programming Archives

Educational Games Roundup, Image by White77 from Pixabay

GeekMom Review Roundup: 50+ Educational Games, Activities, and Apps

March 25, 2020March 24, 2020Sophie Brown

I have reviewed dozens of educational apps, games, activity books and more, here is a roundup of over 50 of these, organized by subject.

‘MYnd Kraft’: 7 Programming-Based Card Games in 1

August 27, 2018August 27, 2018Sophie Brown

MYnd Kraft is a card game based on programming principles that is suitable for kids age seven and up. It is currently funding on Kickstarter.

Clickd Cover Image: Disney Publishing Worldwide

‘Click’d’: The Programming Was the Easy Part

September 5, 2017December 12, 2017Dakster Sullivan

A glitch in Allie’s viral app has done more than hurt her program. It may also cost her her friends.

Business or Pleasure: Which Laptop Is Best for Your Family?

January 5, 2017December 11, 2017Evil Genius Mum

New Year, New Devious Plans. I need some new hardware but I’m not sure which laptop best suits our Evil Genius needs. So, ASUS sent me two. *grin

Child, hacker. Image credit: Flickr user donnieray, CC BY 2.0

The Ultimate-est List of Toys, Kits, and Books to Teach Kids Coding

December 6, 2016December 15, 2017Ariane Coffin

An updated list of toys, kits, and books that teach kids to code. Perfect for celebrating Hour of Code or under your Yuletide tree.

Hour of Code Lesson Ideas: Back to Basics

December 5, 2016December 9, 2017Evil Genius Mum

When I say ‘Lesson Plan’, it comes with a disclaimer. But yeah—I am totally taking over the world, and my kids’ classroom, for an hour of code next week.

EXCLUSIVE – Toy of The Year Technology Category Review and Giveaway!

November 21, 2016December 9, 2017Dakster Sullivan

If the toys had an Oscars, the Toy of the Year Awards would be it. Enter our exclusive giveaway to win some of the toys being nominated!

Kickstarter Alert: Movin’ With the Mover Kit

May 18, 2016December 8, 2017Evil Genius Mum

The Mover Kit: Wearable tech for kids; with a huge range of possibilities to code, create, and encourage kids to do more. It’s fairly simple in appearance but like any child’s imagination – it’s the potential within which is amazing.

Electronics for Teens With Creation Crate

March 20, 2016December 8, 2017Jenny Bristol

Many STEM-based subscription boxes that I’ve seen have been targeted toward younger kids, getting them excited about STEM subjects early. This is a very good thing, of course. But what about older kids and teens?

Free One-on-One Programming Mentorships With Recurse Center

January 21, 2016December 7, 2017Ariane Coffin1

The center which provides educational retreat for programmers will now be offering free one-on-one mentorships for beginning programmers with a retreat alum.

Interview: PlayStation First and the Gaming Community

December 20, 2015December 4, 2017Evil Genius Mum

Now the Hour of Code is finished, what do you do with your budding game developers? EG Mum takes a look at one of the academic programmes for older students and interviews Dr Maria Stukoff, Head of PlayStation First.

Start Kids on a Coding Adventure with the ‘Minecraft’ Hour of Code

November 16, 2015December 4, 2017Kelly Knox

The Hour of Code Minecraft tutorial, aimed at kids ages 6 and up, encourages young Minecraft fans to learn to code with Blockly, a simple drag-and-drop interface.

Starting from Scratch © Sophie Brown (Scratch and Python Logos used under Creative Commons License 2.0)

Starting From Scratch: Developing Interest

October 10, 2015December 4, 2017Sophie Brown

In my experience, it is nearly impossible to teach a child something they’re not interested in learning. Before I begin discussing codes and programming languages, I wanted to get my son interested in the subject at a surface level.

Learn Computer Science Concepts With This New Graphic Novel

October 1, 2015December 15, 2017Ariane Coffin

There’s a brand new graphic novel on the market this week, and it merges fiction, programming, puzzles, and a big mystery!

‘Minecraft’ Server Design From Youth Digital

August 21, 2015December 3, 2017Rory Bristol

The author describes his experience learning how to code ‘Minecraft’ servers with his son through Youth Digital’s new class ‘Minecraft’ Server Design.

Microsoft YouthSpark: Learn to Code

May 30, 2015December 2, 2017Jenny Bristol

Kids have the opportunity to learn how to code at an extremely early age these days. I thought I was doing pretty well by starting in the 9th grade back in the ’80s. But now, if you are old enough to use a tablet or computer, you’re old enough to learn to code.

Introducing the 2015 Summer Immersion Program at Girls Who Code

January 20, 2015December 2, 2017Ariane Coffin

Sophomore and junior high school girls are encouraged to apply to the Girls Who Code 7-week summer immersion program, offered in about a dozen cities across the U.S.

Don’t Miss the Hour of Code – December 8-14!

December 3, 2014November 26, 2017Maryann Goldman

Take advantage of this year’s Hour of Code to introduce your child to programming, sharpen your child’s programming skills, or even give programming a try for yourself

Zenith Z-19 Terminal. Photo credit: Flick user ajmexico, CC BY 2.0

How Popular Programming Languages Got Their Names

November 2, 2014November 23, 2017Ariane Coffin1

Ever wondered why C++ ended up with two pluses instead of one? Did the creators of Java have a particular fixation with coffee? Read on to find out!

International Scratch Day: Saturday, May 17!

May 15, 2014November 26, 2017Fran Wilde

Do your kids Scratch? Nope, this isn’t a medical question. Scratch is a free programming language developed for kids.