Before we get to talking about why every child should learn to code, you may have come here looking to find out HOW you can teach your child to code. It’s easy to get started teaching children to code, even if you don’t have any coding experience yourself! There are so many ways to get started with teaching kids to code. Here are a few suggestions from us:

Start Out Unplugged

You can get started coding with your kids today! It’s easy, and all you need are items you likely already have around your house. To first start learning the basics of coding, you don’t even need a computer! One of our most popular unplugged coding activities involves learning to code with a deck of cards.

There’s an App for That!

If you’re like me, you struggle with appropriate screen time for your kids. I know that I got to the point where one more YouTube video of kids opening and reviewing toys was going to send me over the edge. We try to make our screen time as educational as possible. I even taught my son to play the piano using an app!

There are lots of amazing coding apps that can get your kids learning to code without even realizing it. Even popular games like Minecraft have an education edition that helps kids to learn to code.

Start with an Hour of Code

One of the easiest ways to get a taste of programming basics for kids is with the fun and FREE hour of code activities available online. These activities are designed to take only an hour and can give kids and parents a chance to understand the importance of learning to code.

Coding Worksheets

Coding worksheets will help to reinforce the basic coding concepts learned in the activities above. They are perfect for the classroom or home. Worksheets cover the concepts of algorithms, sequencing, loops, variables, decomposition, branching and debugging.

Here are 8 reasons why coding is important to learn for kids:

Programming helps children learn to problem-solve

Understanding computers and learning the basics of coding helps children to develop an appreciation of how things work. It also teaches them how software engineers use math in order to solve problems in a logical and creative way. This is an important reason that coding should be taught in schools, so children learn these skills while they are young. The ability to solve problems is a trait that is useful in life in general. Learning to code gives children the chance to learn this type of skill while they are young and it can help them along the way in life.

Programming gives kids a challenge and helps them develop resilience

When children learn to code, they develop the ability to bounce back after failure. They learn that failure isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and in fact, it can often be something positive because it serves as a learning opportunity. This is one of the most important reasons why kids should code, as they will learn quickly that ‘debugging’ your code is half the fun.

Coding teaches children how to think

“ A computer is a bicycle for your mind” – Steve Jobs

Learning to code teaches children how to think. Computer programming isn’t just about teaching how to type lines of code. It is more about teaching children how to think differently. To be able to code effectively, a programmer needs to use logical thinking. They need to be able to see a large problem and break it down into smaller pieces in order to solve it in an effective manner. This is called decomposition and is one of the key features of computational thinking.

A child expands their creativity when they learn how to code

Coding is important to learn because computer programming teaches children to experiment and gives them the confidence to be creative. They will have the chance to design something that is entirely their own. Children thrive off of the feedback they get from creating something they love. Just like learning a language, or playing a musical instrument, children need motivation. Usually seeing results along the way is enough to cultivate this, and this is what happens when children learn to code.

Computer programming is the future

When you look at how the world is developing, coding is an extremely useful skill to possess. There is an increasing number of businesses that rely on computer code, not just those in the technology sector.

A child who learns how to code will have the advantage in life with more employment opportunities available to them in the future, no matter which industry they decide to enter whether it be in the technology sector, finance, retail, health or other.

There is a lack of skills in the software industry

Experienced computer programmers are in demand and with the advancement of technology, there are increasing career opportunities arising every day. Employees who can code are the future and are highly sought after in any industry.

Because qualified computer programmers are hard to come by, their salaries can be at a high level. If children learn to code at a young age, their experience starts young and they are more likely to grow up with an interest in the software industry.

Coding helps children learn how to have fun with math

Coding is the language of maths. Imagine coding being taught in every school? Learning to program involves many skills including organizing and analyzing data. Children can grow their math skills while coding, without even realizing it. Using their logic and calculation skills while creating something of their own can make maths more engaging and fun.

