5 AMAZING BOARD GAMES TO HELP ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS LEARN ABOUT CODING
How do children learn best? When they’re having fun! While perhaps the STEM and STEAM classes we attended as children didn’t always light a fire within us, the experiments and classes that stick with us into adulthood are those that push us to become teachers. That’s why it’s so important to find as many ways as possible to not only encourage children to embrace STEAM, but also encourages children of all levels to have a go at coding, and one of the best ways to do this is with boardgames.
Gather your class into groups, and let them try their hands at some of the amazing board games listed below:
1. Bloxels
Bloxels does require the use of a tablet or mobile device, but the main game takes place on a physical board. Bloxels uses a board and physical blocks to allow children to create game levels, pictures, and stories that they can then share with the rest of the class on a mobile device. There’s even now a Star Wars edition if you want to incorporate the game into a lesson about space.
2. CodingFarmers
CodingFarmers requires no electronic devices. Instead, it is a traditional board game that introduces children to Java programming through gameplay. They don’t just learn coding concepts, but also how to write and read Java, and it is a great starting point for beginners.
3. Future Coders Robot Races
This is a game that actually gets kids up on their feet – so be prepared to go outside or push all the desks and chairs to the edge of the room. This game can be found on Amazon, and the kids pretend to be robots moving around the board placing the tiles with arrows that tell them the only direction they can go, which helps them learn sequencing and coding logic.
4. Code Master Programming Logic Game
This board game is made as a single player game, but you can also play it as a class or use it for afterschool clubs. It has 10 maps and 60 levels to teach kids (and adults!) how the coding process works, to understand sequential reasoning, and problem-solving skills that will help them in front of the computer.
5. Bits and Bytes Card Game
This game is just on a set of cards, so you don’t have to set anything up or worry about where to store multiple packs since a class-worth will fit in a drawer. This card game teaches children coding logic and problem-solving skills, using colorful characters named after technical terms, like Data, Byte, and Bug. The kids have to help their characters get home and is suitable for children as young as 4, so is great for a class’s first introduction to coding.