What young people can achieve with code

Every week at Code Club, thousands of children as young as eight are learning how to code. Many of these children are using their newfound knowledge to make things that are smart, creative, funny, and also useful in their wider community.

Coolest Projects is an annual showcase of the work that young digital makers are producing in Code Clubs, CoderDojos, and Raspberry Jams across the world. We spoke to some of the young participants who were at the UK event last month to find out more about what they’ve been coding.

Liya and Gabriella, both 11

Liya and Gabriella won the Scratch category at Coolest Projects with their game Toad Ahoy! The girls used the skills they learned at their Code Club in Somerset to code a complex multi-level game in Scratch.

Can you describe your project?
Liya: Our game is called Toad Ahoy, and in the game you have the Mario character Toad and you have to guide him to Toadette. To do this, you go through an obstacle course, but there is a possibility that you could fall into the lava and die, so you have to be careful.
Gabriella: In our project, you run around the world collecting stars and moving towards the portals. However, you have to be quick! You are being timed, and the fastest people will reach the leaderboard. The amount of stars that you collect is doubled, then taken away from your time, so the more stars you collect the better — if you can be fast at the same time.

What was your favourite thing about attending Coolest Projects?
Liya: My favourite thing about Coolest Projects was that you could share all these amazing things that these kids have done, and you also learn more about different projects, so you could be encouraged to make another project in that style.
Gabriella: Our experience at Coolest Projects was great, and I particularly enjoyed looking at other people’s projects.

Haseeb, 8

Haseeb caught our attention at Coolest Projects due to how confidently he presented his coding project to the judges. He learns how to code in a variety of programming languages, including Scratch, HTML, and Python, at his Code Club in a library in London.

Can you describe your project?
Haseeb: My project name is Robotic Pet. The aim of it is to entertain. It has two functionalities:

1. Follow using Pixy Cam: it first creates a signature of the object shown and keeps it inside its memory. Then, through a feedback loop, it adjusts the position of the robot.
2. Paint with music using colour sensor: when different coloured cards are placed, my Robotic Pet can detect the colour and play a different sequence of tunes. It is programmed using an ‘if and else’ loop.

 

 

What was your favourite thing about attending Coolest Projects?
Haseeb: My favourite thing was:

1. I made lots of new friends
2. Getting to try out lots of cool programmes and gadgets
3. The swag bag with cool stickers and especially the Blinkt, which I used to make a mini fireplace

Zaahra, 9

Zaahra had one of the most beautiful projects at Coolest Projects and even designed her own T-shirts inspired by her Scratch game! She masters coding every week at a Code Club in East London.

Can you describe your project?
Zaahra: My project is a game that I developed on Scratch. It is called Mystical Madness. The aim of the game is to move the unicorn to catch the rainbow cupcakes — the more you catch, the more points you get. Be careful of the grey cupcakes, or you will be out!

What was your favourite thing about attending Coolest Projects?
Zaahra: My favourite part of Coolest Projects was to meet lots of other children and seeing all the different projects they have developed. I felt inspired, and I want to do even better next time!

Inspire young people to learn to code

These impressive projects prove that you are never too young (or too old!) to learn how to code. Improve your own tech skills while inspiring the next generation by becoming a Code Club volunteer at www.codeclub.org.uk/start-a-club.

Do you know someone who would make an amazing Code Club volunteer? Share this post with all the teachers, parents, developers, and other awesome people you know!