Coding is learning while having fun

If you want to give your child something enjoyable to do which will also be educational and help them to learn, learning to code is the perfect gift. You can read about the reasons why coding is important, but one of the main ones is to give them a challenge while having fun!

Children will learn various skills and with practice, gain some important skills that can help them through all ways of life, and if they can do all of this while having fun, why not?

We think that teaching kids code is something that can be done as early as preschool. In fact, we have an entire post dedicated to ideas for getting preschoolers started with coding. As early as age 5, kids can learn the basic concepts of coding. Even kids who can’t read can learn to code with block-based coding.

If you have a child, giving them the opportunity to learn about technology and the way computers work will surely give them an advantage in life. Learning to code while they are young will set them up for a successful future.

The first Apple Developer Academy opened in Brazil in 2013, with the goal of providing the tools and training for aspiring entrepreneurs, developers, and designers to find and create jobs in the thriving iOS app economy. Since 2013 Apple has opened more than a dozen academies across the world with two more on the way: one in Korea, and one in Detroit. The programme has empowered students around the world with app development and entrepreneurial training, many of whom have gone on to start their own businesses, create and sell apps on the App Store, and give back to their communities.

Across the world, whether students are in Naples, Italy, or Jakarta, Indonesia, academy participants learn the fundamentals of coding as well as core professional competencies, design, and marketing, ensuring graduates have the full stack of skills needed. The curriculum also incorporates Apple’s values throughout the coursework, encouraging students to design inclusively and make a positive impact in the world. Apple offers two distinct training programmes as part of its academy: 30-day foundations courses that cover specific topic areas.

Applications for the first academy cohort in Detroit — Apple’s first Developer Academy in the US — open this week. The academy, part of Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, is scheduled to open this October in a newly redesigned space in downtown Detroit. All Michigan residents 18 and over are welcomed to apply, regardless of prior coding experience, at developeracademy.msu.edu/students.

Antonio Chiappetta; Photo Credits: Apple newsroom

This is Antonio Chiappetta, 25, who was part of the very first Apple Developer Academy cohort in Naples, Italy, in 2016. A computer engineer by training, he was inspired by the hands-on learning opportunities and close collaboration with mentors he met at the academy. Antonio credits his time at the academy with helping him gain the skills and confidence that power his career today:

“The Apple Developer Academy is not just about learning to code. It’s about breaking barriers and empowering students, and has infused me with the enthusiasm and curiosity that drive me today.”

Arthur Motelevicz, Photo Credits: Apple newsroom

For many academy graduates, the community aspect is as important as the hard skills they learn through their coursework. Students have the opportunity to learn from new colleagues from different personal and professional backgrounds, each of whom brings new ideas and life experiences to their app designs and business plans.

Arthur Motelevicz, 36, met his future business partner at the Apple Developer Academy in Curitiba, Brazil, in 2013 — and now counts 11 academy graduates among his 25 employees. After graduating from the academy, Motelevicz decided to dedicate himself to entrepreneurship in pursuit of a new way to mix coding with music via  Super Pads, a DJ app.

“I love being able to work with amazing people, learn every day, and experiment with combining coding and music. The Apple Developer Academy gave me the strength to pursue and implement my ideas into something that I will spend my life working on.”

Aisyah Widya Nur Shadrina; Photo Credits: Apple newsroom

Aisyah Widya Nur Shadrina, 23, and her all-women team used the front-facing camera and machine learning on iPhone to create Hearo, an app that can translate sign language into voice and text, providing a more seamless way to communicate with deaf people. This year, Shadrina and her team will attend Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference virtually. She says she looks forward to learning more about new Apple technologies, frameworks, and tools that can help developers build more innovative and inclusive apps.

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will take place June 7 through 11, in an all-online format. WWDC will feature hundreds of sessions for developers of all ages and backgrounds — including hundreds of current and former Apple Developer Academy students — to learn about the new technologies, tools, and frameworks they rely on to build innovative and platform-differentiating apps and games.