As coding becomes increasingly popular, especially amongst children, many parents are left wondering exactly what it is and why children, even as young as 5, are being encouraged to learn to code.

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There are currently many initiatives to encourage children, including very young children, to learn to code — it's now even on the curriculum for primary school children in England and Wales.

But, what is it? Should your child be learning to code? And what age should they start coding?

Coding is, quite simply, the method or process of creating instructions for computers to follow. Coding instructs a computer to perform a specific task and is communicated using languages that computers understand, such as JavaScript and Python. To write a computer program, or to code, you have to think about the problem and how to solve it, first by breaking it down and then by writing a series of instructions for the computer to follow.

By teaching children, especially young children, to learn to code, they will be learning how to identify a problem and solve it by creating instructions that a computer can follow.

To put it simply: as kids learn to code they will learn key creative and problem-solving skills, so it's definitely a valuable skill to have, especially in today's digital world.

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Why kids should learn to code

Coding opens up a world of possibilities for kids. When they learn to code, they are not only learning a new skill that may prove extremely useful to them as they get older, but they're cultivating and nurturing other key skills too.

Due to the nature of coding, it really helps children learn how to problem solve — a vital skill in so many walks of life. As they code, children will learn how to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts and then find solutions through coding. Coding encourages children to approach problems from different angles, experiment with different solutions and learn from mistakes. Navigating these mistakes and trying to overcome problems will also help to build resilience and persistence.

Coding also helps children to cultivate their creative skills. Coding starts with a blank screen, just like a writer starts with a blank page. The coder can then innovate and experiment to create an entirely unique piece of code. By learning to code, children will be nurturing their creativity and experimenting with this new creative outlet, just not a traditional one like painting or writing.

Also, as technology rapidly evolves in our digital world, key skills like coding are becoming increasingly important. Coding is becoming more integrated into our lives and therefore learning how to code will equip children with the skills they need to understand this technology, and create with it. Coding will help prepare children for the future, as well as opening up career opportunities for them too as the demand for coders rises.

And, importantly, kids should learn to code because many find it fun! It's an exciting creative outlet and many coders and computer programmers find the challenge of creating something and seeing the results extremely satisfying and fulfilling. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, learning to code can and should be made fun and easy for kids. And as they learn this key new skill, they might just love it and find it fun.

At what age can kids start coding?

In today's digital world, kids are much more accustomed to being surrounded by technology than previous generations were. Your child has probably become very computer-savvy with smartphones, tablets or other electronics from a young age.

Coding is, of course, more complex than just operating a tablet or computer, but this doesn't mean that young children can't learn to code. There is no correct age for children to start learning to code as the right age to start learning this skill will change from child to child. However, the basics of coding can be taught from around 5-7 years, or at least, at this age they will be capable of grasping beginner coding concepts.

Benefits of teaching coding to children

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Coding helps to develop the ability to break down complex problem into smaller, more manageable steps and come up with solutions and instructions to solve — therefore strengthening problem-solving and analytical skills.

Problem-solving as a concept can appear quite abstract to children, and coding makes it concrete and visible. If their coding doesn't work, they must articulate their thinking step-by-step and identify which part is causing the issue and then come up with a solution, strengthening their analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.

Creativity and innovation

Coding is probably not thought of in the same way that more traditional creative outlets such as painting or crafting are, but it really can foster creativity in children. Coding provides them with a unique creative medium and allows them to transform abstract ideas into an interactive creation.

It also offers an unimaginable amount of potential for creation. Through coding, children can build virtual worlds, invent games, design interactive programmes and much more. Plus, instead of playing a game or using a programme that somebody else has built, they can quite literally build their own — therefore becoming an active creator.

Coding also encourages children to be innovative and flexible — if they hit a problem or obstruction in their code, they must think creatively and come up with different approaches.

Resilience and adaptability

As mentioned above, when coding, you will often encounter bugs and errors — even experienced programmers will often have these problems. Children will soon realise that programming or coding rarely works on the first try and this can build resilience. Through learning to deal with errors and setbacks, they will begin to identify these as puzzles to solve, rather than reasons to stop trying.

