So, many of us are halfway through the holidays now! Or nearly halfway! How are you getting on? Need any new ideas for channels?
This week is a good week for recommendations that can help children get started on coding projects because most children get to a certain point in the holidays where they like something a bit more directional/stimulating to do...
This is a great area to focus on because you can use the videos as the base for an endless amount of projects. We asked children to help us review the channels this week so that we could find the ones that might really appeal for your family. It's also a great week for slightly older children.
Top Tip - If your children struggle with this sort of approach then - if you use a free platform like MakeCodeArcade - the tutorials are already built into the platform. They are also colour coded so even if you know nothing about coding you can sit with your child and help them easily because you are just matching colours together much of the time!
This approach works to help parents get involved with their child's coding, even with older children. At the end of the session you also get a QR code that allows you to download the game to you and your child's phones so you can play it together!
We have also included maths channels, but the type of channels we have focussed on are again the more open channels which could really get children thinking. As ever, if you have any of your own favourites that we haven't included please let us know in the comments!
1. Code the City: Wherever you are on your coding journey, we’d recommend you look at this overview and amazing free resources from local charity Coders Resources – Code The City - it isn’t one Youtube channel, it’s much more, but they have lots of interesting and safe projects and tutorials. Our channel checkers said – this site would peak interest from any level of coder, with lots of great resources available to anyone.
2. Numberphile: A fun and entertaining channel that explores various mathematical concepts through engaging animations and demonstrations. Our channel checkers said – this is quite an advanced maths channel, it’s definitely not primary school level for most children. Good for students targetting exams, 14+ Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/numberphile
3. Mathantics: This channel provides clear and concise explanations of mathematical concepts, making it easy for kids to understand. Our channel checkers said – “it would be good for primary school children with varying levels of concept and explanations. The way it’s explained is entertaining for primary ages. It’s probably best for P3 upwards. Most children would advance past this by P7.” Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/mathantics
4. Vi Hart: We really enjoy Vi Hart videos! She creates captivating math videos, often using doodling and visual representations to explain mathematical ideas in a playful manner. Our channel checkers said – “it would probably interest children from ages P5 upwards, although younger children might watch the pattern generation even if they don’t understand the maths. It is an inspirational channel because it is a unique format which explains ideas in a simple but imaginative way.” Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/Vihart
5. TED-Ed: TED-Ed's math and coding playlists are a treasure trove of animated lessons that explore fascinating concepts in an entertaining way. Cybersafe Channel Checkers say – “It’s really interesting and varied content, including but not limited to maths, problem solving, mythology, history and literature.” (14 year old checker) “It gives you big brain!” (10 year old checker) Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation
6. Griffpatch This channel offers interesting and fun content for more advanced scratch users (starting projects are quite basic but there is lots of more advanced content for older users). Good for ages 10+. Our Channel checkers said – “This channel is easy to build off of – using the information he gives you in his videos you can get better at coding really fast because he explains well how to do everything and how to fix the different things.”
Link: griffpatch - YouTube
7. Tom Scott: We could have put Tom Scott anywhere, he is British Youtuber with really positive content. His educational YouTube channel covers a wide range of interesting topics, including science, technology, and geography.... however he is actually a coder and a number of his videos relate to coding through a different lens to other channels. Our channel checker (aged 14) said: “His content reflects and shows his viewers his experiences as he explains topics clearly and effectively. Some of his videos look at coding, specifically in the fields of advancement in linguistic coding and AI development.” Age 10+ Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/enyay
8. Code.org features educators and computer scientists teaching coding concepts for kids. Their channel both shows real-world examples of how and where coding might be put into practice, but also in some cases how you could go about it. Our channel checkers said: “the channel’s videos are relatively short, but this keeps your interest and they cover clearly a wide variety of content and code. It is a good channel to have in your family mix. It’s also good to see lots of female as well as male presenters.” Age rating – 8+ Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/CodeOrg
9. The Coding Train - Daniel Shiffman: The Coding Train has collaborations with female coders and features beginner-friendly coding tutorials. Often the presenter offers content which is quite advanced, in the form of challenges, although for those who already know the basics of coding, his videos are easy to understand and informative. Our channel checkers said: his content is directed at a variety of different levels of coders. However, the presenter’s challenges might not be best suited to learners who are new to coding. Age rating – 11+ Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/shiffman “He is humorous in his presentation (perhaps read a bit annoying for Mums and Dads?!) but his content is informative, so I enjoyed his channel”
10. TheNewBoston - TheNewBoston itself provides informative, simple tutorials for coders with basic skills in programming languages such as python and html. Our channel checkers said: “the channel explores interesting project ideas we think many young people would be excited to use – and presents the coding required clearly.” “There are also great female coders on the platform - we like Tasha, she is a coder who contributed to the channel, offering various coding tutorials for beginners.” Age rating – 10+ Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/thenewboston
As always, we have checked these channels to try to ensure they are not only child friendly, however we still recommend you supervise your children's online activities to ensure the content aligns with your values and interests!
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