Summer is perfect for playing at the pool, eating popsicles, and playing outside, but it’s also a great opportunity to engage kids with computer science concepts. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite computing activities that parents, teachers, camp counselors, and more can implement into the day. Not only are they super fun, but they teach kids important skills that could lead to future success once they’re back in the classroom this fall.
Binary Numbers for Beginners
Constellations Fellow, Terry Foster, recommends taking a moment to teach kids about binary code. Ones and zeroes are essential to other computing concepts, and this is a fun way to pique kids’ interest in computing. This is also an unplugged activity, which means no screen time!
Tackle Coding with Tynker
Tynker is a tremendous resource with courses for kids ages seven and up. Their tools teach children how to build apps and games, create websites, control toys, modify Minecraft or learn a coding language. Plans start as low as $10 and teach kids computing skills using fun themes like Barbie.
The Summer of Scratch
Scratch is a free resource created by the MIT Media Lab and lets students create games, stories, animations, and more. The platform helps students learn to reason systematically, think creatively, and work collaboratively – all essential life skills in the 21st century and excellent skills to hone in the heat of summer.
Humblebrag About Your Hummingbird Sequence Skills
Using Scratch or Python, kids can use these hummingbird sequence activities to practice their coding prowess. These activities are unplugged, so print them off and you can still enjoy them in the sunshine.
Road Trip Resources
Whether you’re headed to the beach, the mountains, or to grandma’s, the car is a great opportunity to encourage critical thinking. Apps like Daisy the Dinosaur, Hopscotch, and Grasshopper make it easy to take learning on the go while still making it fun.
While there are many more resources and activities available, these are a few of our favorites. We’re curious what yours are.
Keep learning during COVID-19 with RobotLAB and CoderZ!
CoderZ is an online educational environment that improves students 21st century skills, while they are having fun programming their own virtual cyber robot. CoderZ and RobotLAB has different lessons to do at home! Check them out Here