This also means that children will learn to adapt. As technology and computers continue to evolve, children who code will constantly be learning to adapt and learn new things and ways of working.

Relevance to other walks of life

Learning to code helps children understand exactly what a computer is and does. So many devices in our world use computers — from traffic lights to washing machines. By children realising that someone is writing instructions for each of these computers in all walks of life means that they will be able to understand and identify the possibilities for using devices to solve problems in the future.

Coding tools and apps for kids

For younger children, ScratchJr is a great place to start. It is an introductory programming language that is specifically designed for young children aged 5-7. It allows them to create their own interactive stories and games. Through ScratchJr, children can make characters move, jump, dance, sing and even modify characters then use programming blocks to make their characters come to life. It's a free app and is available for iPads, Android Tablets and Chromebooks.

For older children, we would recommend Scratch — a web platform developed by MIT specifically for young children aged 8-16. Scratch is a programming language and the world's largest coding community for children. Its coding language has a simple visual interface and is really accessible for kids, allowing them to create stories, games and animations.

There are a host of other coding tools and apps for kids too, some even tailored to specific interests.

  • Code Karts: This fun app introduces pre-coding to kids through a series of logical puzzles presented on a raceway. Plus, they can learn the fundamentals of code whilst they race. Best suited for kids aged 5-8.
  • Daisy the Dinosaur: A free app that teaches kids the basics of coding. Use a drag and drop interface to animate Daisy the Dinosaur and make her dance on the screen. Best suited for kids aged 5-8.
  • Hopscotch: This app allows kids to create their own games, animations, stories, art, or anything else they can think of! Kids can also publish their projects in the community for others to play too, and even remix others' projects. Best for kids aged 10+.
  • Swift Playgrounds: This app was created by Apple and helps kids learn to code and build apps using Swift, the programming language that's used to create a lot of apps for the App store. This app takes kids through the basics and starts with small programs called "playgrounds". Additional challenges will also become available and you can eventually start coding with SwiftUI, a more powerful framework. Best for kids aged 10+.

Tips for parents to encourage coding at home

Show an interest in what they're doing

If your child is trying to code, observe what they're doing. You could watch them as they code and ask then what they're doing, get them to talk you through what they're doing or what they're trying to achieve, and then ask them to reflect on what they're doing too.

Encourage curiosity

Curiosity is key to children's development in all walks of life, not just coding. And when it comes to coding, curiosity is an extremely important skill to have and develop. The best way for kids to learn to code is simply by trying things out. Once kids have mastered the basics or have a beginner's grounding in coding, encourage them to take the next step and try out different ideas.

Prioritise fun

Coding shouldn't feel like a chore or homework to kids so try and encourage them to have fun with it. Let them do things at their own pace, try things they want to try and encourage them to tap into their creativity and potential. Although coding is about learning, this doesn't mean it can't be a fun and creative activity for kids to do.

Learn coding with your kids

If you don't know how to code yourself, you could try learning alongside your kids. You'll get all the benefits we've outlined in this article (coding skills aren't age defined!) and you'll get to learn something new. Plus, you can help your child as they learn too — giving you another activity you can do together.

Just keep coding!

Learning the basics of coding or following a tutorial can only take coders so far, the best way to learn and advance the skill is to just keep trying and practicing. Basically, encourage your child to code — encourage them to put what they've learned into practice and try new things in different ways. As they practice more and more, the tools they have learned will eventually become second nature to them. Consistent practicing will also ensure that your child really understands the concepts involved in coding, and will become more confident and proficient when coding.

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Authors

Emily Longman WallDigital Content Producer

Emily is the Digital Content Producer at MadeForMums and creates editorial and video content across the brand. She also edits the weekly editorial newsletter, oversees our reviews process and loves creating our craft articles and videos. She specialises predominantly in car seats and pushchairs, and has yet to meet a buggy she couldn’t fold! With a 1st class degree in History, she always researches topics thoroughly to find the best recommendations for parents.

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