We recently held our monthly coding workshop at Earlville, where we aimed to teach kids how to create a simple game in Scratch Jr. The workshop was a a lot of fun, with a number of kids attending and creating their own games.
Scratch Jr was an ideal platform for the workshop. It has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for beginners to get started, while the more advanced see it as a challenge, having to think outside the box to achieve complex programs. Each game had multiple levels of difficulty, with objects moving at varying speeds and the player using buttons to control the game. The kids were also able to add their own drawings to each scene, making the games more personalized and creative.
The workshop was not just a learning experience for the kids, but also for their parents who got involved and helped create the games. This created a bonding experience for both parents and kids while they learned new skills together.
Scratch Jr is an excellent tool for teaching coding to kids as it helps develop important skills such as problem-solving, logical thinking, and creativity. It's a fun and interactive way for kids to learn coding basics, and it allows them to experiment with their own ideas and creativity.
The Earlville coding workshops are held every 2nd Wednesday at the Earlville Library between 3:30 - 4:30pm. The sessions are free to attend.