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Heart Tree Directed Drawing Valentine’s Day Coding

This heart tree directed drawing teaches kids to follow an algorithm to make tech art! This screen-free activity is a great Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day unplugged coding activity!

After completing the activity, kids can work together to communicate their written program to their peers (or siblings in our case) to test out and debug their Love Tree code.

Similar coding activities are also available on coding websites and applications for kids including Scratch, Kodable, and Code.org.

A picture of a Valentine's Day coding activity heart tree.

This algorithm art love tree activity is a great unplugged coding activity for kids K-8 to learn how actions can be turned into algorithms.

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A gif of a heart tree directed drawing growing digitally.

Algorithm Art Heart Tree

An algorithm is a defined list of steps for performing a task. This type of instruction is also found in directed drawing activities. We decided to take our directed drawing a step further and create an opportunity to work on computational thinking skills as well.

I have four kids that range in age from 11 years old to 1 year old. They heart tree algorithm doodling because you never really know what you are going to get sometimes since they interpret verbal instructions differently because of their ages.

Pseudocode is a mix of everyday language and code that describes an algorithm. Pseudocode is a great way to illustrate how everyday actions can be translated into code.

Love Tree Pseudocode  

Draw your own tree trunk on a sheet of paper. We started with just the two sides of the tree trunk and no limbs branching out.

Without looking at any pictures of the completed Love tree algorithm art in this post, follow the pseudocode below to draw your Love Tree.

  1. Draw a long line that extends out from the tree trunk.
  2. Draw three small diagonal lines branching off the left side of your long line.
  3. Draw a heart at the end of every small line.
  4. Draw three small diagonal lines branching off the right side and symmetrical to the small lines on the left side.
  5. Draw a heart at the end of every small line.
  6. Repeat until there is no longer any more space

By following the pseudocode, you should end up creating a Love Tree like the ones below. Don’t worry if your Love Tree is slightly different though!

A picture of a completed heart tree directed drawing algorithm activity.
FI Patchwork Heart Resist+Art Logical+Thinking+Activity+for+Kids
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Patchwork Heart Resist Art Logical Thinking Activity

Create resist art with this logical thinking patchwork heart art activity!

Alogorithm+Art Teach+Kids+to+Code Valentine's Day Coding+Activity+for+Kids Our+Family+Code
I LOVE that my 6-year-old wrote “Love Lives Here” on her love tree!

Code a Heart Tree – Write Your Program

This heart tree directed drawing activity can be adapted to more advanced kid coders by having them translate the Love Tree pseudocode into commands, functions, and loops.

Use the following commands to code your Love Tree:

  • Draw a long line that extends out from the tree trunk = draw line ( )
  • Draw three small diagonal lines branching off the left side of your long line = draw left ( )
  • Draw a heart at the end of every small line = draw heart ( )
  • Draw three small diagonal lines branching off the right side and symmetrical to the small lines on the left side = draw right ( )

Write a Function for your Love Tree

A function is a group of commands that can be run with one line of code rather than using multiple lines.

To define a function, enter a set of commands between the { and } curly brackets to define the repeated behavior.

Functions

func __________ ( ) {

______________ ( )

______________ ( )

}

I’m going to call my function “branch” because the entire function should complete a single branch with six twigs that end in hearts. You can name your function whatever you’d like.

Function – branch

func branch ( ) {

draw line ( )

draw left ( )

draw heart ( )

draw right ( )

draw heart ( )

}

Write a Loop for your Love Tree

To call a function multiple times, we’ll need to write a loop and enter the number of times to repeat it.

For this algorithm art love tree activity, you should be able to loop at least 10 times. You can determine the number of times you’d like your code to repeat using the code below.

For Loop

for i in 1 … __{

______________ ( )

}

To write the loop, plug in your function and the number of times that your function needs to repeat.

Heart Tree Code

for i in 1 … 10 {

branch ( )

}

Practice with Friends – Take Turns Being the Computer

Another fun way to do this activity is to work in a large group to identify your commands.

After you have established the commands and function, you can practice by writing your own code for a friend and see how they act as the machine and run your program.

Change up the number of loops and see what happens. Did their love tree turn out the way you thought it would?

A picture of a heart tree directed drawing Valentine's Day coding activity for kids.

WHY ARE UNPLUGGED CODING ACTIVITIES IMPORTANT?

Unplugged coding activities are designed to build the foundation of coding. These activities allow kids to participate in kinesthetic opportunities that help them relate the concepts they are learning to their own lives.

Unplugged coding activities teach children how to think logically about objects, how to break down large tasks into smaller tasks that are easier to complete, and how to identify errors.

Working hands-on makes coding concepts tangible and unplugged coding activities are ideal for young coders.

Unplugged activities are great for classrooms or homes that don’t have access to the internet or a computer and ideal for young students who don’t have experience working with computers. It’s never too early to start teaching the foundation of coding.

Recommended: Bitmap Coding Unplugged Coding Activity for Kids

What is Computational Thinking?

Computational thinking can be used to solve problems in almost all areas of our lives and helps kids develop some pretty great life skills that can apply to a variety of situations. A computational thinker approaches problems by:

  • Experimenting and playing to solve a problem that might have more than one possible solution
  • Working together with others to reach a common goal
  • Persevering when faced with a difficult problem
  • Finding and fixing errors in complex problems
  • Designing and making solutions for open-ended problems
  • Understanding their own strengths and weaknesses

Computer Programming Books for Kids

We love incorporating books into our activities. Here are some great books about coding to read with heart tree directed drawing activity!

Find more Coding Activities for Kids

Looking for more hands-on Valentine’s Day STEAM Activities?

This STEAM Kids books features 14 activities that are perfect for Valentine’s Day including:

A picture of STEAM Kids Valentine's Day ebook affiliate image.

Inside you’ll find entertaining and educational projects like:

– Super Sized Crystal Hearts
– Valentine’s Day Speakers
– Magnetic Attraction
– Rocket Valentines
– LED Roses
– STEAM Challenge Cards

PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THIS ACTIVITY FOR LATER!

A picture of a Valentine's Day coding activity for kids.

Directed Drawing Coding Activity for Kids

Learn how algorithms work by following directed drawing instructions to create tech art with these unplugged coding algorithm art activities for kids!

Meet Toni, the Maker Mom behind Our Family Code

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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!

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