It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and at RP4K that means one thing: more coding! We think the Christmas holidays should be spent playing coding games because having fun while coding is the core of what RP4K does all year.
The teachers at RP4K are passionate and knowledgeable about coding, but we prefer to hire younger, more relatable teachers than university professors with decades of experience. It’s better when coding for kids sessions are taught by a younger generation that also grew up playing video games.
If you’re curious about how our sessions work or how your child will take to coding classes, begin with a free trial to see what it’s like.
Between your child’s RP4K coding classes, there are lots of things they can do to keep learning and having fun. Check out these 10 games that encourage kids to code over the Christmas holidays, so your child can bring in the new year with some good cheer and new programming skills.
Now, kids who have no experience in coding at all can begin to learn programming in a way that’s so much fun that they won’t even realize they’re learning. CodeMonkey is a coding game that teaches kids multiple coding languages, giving them a leg-up down the road against children who learned just one.
Along with coding skills, students learn computational thinking, collaboration, reason, logic, and more.
One of the best ways to learn Arduino programming is through Thames & Kosmos Code Gamer. This game allows kids to play 15 fun game levels via their tablet.
Each level requires more advanced programming skills. As you progress, you’ll learn more about how your gamepad works, how to alter and configure it, and how the LED lights and sound modules work. This is an excellent way for kids to get the feel of coding, as they can see the connection between the inputs and how the game responds.
Turing Tumble is a game that combines the timeless allure of marbles with computer programming. A marble drops on one side of the board, and players build mechanical computers to solve logic problems.
Players manipulate the binary logic of a computer by using six different pieces in the maze at certain places to get the ball to accomplish its mission. This game teaches kids how to think logically and problem solve.
Plus, the game’s 60 puzzles are woven into a comic story about a space engineer who needs to be rescued from a forgotten planet! Turing Tumble is recommended for children eight and up.
Now, kids can make learning to code a little musical! Coding Jam allows kids between the ages of 5-12 to make their own “explosive beats” by putting together different sequences of coding commands.
Kids can arrange the Osmo Coding Blocks in various patterns to make different sounding music in a way that teaches them code and develops their sense of harmony, rhythm, and melody. Once they’ve composed a song they like, they can record it and share it with friends and family.
Coding Jam is a great, fun way to learn coding from home, and you can also share music safely with people outside your household while people remain home to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The ThinkFun Code Master game teaches children how to code without the use of a computer. Kids must think of programming logic skills to get their Avatar to get every crystal on the map and reach the Portal safely.
To pass the 60 levels requires planning, logical reasoning skills, and problem-solving abilities. People between the ages of 8-50 can learn basic coding concepts like looping and branching.
Perfect for young kids, the Code-a-Pillar from Fisher-Price may be the ideal toy to introduce your young one to the world of coding. The electronic caterpillar can be broken up into segments, which will move the toy left or right or wriggle on the spot depending on the sequence.
The Code-a-Pillar teaches coding concepts like following commands and order of operation and is suitable for children aged 3-8 years old.
Now, young kids can move a cute stuffed bear named Mochi through a fun and instructive adventure by manipulating bear-shaped coding blocks. Children aged three and up can learn how to follow commands, order of operations, functions, and more.
This hands-on approach to learning doesn’t require any screen or console, so it’s excellent for parents worried their little ones are getting too much screen time. The kid-friendly wooden pieces, cuddly bear, and the game’s beautiful artwork will help draw your child into the world of coding.
This beautiful board game introduces young kids to coding basics like following commands, order of operations, functions, and function calls. Kids pick up cards that tell one of four turtles with lasers on their backs to move around the board and act.
The turtles must get to the centre of the board to find the jewel to win. Robot Turtles is another great screen-free game that teaches kids important coding concepts.
Tangiplay lets young kids solve puzzles and learn to code. The game really emphasizes logic and spatial puzzles.
Kids will move blocks on a tablet into the right order to help an explorer vehicle plot a safe path for an oncoming train. The gameplay and pieces are adorable, and children learn about loops, functions, and conditional statements.
This wireless electronic kit links coding with engineering. Learning to code requires other skills and types of abstract thought. The SAM Labs Inventor Kit uses simple active blocks and an intuitive desktop app to introduce kids to a wide range of abilities they’ll need down the road.
Christmas time provides a chance for some rest and relaxation. But if your kids are like us, they’ll want to spend their vacation time learning to code! Don’t hesitate to contact us anytime if you have questions about how RP4K sessions work — in the meantime, have fun learning to code!
