Level Up Kids coding summer camps make computer programming fun

Coding is the language of the future. With automation looming on the horizon and its ability to replicate the duties of professions cheaply and efficiently without a human supervisor, many jobs in the coming years will rely on the ability to manipulate computers. Not being able to understand programming languages will soon be on a par with attempting to move to the Middle East without knowing a word of Arabic.

There’s no doubt that coding is one of the most important skills parents can teach their kids—but with many adults in the dark about where to start, sending children to camp can be a great first step.

Level Up Kids focuses on teaching eight- to 15-year-olds how to approach technology through creative, kid-friendly classes. Each camp operates over three days, and 11 different options are on offer. Lessons on game design and development, making a mobile app, creating a YouTube channel, and building and programming a robot are among some of the special areas of focus, with computer time interspersed with high-energy outdoor games and fun camp activities.

The classes will involve instruction on basic languages like HTML, CSS, and more advanced work on Python and the fundamentals of game programming. The ever-popular Minecraft game will act as a jumping off point in a number of classes, teaching kids how to build their own virtual worlds from the ground up and reach well beyond simple gameplay. Recognizing that coding is an important skill for both boys and girls, 10 of the classes will be mixed, while the eleventh—Coding for Girls—will focus on teaching young women only.

As well as technical instruction, the programs aim to develop children’s proficiency in problem solving, abstract and quantitative reasoning, verbal argument construction, mathematics modelling, strategic thinking, and attention to detail—not least because, as any beginner coder will quickly realize, not a single comma and quotation mark can be misplaced.

Most of all, though, the camps are designed to be fun—so while little Johnny and Judy might be on track for becoming the next Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Sheryl Sandberg, there’s plenty of time to hang out and play away from the screens.

Level Up Kids coding is at BCIT in Burnaby. The 11 three-day camps run from July 10 to August 25. Check out the website for more details.

Follow Kate Wilson on Twitter @KateWilsonSays