Top Python Coding for Kids Course Review
Today I’ve decided to dive more into what makes a “python coding for kids” course so unique and special. I’d like to start with a quote from Python.org “Python is a programming language that lets you work quickly and integrate systems more effectively.” Believe it or not, there are many applications that use python coding, which are Youtube, Google engineers, Universities like Maryland, and just normal websites such as realestateagent.com. So as you can see how important the computer programming language is for kids to learn.
What is python used for? Well… it is used mainly for website development, data analysis, and automation. It is often referred to the science computing language.
Where did it even come from? The short version is that a guy named Guido van Rossum in the early 1980s was working on a project for the coding community called ABC. After working tirelessly on this he became fascinated with this idea of creating his own computer language. One of the main differences from other computer programmming languages is that Guido decided to use “indentations”. Other coders thought he was crazy, but it’s actually what sets python apart as it is “very readable”. It also doesn’t have any real error signals to alert you if code is wrong for variables and functions like Java for example. Python’s syntax is like english.
Online I’ve seen everything from python for kids absolutley FREE, to paperback python books, to online courses all ranging from $10 on udemy all the way up to $100 (usually coding bootcamps). So hopefully after you’re done reading this you’ll know which is the best option for your child to learn the amazing language of python. Just like anything else there’s always a learning curve, but if patient your child will be very versed with an additional programming coding skill added to the good ole’ resume, when they are old enough to get a job.
Python books for beginners is mainly what I see on amazon. Here’s a snapshot of a few along with one in there in scratch. However, I’m still not sure if this is exactly what a child needs as they’re just going to move over to the computer anyways to start learning there. I guess a book could be a good start, but most kids that I know would much rather read and go through tutorials on a computer instead of reading it on a paperback.
The next would be those lower end courses that are either FREE or around $10 – $30 bucks. Usually you can find these at Udemy, LearnPython.org, Codecademy, Youtube channels such as NPSstation, Six Feet Up Corp, and KidsCanCode, and I believe Codakid.com has a less expensive option too. The hardest part about all of these free python courses for kids are that they don’t come with any support. You kind of get what you pay for. If you’re going to go on Udemy for example to purchase $10, then just make sure you lower your expectations. Perhaps it is a good exposure starting point. But chances are that your child has already been exposed to Javascript a little bit so this could be just a step backwards. And for $50 bucks more you can get full online chat support, email, live webinars to help the child along the way. I think there’s a place for those lower end online education courses, but “coding” and specifically python is definitely not one of them. A hobby sure, but computer science education for homeschooling no way jose’! I might add as well that a lot of the free python courses for kids out there are really just dragging and dropping to solve puzzles. They deal more with the logic and not the actual “writing of the code” itself. Somethin’ to watch out for.
Lastly, you have the higher end courses and boot camps. Coding boot camps have proven to be successful if and that is a big “IF” you have the right instructor who can make it fun for the child. They’re nice for the child to get away for a week or a few days and code usually on a college campus setting. However, in researching some of these like even Tynker or Black Rocket, there’s a heft price to pay. Having to cover for meals, instructors, and even lodging or travel can prove to be very expensive. I’ve seen anywhere from $500 to $1,500. And with COVID-19 pandemic these camps weren’t even really able to fully run and a lot of them had to switch to online interaction, which were unprepared for. It’s hard to all of the sudden switch your business model like that.
Here at Simply Coding I would say that we’ve seen these challenges of all different types of python learning and have adapted to take the best of all 3. With the annual membership fee at right around $100 per year, a student can do the coding right from their home. Lessons are structured with text, video, and interactive graphic animation tutorials to prevent boredom and cater to each style of learning. There is also fun little activities and quizzes to go along with each lesson. With live weekly webinars and live chat support every step of the way has also proven to be helpful for our students. Now if you think your child would do better learning in a python coding camp, we also offer that too usually in the summer months. We also started offering a 10 day free trial to test the waters, which takes the nerves off the parents who don’t want to go all in if their kid doesn’t like it. And because Simply Coding is a small business, we can really give the attention to a student and don’t have any corporate rules or time cards to punch out. Specifically the python coding for kids course can be seen by clicking on this link so you can see how we teach it and what is included.
What is python used for? Well… it is used mainly for website development, data analysis, and automation. It is often referred to the science computing language.
