Parents' Guide to Tynker Junior: Coding for Kids

Where coding logic games for kids often become tedious and repetitive, this breath of fresh air assumes that kids understand the concept of moving forward a number of steps and skips the drudgery. Tynker Junior has cute animals, quirky customizable robots, and a fun environment. Kids will delight in designing items such as aquariums and dancing robots as they progress. But the best part of all may be that there is no need to place 10 commands to move forward 10 spaces, which is often one of the most irritating things about coding apps. Instead, Tynker Junior has some levels where the characters move until they hit a wall, and others where kids specify a number to show how many times to repeat the movement. It not only removes the tedium, but it simplifies a concept that a lot of kids struggle with when first learning to code. While learning their coding skills, kids will also practice matching shapes and objects and counting. They'll even learn a bit more about wildlife, including endangered species. The creative studios add a great element of open-ended play and exploration. This is a wonderful intro for kids who are a bit too young for Tynker, and older kids may enjoy some of it, too.