Explaining programming to a child [closed]

Question

How could I try to explain programming to a child, about 6 to 8 years old?

Answer 1

You could have the child tell you how to do something (this should be a task that the child fully understands how to do). Then play the following game:

• Ask the kid to give you very specific instructions.
• Follow the instructions the child gives you, as he/she says them.
• If you feel that his/her instructions are too high-level, ask for clarification.
• Deliberately mis-interpret vague instructions.

This should help to explain how you instruct a computer to these certain tasks. You can then explain that once you teach the computer how to do something, it can repeat that task over and over again, very quickly:

Imagine if you could teach a computer to clean your room for you!

Answer 2

Depends on what level of detail you want to go into. By 6, most kids are able to understand the concept of computer programs, or at least video games. You can explain programming by saying that it's about creating computer programs by making lists of instructions for the computer to follow.

If you want to introduce concepts like formal logic and bugs, try an analogy. It's like that robot on the TV shows who will always do exactly what the bad guy tells it to do--you know the one--and when the bad guy doesn't get his instructions just right, the robot does something silly.

Answer 3

Let him play Light-Bot 2.0 or 1.0: http://armorgames.com/play/6061/light-bot-20 Worked for my kid even when he was just 3 years old! :) Amazing game! Kids can discover basics of procedural programming, recursion and conditionals themselves without any explanation from you! ;)

Answer 4

Teach him to cook.

You can do cooking by following written instructions, step by step, just like a simple computer does while following a piece of software.

Answer 5

My first contact with programming was with Logo. And I still have a good feeling about it today.

I think the "turtle" is the key to get your kids interested in the stuff. Showing them line of code will not make them exited ;)

They want to move the turtle !

Logo is also much more adapted since kids of 6 years old. They are learning how to read and write at that age.

Answer 6

Depends on the 6 year old.

Answer 7

I'd explain it as making a list of things that you want the computer to do. Then explain that computers speak a different language so you have to type the list in one of the languages computers can speak.

That seems simple enough for even a small child to understand.

Answer 8

Don't bother, play football with them instead. :o)

Answer 9

try explaining how did the calculator get it's digit displayed.

one

I
I

two

_ _
_ _ I
I_ _

three

_ _
_ _ I
_ _ I

eight

  _ _
I _ _ I
I _ _ I

Someting like, when one press key 8 all the lights get turned on for number 8. When pressing key 1, 2 lights are turned on for number 1, etc.

Answer 10

You might consider introducing the child to Scratch, which is specifically designed to get children involved/interested in programming.

My son started to plya with it around 7, although he was mostly just playing with the interface - making things larger or smaller, duplicating sprites, that sort of thing.

He's 9 now, and going much deeper, with a developing understanding of the event model and changing the behaviour of the components. He wants to know why things don't work the way he wants and what can be done about that.

He plays with it when he wants for as long as he wants, with encouragement (admittedly) from me, but no pressure.

Answer 11

When someone doesn't know how to talk to a computer, they tell me and then I tell the computer what to do.

I've been asked this same question by adults and I'm tempted to give this answer because my current answer seems to be way over their head (at least the expression on their face seems to indicate that.).

Answer 12

You can give Lego NXT a try. Fun for the kids to build a simple robot and give it simple instructions to complete simple tasks using their UI-based programming interface.

Answer 13

I picked this up a couple of years ago: C-Jump Boardgame. My son is 7 so I think he still has some time before he's truly interested in programming. If and when that happens hopefully the game will help.

Answer 14

Try to find a reference that makes sense to the persons specific frame of mind.

You can make comparisons with other tasks that involves controlling something through instructions, like writing musical notes or cooking recepies, or working as a football coach or an ochestra conductor.

Answer 15

Don't try explaining it to them... let them ask! Instead, focus on trying to inspire them.

I'm a programmer because I found a BASIC manual in the drawer beside my dad's brand-new XT when I was 8. After realizing that I could make the computer do stuff by typing the commands in that book, I was inspired, and have been ever since. My dad never explained anything!