Where did it even come from? The short version is that a guy named Guido van Rossum in the early 1980s was working on a project for the coding community called ABC. After working tirelessly on this he became fascinated with this idea of creating his own computer language. One of the main differences from other computer programmming languages is that Guido decided to use “indentations”. Other coders thought he was crazy, but it’s actually what sets python apart as it is “very readable”. It also doesn’t have any real error signals to alert you if code is wrong for variables and functions like Java for example. Python’s syntax is like english.
Online I’ve seen everything from python for kids absolutley FREE, to paperback python books, to online courses all ranging from $10 on udemy all the way up to $100 (usually coding bootcamps). So hopefully after you’re done reading this you’ll know which is the best option for your child to learn the amazing language of python. Just like anything else there’s always a learning curve, but if patient your child will be very versed with an additional programming coding skill added to the good ole’ resume, when they are old enough to get a job.
Python books for beginners is mainly what I see on amazon. Here’s a snapshot of a few along with one in there in scratch. However, I’m still not sure if this is exactly what a child needs as they’re just going to move over to the computer anyways to start learning there. I guess a book could be a good start, but most kids that I know would much rather read and go through tutorials on a computer instead of reading it on a paperback.
The next would be those lower end courses that are either FREE or around $10 – $30 bucks. Usually you can find these at Udemy, LearnPython.org, Codecademy, Youtube channels such as NPSstation, Six Feet Up Corp, and KidsCanCode, and I believe Codakid.com has a less expensive option too. The hardest part about all of these free python courses for kids are that they don’t come with any support. You kind of get what you pay for. If you’re going to go on Udemy for example to purchase $10, then just make sure you lower your expectations. Perhaps it is a good exposure starting point. But chances are that your child has already been exposed to Javascript a little bit so this could be just a step backwards. And for $50 bucks more you can get full online chat support, email, live webinars to help the child along the way. I think there’s a place for those lower end online education courses, but “coding” and specifically python is definitely not one of them. A hobby sure, but computer science education for homeschooling no way jose’! I might add as well that a lot of the free python courses for kids out there are really just dragging and dropping to solve puzzles. They deal more with the logic and not the actual “writing of the code” itself. Somethin’ to watch out for.
Lastly, you have the higher end courses and boot camps. Coding boot camps have proven to be successful if and that is a big “IF” you have the right instructor who can make it fun for the child. They’re nice for the child to get away for a week or a few days and code usually on a college campus setting. However, in researching some of these like even Tynker or Black Rocket, there’s a heft price to pay. Having to cover for meals, instructors, and even lodging or travel can prove to be very expensive. I’ve seen anywhere from $500 to $1,500. And with COVID-19 pandemic these camps weren’t even really able to fully run and a lot of them had to switch to online interaction, which were unprepared for. It’s hard to all of the sudden switch your business model like that.
Here at Simply Coding I would say that we’ve seen these challenges of all different types of python learning and have adapted to take the best of all 3. With the annual membership fee at right around $100 per year, a student can do the coding right from their home. Lessons are structured with text, video, and interactive graphic animation tutorials to prevent boredom and cater to each style of learning. There is also fun little activities and quizzes to go along with each lesson. With live weekly webinars and live chat support every step of the way has also proven to be helpful for our students. Now if you think your child would do better learning in a python coding camp, we also offer that too usually in the summer months. We also started offering a 10 day free trial to test the waters, which takes the nerves off the parents who don’t want to go all in if their kid doesn’t like it. And because Simply Coding is a small business, we can really give the attention to a student and don’t have any corporate rules or time cards to punch out. Specifically the python coding for kids course can be seen by clicking on this link so you can see how we teach it and what is included.
school teachers. I would say their goal is to get any type of coding exposure to ALL kids whether they are interested or not. Code.org boasts a high participation rate in female students and underrepresented minorities. Their program is geared to those of ages 5 years up to 18 years old. Like Scratch, it is a nonprofit and providing necessary computer science skills in every school. Their donors include Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and many more that have deep pockets and are passionate about kids learning technology. Code.org also organizes annually one of the largest coding for kids campaign in the USA called, “Hour of Code”. 
