Teach Computational Thinking to Your Children
With these activities, we lead you through how to instill the key mindsets for coding and computing to your children.
The Key Computational Thinking Mindsets
- Sequencing: Putting order to the things that need to happen
- Decomposition: Breaking Complex problems into discrete parts
- Algorithms: Crafting repeatable models of how to solve a problem
- Pattern-Spotting and -Making: Seeing Clearly how Things Relate and Repeat
- Loops: Programming Sequences to Repeat over and over
- Conditionals: One thing happens depending on the situations of other things
- Debugging: Finding the Breakdown Points to Remove
- Events: One thing starts occuring since another thing is triggered
Computational Thinking Activities
Organize Clean Dishes Computationally
The STEM way of organizing clean dishes
Fastest Line at the Supermarket
When you are checking out after your grocery run with your kid, have some fun with Performance Modeling.
Clean Your Room Computationally
A clean room through sequential, systematic thinking.
Backseat code driver
Your child becomes the GPS -- and they need think computationally to give you the right instructions to get you to your destination.
Machine Learning: Fruit and Vegetable Labeling
Grocery shopping with your little one to teach data labeling
Planting a Garden as a Little Computational Gardener
Let your child become computational gardener while planting a garden.
The Merge Sort Algorithm Birthday Party
Arrange and order things (or, in this case, party guests) by comparing ages via the Merge Sort Algorithm.
Computational Thinking Approach to Language Learning
Help your child learn new words computationally.
Make Your Own Elephant tutorial: draw, pattern + construct!
Make a lovely, cushy creature using the design process + patterns!
Data-driven License Plate Game on Your Fun Trip
Allow your child to discover what state you are in while collecting and analyzing state plates’ symbols, colors, or slogans.
Bringing Pattern Recognition Into Ice Hockey
This is a game to play as you encourage your child to learn new sports.
Human Algorithm Design
Even if you are not aware, you intuitively create and apply algorithms in your daily life.
Computational Dietitian In Your Home
This is a game to play as you decide to go on a diet.
Analyzing Code as Data while Finding Hotel Room
You child will learn to recognize, create, and extend pattern recognition through hotel room experiment
Recognizing Musical Talent in Your Child while Computational Performing
When considering fun things to do with children, one of the most exciting options is acting, dancing, and singing together.
Data-driven approach to soccer coaching for little goalkeeper
You child will utilize computational and design thinking approaches while playing soccer
Organizing Mails Insertion Sort Algorithm
When mailman drops off mail(s), fun and educating Insertion Sort Algorithm game begins.
Ultimate Back Packing Game
Brings the computational logic to the art of backpack packing, including, prefetching and caching.
Backtrack For Lost Object
You and your child apply backtracking approach.
Who is the tallest person in your family?
Child relates the concept of Bubble Sort Algorithm back to real-life experience with siblings, parents, and friends.
Artificial Intelligence Assistant Game
Explore artificial intelligence and think computationally to abstract your questions and make things concrete instead of abstract.
Screenprinting to learn patterns
As the kids get older, we can start doing more interesting computational crafts. Today we were trying out making patterns, by using stencils and screen-printing too […]
Sorting coins with a Pattern Game
If you have a large pile of coins around, you can use it as a Pattern Game with your toddler. It’s a great way for them […]
Computational Exercise Game
Work out together while learning about Loops, Conditional Statements, and Sequences
The Costco Dance Game for Computational Thinking
Sequence a dance with your child, for a store you visit all the time
Pancakes with a side of Chemistry
They are Delicious, Computational, Chemical Creations
The Legendary, Delicious Sandwich Robot
Cook Up Something Delicious (or Strange) with Step-by-Step Computations
The Marshmallow Railroad Construction Challenge
Explore Engineering while Designing Your Own Railroad