The world is fast evolving, which creates a high demand for those who can think critically and solve complex problems. Learning how to code is a great way to teach your child how to problem solve and work with algorithms. Programming is also an outlet where children can learn to be imaginative when trying to accomplishing new tasks. There are always different ways to collaborate, learn, and code, and programming gives children a creative avenue to explore all of the different available paths. Regardless of whether your child decides to pursue a career in programming or not, they will have the skills to understand how code works, which is a benefit when using technology in other aspects of their lives. One final perk to learning to code is that, in a sense, it’s an international language. Whether your child is fluent in one or several languages, learning to code will allow them to communicate and collaborate with other coders on a global scale.

The best way to teach your child to code is to get involved in the process and learn along with them. You can take a course on Udemy about the coding language you want to teach, and then you can teach those skills to your child. Learn the basics, and then choose a project you can work on with your child to put those new skills to the test. Coding can seem abstract when first learning the concepts, but putting them to use by building your own program is where you and your child will reinforce what you learned. Start small and use the resources you have available to you. Make sure that when you teach your child to code, you explain how they could use these skills to eventually work in a field that greatly interests them now, like robotics, planes, or architecture.

You can start with Scratch, initially developed by MIT Media Labs, as the perfect entry point for kids. It’s a visual coding platform that uses blocks you can move around on the screen, and there are some fun example coding problems to solve and games to build. There are Udemy courses that show kids how to create games themselves. For kids who are a little bit older and have some grasp on programming basics, Python would be an excellent language to learn because it’s intuitive and easy to read through without needing comments to explain the code. Udemy also has courses for children that will help them begin to understand HTML, CSS, and JavaScript programming languages to code their first website.