Behind every gadget, computerized application, and techno-task are people who wrote the computer program that makes it work. Kids are voracious technology consumers, but it’s increasingly important for them to learn the skills they’ll need to be tech producers as well. Check out these summer-friendly activities to introduce families to coding and to keep kids STEM-ready!
Take a break. Every Wednesday at 1 p.m. this summer, take a Code Break to get your weekly dose of inspiration, community, and computer science. Visit code.org each week to engage in weekly challenges that involve the whole family! You’ll cover computer science concepts in a fun and collaborative way. You can participate on Zoom, or watch live (or see past recordings) on YouTube.
AI in the real world. Learn how AI and Machine Learning can be used to address real-world problems. Can you think of another way that computers can help solve problems in our world?
Scratch that. Design and code your own free animations, stories, and games through Scratch. You can share your creations with others around the world! With Scratch, kids (ages 8-16) learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively. You can even create Scratch projects without an internet connection. Just download the Scratch app from the Scratch website or the app store on your device. For younger children, try ScratchJr, a simplified version of Scratch designed for ages 5 to 7.
Dance Party! Code a dance party that you can share with family and friends. Watch out for celebrity appearances!
Create your own app. Whether you are an experienced programmer, or just beginning, jump into the world of AppLab. Create your own app in JavaScript using block based programming, or take your skills to the next level with text-based programming
Voyage Aquatic. Use your knowledge of engineering, math, and computers to explore and build underwater worlds through this Minecraft challenge.
Code and create. Draw, paint, and design your very own artistic creations through code. Let your creativity soar!
Code and play. Dig into computer science and test out Code Combat! You’ll love this engaging coding game and will learn skills in computational thinking along the way.
Hoops and coding. Test out your critical-thinking skills by coding your own basketball game or a game for another sport. Challenge a family member to try, too! Find out why athletes like basketball superstars Steph Curry and Chris Bosh like computer science!
Make a webpage using html and css. Enjoy this engaging code.org unit on computer science that will introduce the basics of web design. Recommended for ages 13+.
Teachable Machine. Test your understanding of AI and Machine Learning by designing your own machine learning model. You can train your computer to recognize sounds, images, and poses. This web-based tool makes creating machine learning models fast, fun, and easy in just three steps… gather and group your examples into categories that you want the computer to learn; train your model, then test if it can correctly classify new examples; and export your model for sites, apps, and more.
Games for tomorrow’s programmers. Try your luck with blockly games. This web-based program lets you learn and experience fundamental programming concepts, with puzzles, mazes, and more!
This is your last installment of DLD Daily Dozen! Enjoy your summer!