Coding nowadays has become an essential skill for youngsters to catch up with the progressive digital age. A way to get kids excited about coding is to introduce them to game development. Game development is an exciting way for kids to learn programming, as kids will finally not just be playing games but also creating them.
Creating video games helps to nurture critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities in kids. This blog will discover how we can introduce programming to kids through game development.
How to Introduce Programming to Kids through Game Development?
Here is a step-by-step guide for engaging your kids with coding through game development:
Step 1: Choose a Kid-Friendly Development Platform
One of the first steps in introducing coding to kids through game development is to choose a kid-friendly development platform. The key point is for the platform to be user-friendly for the kids for them to easily understand the concepts without getting demotivated.
There are many platforms available that can be helpful, one of them being Scratch. Scratch is a useful and visual learning-based programming language that has been specifically designed for kids. Scratch offers an attractive interface that makes it easier for kids to create animations and games without needing to type in a text-based code.
Step 2: Starting with Basic Programming Concepts
The second step when you’re introducing programming to kids through game development is to start with basic programming concepts to help them get started. They should start by explaining basic concepts such as sequencing, loops, conditionals, and variables using game development to make it interesting for the kids.
Using easy-to-understand methods combined with games makes it enjoyable for kids to learn new concepts. An example could be teaching them how to use conditionals to prompt different actions based on what the user inputs.
Step 3: Create Easy and Simple Games
A good way to start is to create easy and simpler games to help kids build a strong foundation of the concepts. Try incorporating one or two programming concepts at a time in the beginning to get them started.
An example could be to create a game where the object or character must perform a series of actions in a specific order.
They can use their code to assign different actions which will help them understand the concept of sequence. An addition to this could be by giving them a game that already has simple errors and then correcting them to teach them what debugging a code means.
Step 4: Encouraging Regular Practice
An important step when you introduce your kids to the world of programming through game development is to encourage them to ensure they are practicing every day. Regular practice is the way to help children grasp difficult concepts.
Furthermore, this also helps to identify any areas where they can improve and refine their game development skills which automatically helps to refine their coding skills.
As a result, kids can explore new tools and resources, which makes it helpful for them to understand programming further through game development. During this process, teachers and parents should offer guidance and support to kids to help encourage learning throughout their coding journey.
Step 5: Motivate Kids for Further Improvement
One of the final and crucial steps is to always support and encourage motivation to kids. It is important to do so because kids often get discouraged when they get confused or are unable to grasp concepts. To overcome this, it is important to encourage them instead of letting them give up which helps to improve their learning and ensures they retain their concepts better.
Constant encouragement and motivation help to push them towards further improvement as it raises their confidence levels, it is important to not force kids to learn but create a positive reinforcing learning environment. Overall, this step not only helps to bring kids towards continuous learning but also helps them practice perseverance.
Conclusion
After reading this blog you finally understand how you can introduce programming to kids through game development. There are certain steps as mentioned above that if you follow can help you teach your child coding through a fun and enjoyable environment.
Coding through game development is an engaging and dynamic way to help teach kids essential programming concepts. Kids learn valuable programming concepts and are also able to cultivate important skills such as problem solving, perseverance and creativity while having fun.
If you’re a parent who is looking teach their kids coding at a beginner level but want to make it interesting and fun, you can try following the steps highlighted in this blog or you can enroll them in coding schools with teachers and discuss what type of steps do they follow when they teach.
Khired Kids is an online and on-campus coding school that aims to educate children about the concepts of coding through different approaches to teaching, one of them being gamification-based learning. This is because it helps to cultivate a learning environment that encourages learning but is also enjoyable and interactive for kids.