What a good first coding project looks like
Not a calculator. Not a to-do list. Something that moves, makes noise, and can be shown to a grandparent in under a minute.
Rahul VermaPhysics teacher turning kitchen tables into laboratories
What a good first coding project looks like
The first project a child builds decides whether there will be a second one. That makes "can they show it to someone" the most important design constraint, well ahead of whether it teaches loops.
Games work because they fail interestingly. A sprite that walks off the screen is funnier than a calculator that returns the wrong sum, and funny bugs get debugged.
Start with one sprite, one input, and one rule. Add the second rule only once the first one visibly works.
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Sneha IyerWould love a follow-up on how this works for older kids — mine is eleven and getting sceptical.
Aanya 718hlh53Would love a follow-up on how this works for older kids — mine is eleven and getting sceptical.
- Aanya 718hlh53
The point about stopping places is the bit I had never thought about. Obvious in hindsight.
