I enjoy sharing the fun and creative side of programming, so when I learned that coding related activities are in high demand at my community library, I jumped at the chance to spearhead coding workshops for kids. This was a full circle moment for me, as I recall the story times and workshops I attended at this very library during my own childhood. Now, the privilege is mine to contribute to the memories of a new generation of kids and kindle their curiosity towards programming.
One of the workshops I developed was aimed at getting the kids to learn basic coding concepts with Python. Among the workshops I created, one of my favorites centered around teaching kids how to code using Python’s Turtle library to create art. To ensure the activities were visually engaging, I provided a step-by-step guide that the kids could refer to as they experimented in an online editor.
You can find the step-by-step guide for the workshop here.
The workshop covered topics like functions and passing arguments, as well as using loops to simplify repetition. While I used many analogies to help kids understand the concepts, the hands-on aspect proved to be the most effective method.
I am hoping that this initiative becomes a long-term offering at the library. The workshops were very well-received, and many parents are inquiring about future sessions. I am truly glad to have been able to make a positive impact on my community.
Until next time,
Iris