Teach your kids coding with Swift Playgrounds, an educational app for iPad that makes learning to code fun and interactive.
Teach Your Kids to Code with Swift Playgrounds
We believe that coding and a knowledge of computer science is an essential part of our children’s education. However, the majority of schools don’t even teach computer science.
For the time being, it is up to us parents to initiate our kids into the world of bits and bytes. One of the ways we can facilitate this learning is through educational apps like Swift Playgrounds by Apple.
What’s Swift Playgrounds?
Swift Playgrounds is an educational app for iPad that makes learning to code fun and interactive.
Aspiring coders start off with the basics and then progress to more advanced programming concepts using Swift, a powerful and modern programming language created by Apple.
Starting with simple commands and functions, users will build up to more complex fundamentals of coding like for/while loops, conditional statements, and logical operators.
We started using Swift Playgrounds for Peyton (age 9) because her abilities had surpassed her previous learning tool, Coding Awbie by Osmo, which we also reviewed here.
This app is most suitable for literate children around 8 years old or older. It’s also great for users all the way up to adults who wish to learn the basics of coding in an intuitive, fun way.
What We Love About Swift Playgrounds
Our kid-coder loves the vibrant graphics and the cute main character named Byte. She programs Byte to collect gems and toggle switches.
She enjoys the challenge of solving puzzles in the dynamic 3D world in which Byte lives. When she is particularly tested on a difficult level, she roars in triumph when her code finally works and accomplishes the goals she had set out to achieve.
We love that our kids learn and write actual code when using Swift Playgrounds. Swift is used by many game programmers and software engineers in the real world.
Many apps on the Apple App Store are written using Swift. While our kids are coding for fun at present, eventually they can transfer their code over to Xcode and start writing legit apps.
We have only tested the downloadable content, Learn to Code, for Swift Playgrounds. However, there are a vast amount of various challenges we have yet to discover.
Not to mention, Swift Playgrounds is also compatible with several bluetooth accessories, like drones and robots, which are programmable to the coder’s desire. How fun!
Overall, Swift Playgrounds has proved to be an excellent learning tool for our kid-coders. It has provided hours upon hours of entertainment.
We highly recommend it for those parents wishing to add more STEM-based material into their children’s education.
Why is coding important?
If you’re not convinced that coding is an important component of your child’s education, here are some quick stats from Code.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing educational opportunities in computer science for students across the globe.
According to Code.org, 90% of parents want their child to study computer science, yet only 45% of schools teach computer programming. 67% of all new jobs in STEM are in computing.
Of all school subjects, kids enjoy computer science and arts the most. Finally, computing jobs are the #1 source of new wages in the United States and these jobs are projected to grow at twice the rate of all other jobs.
The Department of Labor estimates another 546,200 coding jobs will be added by 2028!
For some more great resources to get your little coder started off on the right track visit Computer Science Education Week, Code.org Coding Projects, and Hour of Code Tutorials and Activities.
Coding Apps for Kids
Check out the best coding apps for kids in this 2021 coding app round-up! We decided to put all of these apps to the test to see how well they engage and teach our kids to code! Learn how to get your kids started coding today!
Unplugged Coding Activities
Find more Elementary unplugged coding activities to work on basic coding skills!
Bitmap Coding Unplugged Coding Activity for Kids
Introduce algorithms with this hands-on unplugged coding activity for kids!
Teach Kids Binary Code with this 5-bit Binary Code Challenge
Teach kids binary code by exploring the binary number system, translate letters and numbers to binary code, convert binary code to text, decode a binary code message with the ASCII binary code alphabet, and grab a free binary code workbook for kids!
Fitness Coding Card Game: Unplugged Coding Activity
Are you ready to play the Fitness Code! This Fitness coding game teaches kids coding concepts, including conditionals and variables. This activity focuses on remaking the way we traditionally teach these concepts and uses large motor movements to reinforce the activity and make it a tangible, fun learning experience!
Earth Day Coding Recycling Sorting Activity
This Earth Day coding recycling sorting activity teaches children how conditional statements work while learning how to sort recyclables!
How to Code a Lion Directed Drawing Algorithm Art
Can you follow the algorithm and draw a lion in this directed drawing unplugged coding + art activity?
Pi Necklace Coding Unplugged Coding Activity
We love to pair math and technology to create fun art! This Pi Necklace coding activity is the perfect combination of math, binary, and hexadecimal coding for upper elementary and middle school students. It’s also an engaging Pi Day activity!
Guess the Animal Unplugged Boolean Coding Activity
Learn about boolean and comparison operators with this Guess the Animal boolean coding activity!
Layers of the Rainforest Unplugged Coding Activity
Explore the layers of the rainforest and code the correct animals to each layer using logical reasoning!
Rocket Ship Decomposition Unplugged Coding Activity
This rocket ship decomposition unplugged coding activity is designed to teach kids the concept of decompositions and algorithms!
Ahoy Algorithms Treasure Hunt Unplugged Coding Activity
Pair this pirate algorithm activity with the Magic Tree House! Use your coding skills to find the treasure in this treasure hunt unplugged coding activity!
Introduce Computer Programming with this Elementary Coding Activity
This elementary coding activity is a great introduction to the basics of computer programming and is ideal as a classroom coding resource or homeschool resource for kids in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Teach kids to code!
How to Code a Volcano
Learn about variables, sequences, algorithms, and loops and code a volcano!
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Meet Toni, the Maker Mom behind Our Family Code
Hey there, I’m Toni! I’m a software engineer and Maker Mom that finds my joy in unleashing my children’s curiosity by exploring STEAM concepts with my fantastic five!
When I’m not chasing toddlers or raising tweens, you can find me tearing things up and putting them back together over here at Our Family Code.
I am the owner and content creator of multiple educational websites designed to increase access to STEAM & STEM education with a focus on teaching computer science and coding to kids of all ages!
You can also find out more about me by visiting ToniGardner.com!
TechyKids Canada
Wednesday 22nd of September 2021
This is such an interesting way of making coding fun for kids. It can help them to learn and understand many coding concepts. Thanks for sharing this post!
Rebecca
Friday 5th of January 2018
Very cool. I wish I knew how do this stuff for myself.
Erin
Wednesday 3rd of January 2018
Wow! This is incredible and had never considered the need for this knowledge, but certainly will now. Thank you for sharing!
MindCocktail
Wednesday 3rd of January 2018
This sounds like a very cool ans useful app. I love apps that are both fun and productive for kids. Thank you for all the detailed information.
Emily
Tuesday 2nd of January 2018
This is such a cool idea! Can you imagine if they had this when we were kids? It sure would make building a website much more intuitive.