First up in our coding for kids series is practice at writing instructions. This is a really simple activity with potentially very funny results.
I asked my 7 year old to write me two sets of instructions, one for packing his bag for swimming and one for making his favourite sandwich.
He did really well, but missed a couple of key things. He forgot to add a towel to the swimming bag, and didn't mention what tools to use to make his sandwich, I'm also not sure where the second slice of bread came from.
The key point of this activity is getting the detail, a computer doesn't know you need a towel to dry yourself after swimming, it can only follow instructions, so they must be complete. I didn't send him swimming without a towel as that would just be mean, but we did try to make the sandwich without a knife and without knowing where to get the second slice of bread or the peanut butter from.
See our coding for kids introduction post for more creative ideas to help children think like a programmer.
Last Updated on April 5, 2016 by Emma Vanstone
Enchanted Schoolroom says
So very glad that you focused on "Writing Instructions" 🙂
As a programmer, I am very happy to see it.
Looking forward to reading more of the series.
TechyKids Canada says
This is a really good idea and a great way to get kids into practice. Thanks for sharing!