The latest release from No Starch Press, the market leader in kids programming books, offers a fun new way to learn to code.
The “Scratch Coding Cards” (US$24.95 for75 laminated cards) are a colorful collection of activities that introduce children to creative coding. The illustrated activity cards provide a playful entry point into Scratch, the graphical programming language used by millions of children and teens around the world. The deck of cards makes it easy for kids to learn how to create a variety of interactive projects that connect to their interests. They can create a racing game, animate an interactive story, design a virtual pet, and more.
Each card features step-by-step instructions for beginners to start coding. The front of the card shows an activity kids can do with Scratch—such as animating a character or keeping score in a game. The back shows how to snap together blocks of code to make the projects come to life. Along the way, kids learn key coding concepts, such as sequencing, conditionals, and variables. This collection of coding activity cards is perfect for sharing among small groups in homes, schools, and after-school programs.
The “Scratch Coding Cards” (http://tinyurl.com/h8s3va6) were developed by Natalie Rusk, a lead researcher on the Scratch Team at the MIT Media Lab. Rusk is one of the lead developers of Scratch and works as a research scientist in the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. Rusk co-founded The Computer Clubhouse, an international network of after-school centers where young people learn to use new technologies to express themselves creatively.