Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 5th grader Ethan from Illinois! He plays hockey, but he also likes to play the piano and draw. Ethan spoke with us about his experience coding with Tynker:
How did you get introduced to Tynker?
My STEM class. I first found it on our school app store, and I tried it out. Then once I was in the STEM class I started expanding on it. I’ve been coding for three years now.
How did you learn to use Tynker?
I started off by mostly using the tutorials because those ones were the ones I actually liked the most. I sort of explored Minecraft Mods but then I just ended up doing Minecraft skins and stuff.
Have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
I’ve started becoming interested in how the codes work, and how you can use that code to your advantage. I like block coding. Block coding is the one I like the most because I can easily get a lot of things out of it.
How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured?
It happened at school, so like I was excited, and it was just, it actually just blew my mind that like I was standing out of a ton of people on Tynker, so it was just a great experience.
What’s your favorite project you’ve made so far?
My clicker game, Candy Clicker, because I can just look at any other clicker and see and expand upon mine because every single click has a different type of mechanic in it and I can just add that to mine.
Where did you get the idea for this project?
I got the idea because I always played clicker games, like all the time.
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
I would get inspiration, like off the community board because that is the like main source of inspiration.
Why do you like to code?
I like to code because it’s something that can always be expanded upon, and you can always do a new one each time. It’s just a hobby of mine that I can do whenever I want. This will inspire me to start like Python coding. That’d be my next code goal.
What’s your favorite way to use code?
My favorite code block is the broadcast and when I receive block because you can just bounce things off to other actors throughout the set, throughout the game.
What do you do with a project when you’re done with it?
I would publish it. And once it gets a good amount of views, I think it has the potential to start showing it to my friends and stuff. And then after that, I just start expanding it more and more, and I usually get more and more views.
What are you planning to make next?
I started a series. My first project in that series was a Tynker guide for beginners because there was just one project where I learned how to make a clicker game and I was like, oh, like maybe I can make tutorials.
What’s the best thing about Tynker?
The best thing about Tynker is how there are so many projects, and then you can sometimes like we mix that game we’ll make a game parody of that, and just once you’re bored, you get inspiration, so I like that.
Do you think learning to code has prepared you for the future?
Since Tynker goes over all the basics like functions and variables and speech, that kind of stuff, it already gives me an introduction if I will ever start doing a Python or JavaScript class. Tynker would probably be the first stepping stone of a long stepping stone if you want to be a programmer in the future.
Do you think other kids should try coding?
Yes. Like I said, use Tynker as a stepping stone and then you can start taking the Python courses and Java and start learning all those things. And if you really like coding and are interested in it, you can one day be a programmer.
Bonus: What’s a fun fact about you?
The fact that I can have so many different types of hobbies.
Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?
Some kind of programmer for a video game.
What’s your favorite subject in school?
History and social studies. I like just everything about it, like how there’s so many things throughout history that you can learn.
Parent Questions
Ethan’s mother, Lisa, spoke with us about her son learning to code with Tynker:
I think it’s great. I think that he’s really able to put his personality forward and all the coding stuff he does. He is an amazing storyteller, like he loves art and drawing. He’s done a lot of comics, and the way he does it is very well thought out and well rounded, and I think that shows in his games to where he’s able to, you know, expand upon things.
How do you support his coding endeavors?
We give him space. Ethan likes to just kind of buckle down and focus on things for a while. Coding gives him the opportunity to do what he needs to do and decompress. I think that’s the biggest benefit of it, and then obviously just career aspiration wise I think it’s an amazing foundation.
What benefits do you think coding has for him?
I think it helps with the storytelling. A lot. Just being able to convey a message and tell a full story from end to end. I think just communication-wise it’s actually really amazing to see what he can come up with, just logic, showing the games, and the kind of stuff he does. Solving puzzles and creating puzzles for other people himself. He’s a cool kid.
Do you feel that Ethan is better prepared for the future?
Absolutely. I think that even if he doesn’t go into coding in the future, I think this kind of logic and building upon stuff is just great for being in the world and figuring stuff out, learning new skills on his own. I think that’s huge.
Thank you!
We want to thank Ethan and his mother for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what Ethan creates next – HAPPY CODING!
