3 Reasons Why Coding Is the Best Second Language for Your Child
By the time most kids in Australia enter years 9 and 10, they’ve had an opportunity to learn another language. While learning another spoken language is valuable, most students do not retain it. This is due to a number of reasons: the seeming irrelevance, the difficulty to maintain it due to a lack of exposure, disinterest etc.
So why teach your kids coding instead (or as well as)? And how exactly are you to do that?
1. Coding is the only universal language
Coding is the world’s only universal language, which means that coders can work
’. Many countries including Australia, Argentina, South Korea, the UK and Saudi Arabia have also announced plans to roll out computer science as a part of their national curricula.
2. Coding isn’t limited to a particular sector
Coding is a skillset that can be transferred into whichever industry your child chooses to work in. Once you understand the computational thinking of one coding language, it’s easier to pick up the other – of which there are hundreds and thousands!
Coding is woven into everything from t-shirts to shoes to exercise books, so it’s important to remain on the right side of automated technology.
3. It’s easy to practice
It’s difficult to maintain French or Spanish if you don’t have anyone around you that speaks these languages. While YouTube videos and apps are helpful, effective communication in any language requires a conversation between two people. Coding, in contrast, is easier to practice, because the person you’re speaking to is a computer.
The national curriculum has begun to embed computer programming in schools. This is great, because it means our kids will be introduced to coding basics alongside their other subjects like Maths and English.
We run holiday kids coding camps all over Australia, but there are also things like
Your Ultimate school holidays activity list
1. Get creative with Minions
What is it?
Kids go bananas for Minions (pun intended) and these school holidays they can express their fandom making a Minions movie using stop-motion animation techniques. Over 2 days, kids create their own Minions clay characters and design their own film set. The magic begins when they see their characters come to life by taking multiple images of objects and stitching them together to look like they’re moving! - It’s incredibly fun!
Why go?
If they watch their favourite animated movies on repeat, they’ll love creating Minions clay figurines and developing their own story, taking lots of still frames and stitching them together to create their very first movie!
Ages: 5-7
2. Become a DJ
What is it?
Children will take their first steps into the exciting world of mixing music to create their own DJ set.
Why go?
Kids will love mixing their favourite pop tunes using beat matching and transitions on real DJ decks. Plus, they will design their own DJ brand, develop branded merch, and even perform a DJ set to their friends!
Ages: 8-13
3. Pilot a drone
What is it?
Kids learn to pilot a drone using coding to design a flight path and watch in wonder as the drone takes flight!
Why go?
If your kid shows an interest in drones, they can learn more than just the basics of flying. Kids get a taste of cutting-edge technology and learn about coding, problem-solving, engineering, design, and more. They’ll learn about drone tech and safety, movie making, and discover how drones have a positive social impact when used to fight bushfires, rescue koalas, spot sharks on the coast and loads more!
Ages: 9-13
4. Become a YouTuber
What is it?
While they may not end up with YouTube stardom, we’re sure kids will have a new lens on screen time. They will be equipped with the skills to start producing and directing their own ideas instead of simply watching other people's! Plus, they’ll gain confidence ‘performing’ in front of audiences and on set and importantly, learn about staying safe online.
Why go?
Taking a YouTube fixation and turning it into something incredibly productive where kids will learn planning, storytelling, filming and video editing to become the star in their very own YouTube-style videos.
Ages: 8-13
5. Produce a LEGO movie
What is it?
Turn hours of playing with LEGO characters into an even more creative pursuit, by teaching kids to create their own LEGO Movie.
Why go?
They can use their favourite LEGO characters and sets, come up with a fun storyline and use stop-motion techniques to produce a short animation film. It will transform the way they play at home and offer endless hours of creativity for the rest of the holidays.
Ages: 7-12
6. Code a game
What is it?
Kids can design their own arcade-style video games (like Super Mario Bros), jam-packed with cool characters like zombies and unicorns, and awesome gaming features such as invisibility cloaks and shrinking potions. They’ll learn drag and drop code and logic to connect all the design elements together and bring their games to life!
Why go?
Kids are spending countless hours on Roblox and Minecraft these days. Get them to spark their creative side instead, by producing their own original games, using a combination of creative level design, storytelling and problem-solving to bring their creations to life. It’s so much fun, they won’t realise they are actually learning some very important coding and tech skills for their future.
Ages: 7-12
7. Develop a Website
What is it?
For kids with some proficiency in coding, they’ll create their own website from scratch about an animal, movie, sporting team or their favourite topic.
Why go?
With 1.93 billion websites on the world wide web, developers are in higher demand than ever before. It’s a great head start to gain fundamental web building skills and your kids will have so much fun in the process.