Camp Stats
Ages 7-9
Instructor Ratio: 6:1 (typical)
Skill Level: Beg/Int
Prerequisites: None
Platforms: Scratch or Snap!
Camp Description
This game design camp is all about coding games – and the awesomeness that comes from it! From Frogger to Tron or even classics like Breakout or Flappy Bird, our Code Coaches will help choose the right computer game(s) for our campers. In this day camp, we'll not only create a real functioning game from scratch, we'll practice the fundamental coding concepts required in any language, learn how to think logically, and have fun while doing game development. Using Scratch, MIT’s popular drag-and-drop programming language, campers will code cool playable games with guidance from our seasoned Code Coaches, and have a sweet Friday afternoon demo for parents to see! Because we do all our coding online, campers can log into their account at any time during or after camp to show off what they’ve done, and even keep adding to their game!
Teaching Platform
Scratch is the most widely used teaching tool for kids today. Kudos to the folks at MIT who created it, Scratch is great because it’s so graphical and easy to start with, but can support even the most complex logic that computer science professionals use. Think your little camper “knows Scratch” already? They don’t! That’s the beauty of what we teach – it’s not the language (the “syntax”) that matters , it’s the practice of thinking through a problem and applying a solution (the “logic”) that’s critical to ANY coding language – and any future career, for that matter! Some locations may choose to use
Snap! instead, a similar language created by Berkeley (that they even use to teach Berkeley college freshman through game development!).
Concepts Learned
What will campers learn? Lots of cool stuff! Our in-person summer camps focus on coding apps from scratch in a hands-on way. We’re not just relying on a platform to change parameters in a game, we’re actually doing sequential coding through logical steps. Campers will gain general skills like problem solving, teamwork, code debugging, and perhaps most importantly, all campers will learn and practice the logical thinking skills required to program a computer at any level! In addition campers will gain and practice important coding concepts that may include:
Variables, Loops, and If/Then Logic
Cartesian Coordinates and Sprite Movement
Video Game Design and Efficient Gameplay
Event Detection
Score Keeping and Game Design
Simple Math Logic
and More!
Skill Level
Kids with very little or no coding background can join us for this beginner’s tech camp. And, because we have a number of games up our sleeves, even the more advanced elementary school coders can learn and have fun in our camp by coding more complex games. If your camper is a regular Coder School student however, be sure to check with us first, as sometimes this material is covered in more detail in our regular after-school Coaching sessions.
Read about
Private+Semi-Private Coaching,
Virtual Learning,
Coding Classes,
Robotics,
Python,
Scratch,
or
Video Game Coding
or check out our
general blog
or our
student blogs
What is theCoderSchool? We are an after-school drop-off (and virtual) program for kids
learning to code - a coding school! There's after-school kung fu. There's after-school music
lessons, sports, art, tutoring, Chinese, you name it, it's out there. But
coding classes for kids? Founded in 2013, we're the first of many, and the largest in Silicon Valley with more locations on the
way around the country. The future will be ever more dependent on technology so let's get
our young generation ready. Learn to Code, Change the World®.
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