Real Programming 4 Kids Now Offers Online Coding Classes

With the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, our lives seem to be changing day by day. It’s a stressful time, especially for parents who are worried about their kids and also about the fact that they aren’t in school getting an education. If you’ve heard of summer learning loss then you’ll know that when kids aren’t actively using their brains during the summer then they can perform poorly after they return back to school. It’s like taking a break from exercising for a few months and then coming back to it only to realize that your body isn’t as fit as it used to be.

This is why it’s important to make sure that your kids’ brains stay mentally fit even when they aren’t in school. But as a parent, how are you supposed to do this – especially now that everyone is supposed to be staying at home and all non-essential public spaces are being shut down?

At Real Programming 4 Kids we care about the development of children and believe that learning to code is an enriching experience for them. Usually, we offer year-round coding classes for kids aged 7 to 18 in a number of major cities in Ontario, but we have had to suspend these in-person classes due to COVID-19.

Instead, we are now offering online coding camps & classes for kids where they can learn online at home. This way we can keep our program going and offer our students an opportunity to learn and develop even when they are away from school. Classes will be hosted live by our instructors, and the experience is almost exactly the same as it would be in person.

Class sizes are still at a four maximum, meaning that students will continue to work closely with instructors and get the one-on-one attention that they need. By offering online coding courses for kids we can continue to teach children the fundamentals of coding but also ensure everyone is safe and practicing social distancing at the same time.

About Our Online Summer Coding Classes

Besides meeting online for lessons, everything about our new summer coding camp for kids is the same as it usually would be. Classes start in late June and run until late August for one to two weeks, depending on the course chosen. We offer multiple levels of courses where students start by learning the fundamentals of coding, and then slowly work their way up to more advanced techniques.

Course Options

Introductory – Computer Programming Courses

• Focused on young children
• Great for kids who aren’t acquainted with computers yet
• Kids use Alice and Scratch programs to learn code placement with drag-and-drop elements
• Basic concepts of programming, including commenting, loops, objects, commands, and variables
• Fundamental math concepts such as fractions, decimals, and the beginnings of algebra

Beginner – Visual Basic Game Programming For Kids

• For students who are familiar with computers but new to programming
• Introduction to Microsoft Visual Studio and specifically Visual Basic
• Develop video games from scratch and are only provided with the images and sounds needed
• Programming concepts like IF statements, variables, arrays, parameters, objects, functions, subroutines, and for loops
• More fundamental math concepts such as coordinates (x and y value), inversion, inequalities and absolute value

Developing – Visual Basic Game Programming For Kids

• More advanced programming concepts with Visual Basic
• Continuing to create games from scratch
• Features advanced collision detecting and math training in Pythagoras’s theorem and circle geometry
• Advancing knowledge about IF statements, structures, and parameters (including passing by reference and value), and additional looping techniques

Intermediate – Python, Java, JavaScript, C# Game Programming for Kids

• Develop and build on existing programming knowledge
• Students use Python, Java, JavaScript, and C#
• Introduces object-oriented programming and advanced math fundamentals such as angles, vectors, and trigonometry

Advanced – C#, C++, Java Game Programming for Kids

• Designed for high school students with previous object-oriented programming experience
• Advancing oriented programming fundamentals: inheritance, camera manipulation, chasing algorithms, reading and writing to text files, devices, overriding, overloading
• Learn more advanced trigonometry, pitch/yaw/roll, matrices, and the beginnings of 3D programming
• Students use Java, Android (Java), and C++
• Games are made from scratch except for resources like images and sounds
• In the RP4K Custom Mod for Minecraft (Java Advanced) students work with the currently existing source code in the popular Minecraft game to make their own mods

Elite – C#, C++, Unity Game Programming Courses for Kids

• Students apply everything they’ve learned from previous courses
• Features use of C++ and Unity(C#)
• Introduced to component based programming
• Games are made from scratch except for resources like images and sounds
• Learn about 3D models, textures, materials, component-based programming and Unity-specific functions such as prefabs, parenting, lists, tags, delegates and coroutines
• Also learn about rotating in three dimensions, matrices, vectors, and linear interpolation

Options for Class Times

Introductory and Beginner programs:

• Half Day programs (1 course):
  • 9 AM – 12 PM
  • 1 PM – 4 PM
• Full-Day programs (2 courses):
  • 9 AM – 12 PM first course
  • 12 PM – 1 PM lunch
  • 1 PM – 4 PM second course

Note: All beginner and introductory programs are 1 week only.

Developing, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite programs:

• Half-Day programs (1 course):
  • 1 course 2 weeks:
    • Morning Session: 9 AM – 12 PM
    • Afternoon Session: 1 PM – 4 PM
  • Full-Day programs (1 course or 2 courses):
    • 1 course 1 week – Full-Day camp:
      • Morning Session: 9 AM – 12 PM
      • 12 PM – 1 PM lunch
      • Afternoon Session: 1 PM – 4 PM
    • 2 courses 2 weeks – Full-Day camps:
      • 9 AM – 12 PM first course
      • 12 PM – 1 PM lunch
      • 1 PM – 4 PM second course

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our course availability, course schedule, and how everything will work now that we are offering online coding classes instead.

Why Choose Real Programming 4 Kids?

Students who take part in our program get to become part of a video game design team that meets regularly to complete a project. The video game design elements make learning how to code more fun, and we find that kids learn better and faster using this method. Many of our students even go on to code video games during their spare time, developing a real passion for video game development.

Our students excel because we teach them real standard programming languages like Visual Basic, Python, Java, C#, C++, and Unity. Other schools tend to focus on drag and drop games for teaching code, but this can only take a student so far in their learning process. By teaching them standard programming languages, our students are better prepared for careers in the industry and are even able to do their own programming projects during their spare time.

Learning code is great for kids because it helps them develop a number of skills that can be used at school and their everyday life. They develop problem-solving and computational skills, improve their math skills, and also become more confident and persistent in their work. They also get to stretch their creative muscles as they develop video games and learn to think outside the box. We’ve heard from a number of parents that their kids performed better at school after participating in our program.

So if you’re wondering what your kids are going to do while stuck at home, consider coding for kids to help keep their brain sharp. We are confident that it will be a rewarding experience they will never forget.