Robots & toys to learn to code for preschoolers and children
The world is becoming increasingly digital, whether you are talking about computers that administer justice, or that determine whether or not a teacher is fired, up to and including working with Robokidz that take over more and more work from people so that the employees have to be retrained to to be able to control / monitor those robots. We are also sitting behind a screen more often and longer, and that will also apply to the new generation. That is why I think it is important that my children learn to deal with this at an early age and also understand this way of thinking.
Generation Z
Generation Z grows up with robots. It will soon be the most natural thing in the world for them. Today's children are already used to their parents communicating through their gadgets and 'controlling' devices with hand gestures. This teaches our children that you can interact with devices in many different ways. As a result, they have a completely different perception of technology. Technology is self-evident for many children, but they do not always understand how the software works. That is why it is very important for them to learn to code, in order to get better opportunities on the labor market. Fortunately, there are more and more toys that can help children with this, at school such as with the bee-bots, but also at home and in different price ranges and for different ages.
There is also a drawback to these technological developments. This creates challenges around the physical condition of the children and also problems with fine motor skills - simply because they no longer learn how to use colored pencils or how to play with blocks.
Why is coding important for children's development?
As I described, you cannot do without technology in the future. For example, a study by ING recently estimated that 35% of all jobs have a chance of becoming automated and disappearing. In some sectors it will be a true battlefield. A study by Oxford University estimates that the probability of shop assistants being replaced by technology within 10 years is 92%. However, that does not mean that there will be no more work for our children. Many new jobs will be created for which programming and ICT knowledge will be crucial. New jobs that were not even available a decade ago. Think of a 3D printer design specialist, a drone dispatcher or a neuro-implant technician. That is why it is important that children come into contact with this at an early stage.
Being able to use apps and other technologies is one thing, it is also nice to understand how it works. So that you are not only busy with using it passively, but can also use it actively. A bit, sign in a piece of code, consists of 8 1s or 0s. Together they give a certain meaning. When coding, you write a lot of those 1's and 0's in a row. I don't know if it is a coincidence, but Co de caterpillar also has 8 elements that you can add or not to give the caterpillar an assignment. In this way they learn to code and program at a young age. Not so much with bits and bytes, after all, they have to learn to write first. But the way of logical thinking that is behind it. It is a completely different way of reasoning.
Steve Jobs said it in clear terms: "Everybody in this country should learn to program a computer ... because it teaches you how to think." Joek van Montfort actually puts it even better and says: “Programming, the art of converting your imagination into something crystal clear, is extremely useful to introduce at primary school. It is an additional form of expression that stimulates language and thinking. It not only encourages trial and error, but also the will to improve trials until the mission is accomplished. ” After all, the usefulness of programming is not only in the end result such as the app, website or other application.
By learning to code, your child learns skills that they can greatly benefit from in many other professions. Think of skills such as:
- Creative and logical thinking
- Spatial awareness
- Problem solving ability
- Structuring
- Collaborate
Neelie Kroes is the European Commissioner for ICT and Telecom and, among other things, initiator of the European Code Week. In this video she explains why learning to code is important, but also fun and exciting. “The programming itself is fun and exciting, but that is nothing compared to what you can ultimately do with it. Learning to program is like becoming a secret agent. You will be able to understand things that many others don't even know exist. ” She also strongly emphasizes that coding is not only for boys, which is still often thought, but certainly also for girls.
Coding / programming toys for toddlers
Co-De-Rups Fisher Price
With Co-de-Rups, the little ones learn to program in a playful way. Co-de-Caterpillar is one of Fisher-Price's newer educational toys and 2016 Toy of the Year winner. This toy goes beyond learning ABCs and 1-2-3s: it teaches kids independently to think. It fosters 21st century skills such as curiosity, experimentation and problem solving in ways that children have not yet known. Your little one will discover new possibilities in a playful way. They learn cause and effect. Stimulates the eagerness to learn, now and later.
Younger children will have a lot of fun switching the segments and discovering that the caterpillar will move differently. Older children will experiment to find out how they can control the caterpillar's behavior themselves. That requires trying, observing and thinking carefully about what each segment contributes to the movement of the caterpillar.
Co-de-Rups stimulates abstract and technical reasoning skills. It teaches a child to make assumptions about the function of the different segments and to see through experimentation whether the assumption was correct or not. Then the child can use the acquired knowledge to manipulate the behavior of the caterpillar - in fact, program it.
Experimentation often involves trial and error, so it can also lead to frustration when things don't go as planned. Especially with younger children, some guidance from a parent will occasionally be necessary. These toys are also likely to promote causal reasoning in other areas. Especially children who like to understand technical matters will have a lot of fun with Co-de-Rups - even after 5 years.
Penguin stones
These penguins teach children to indicate direction, the directions, find the same and opposite, finish rows and give directions by means of arrows. In short, a lot of possibilities to get started with these nice stones. They are made from a natural resin / stone mix and are therefore ideal for indoor and outdoor use. After all, learning with penguins in nature is much more fun or how about freezing them in water and then thawing them again?
Codi, My robodino - VTech
Get to know different music styles, feelings and characters together with Codi, my robodino from vTech. Place the spines on Codi's back and see what happens! The set contains 3 spines per category; music style, feeling and character. Each color has its own shape so you can only place it in 1 place. This makes it possible to make 27 different combinations. Press the dino dance button to watch Codi dance. After playing, store the spines in the dino egg! A kind of first form of programming for children, but with sound.