as with any language, the earlier kids get started, the easier it is for them to pick it up. Beginner courses introduce kids to languages such as Alice and Scratch, designed to help kids tackle problem solving aspects of programming. They allow kids to drag and drop pieces of code to learn placement and navigate computers.
From there, they move onto learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Visual Studio and Visual Basic. At intermediate and advanced levels, they learn the languages currently used by professional video game programmers today, including Python, C#, C++, Java, JavaScript, and Unity.
You can contact us for more information about available courses, appropriate ages for courses, and signing up your kids. Our students have gone on to create and sell their own games, work at professional game studios, and pursue their own video game startups. Coding is a valuable skill for anyone, no matter what career path they choose to go down. If your kids are interested in computers or video games, get them started learning how to code early.