on your door each month and you open it up and enjoy! Bitsbox is all about getting kids prepared for the future of technology and do it by providing a box on your front porch once a month. Their motto is, “Your child may become a coder someday, or they may not. Either way, because tech is the future, Bitsbox will have them prepared”.( https://go.bitsbox.com/ ) As featured on SharkTank, the Bitsbox comes with instructions for the child and you as a parent that will help your child login online and start coding awesome projects. Bitsbox values on their website state: focus & attention, problem-solving, confidence, typing, together time, creativity. The brains behind Bitsbox were two ex-Google engineers that wanted to teach their own kids to code. 
type of tech company to last beyond a decade is amazing. iD Tech is doing it. They boast of having big partnerships with Adobe, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Epic Games, and Unity. It’s a very simple and straight forward process as they host in-person summer camps on college campuses. You go to the website: https://www.idtech.com/ and then click on “locations” and see if there’s a camp close to where you live. Their mission is “to create life-changing tech experiences tat embolden students to shape the future.” (https://www.idtech.com/about) 
THEIR DEFINITION: Now fast forward to current years and there are actually 3 versions: Fortnite: Save the World is designed as player-versus-environment game, with four players cooperating towards a common objective on various missions. The game is set after a fluke storm appears across Earth, causing 98% of the population to disappear, and the survivors to be attacked by zombie-like “husks”…..From missions, players are awarded a number of in-game items, which include hero characters, weapon and trap schematics, and survivors, all of which can be leveled up through gained experience to improve their attributes. Fortnite Battle Royale is a player-versus-player battle royale game for up to 100 players, allowing one to play alone, in a duo, or in a squad (usually consisting of three or four players). Weaponless players airdrop from a “Battle Bus” that crosses the game’s map. When they land, they must scavenge for weapons, items, resources, and even vehicles while trying to stay alive and attack other players, eliminating them….This forces remaining players into tighter spaces and encourages player encounters. The last player, duo, or squad remaining is the winner. Fortnite Creative is a sandbox game mode where players are given complete freedom to create anything they want on an island, such as battle arenas, race courses, platforming challenges and more. Epic Games reviews some of the most popular creations from Creative and rotate these into the Battle Royale map in an area called “The Block”.[1] Featured creations are also shown in the “Creative Hub.” SOURCE: 
So we get back to the question if Fornite is bad for kids. Now obviously, parents we want to be careful with our children and make sure there are not becoming addicted to playing FortNite or other video games. Because too much of one thing is never a good thing. Not sure who said that or who I’m quoting, but it is TRUE! However, I feel that some parents may just go “cold turkey” on the video games with their kids and then actually be depriving them of the actual computer screen time that could very well have led to their talents and gifts God has given them to become the next Microsoft genius or Facebook programmer. CONCLUSIONS: Now I’m not here to tell you what to do with your child. That is not the reason for this post. Plus there are hundreds of debates online that you can find on whether FortNite is good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, etc. etc. Just google, “fortnite bad for kids” and it will come up with 35 million results! Here at Simply Coding for kids we can tell very quickly with in the first 3 months if a child has the ability to become a great coder OR he or she just likes playing video games and learning to code is not his/her thing and should probably pursue something else. That kind of investment of a mere $60 bucks to find out if my child has what it takes is totally worth it in my opinion. This post is going a bit longer than what I wanted. If you want, we actually do a whole 
them? In a recent report, by the year 2020 
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TO FOLLOW YOU THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW, YOU ARE NO LONGER PRIVATE. Make sure you monitor the people your child allows to follow them. If you don’t k now who they are, ask. Being social media safe, means constant check ups to stay social media safe. If you have any questions on how to make your social media accounts private, 
Make sure you know who is commenting and liking their photos and posts. If you don’t know who someone is, ASK! 3. Account privacy is most important Teach your kid not to share passwords, even with their best friends. You never know who else will find out. Keeping information private is the best way to say safe on the internet. Teach your kids to logout of computers, even if they are personal or home computers. Also make sure to check your search engine settings. Most search engines allow parental controls that will help narrow the list of possible choices that appear when your children are surfing the internet. 4. Keep up with software Use antiviruses and pop-up blockers. There are plenty of free or pay-for-use pop-up blockers and antiviruses available on the internet. Antiviruses keep your computer safe from bugs and malware. This is just like putting up a fence to keep your toddler in the yard. It’s a precaution if everything else goes wrong. To find that best antivirus for windows,