Coding for Younger Kids Summer Course, Idler Academy

A new generation of electronic gadgetry is proving to parents and children alike that technology and creativity needn’t be separate. This year Codasign’s summer course at The Idler Academy can teach your children how to use programming and circuitry to transform their ideas into virtual reality. 

Coding Matters...

The value of programming proficiency in the modern world is becoming increasingly apparent both to parents and teachers, with the likes of Barack Obama promoting the “Hour of Code” in the classroom for children of all ages. And since any computer program is written in a programming language, it couldn’t be truer that the sooner our kids start, the closer they are likely to come to technological fluency.

How it works...

For that reason, MIT developed Scratch; a simple, highly visual programming language which can be accessed through a free download or simply used in your internet browser via the Scratch website. Children worldwide are using the platform to share their coding creations, from games to animations. What tends to strike adults as an intimidating and inaccessible medium for creativity seems to be second nature to our kids, who are able to take on board abstract programming concepts like loops and variables without blinking.

What makes The Idler Academy’s course really special is the opportunity it provides for children not just to write programs, but to create their own electrical products with which to interact - which is where the Arduino comes in.

The Arduino is a microcontroller board – a circuit board through which lights, motors and buzzers can receive instructions. A specialised version of Scratch called S4A (Scratch for Arduino) has been created to communicate with the Arduino board, and this provides the basis for much of Codasign’s summer course. By the end of the week participating children will have created their very own computer game, incorporating electrical components which they have engineered themselves. The course presents a fantastic opportunity to empower your child to become not just a consumer but a creator of their own technology.

The course is suitable for children aged five to ten. Book fast; there's only eight places available.