Programming is considered as an essential skill for the future, which is why tech leaders and educators have been encouraging parents to let their children learn coding as early as possible. Coding can be unnatural and daunting to kids but with the availability of new games in the market, acquiring programming skills can now be as simple as playing Lego.
Developing Kids' Basic Programming Skills Through Lego-Like Building Blocks
Osmo Coding is one of the latest games that were made available for parents to let their children acquire programming skills at a young age. Developed by Tangible Play Inc., Osmo Coding uses Lego-like building blocks that help develop kids' motor and basic programming skills.
Osmo Coding is inspired by the design principles of Lego, using magnetic building blocks that represent computer commands. This game engages kids and develops their basic programming skills by asking them to move "Awbie," a cute and fun digital character on an iPad, to move past challenges or hit a goal using simple coding concepts.
Despite controlling "Awbie" on an iPad, Osmo Coding's colorful blocks are totally analog. This is because the game kit utilized computer vision technology to detect the colors and patterns of the building blocks. By simply snapping the blocks together, kids can let "Awbie" walk, jump or grab .
Moreover, Osmo Coding's blocks come with colors that are not explicitly gendered. These are also carefully designed to snap together straightforwardly and connect correctly.
Can Kids Acquire Programming Skills By Simply Playing Lego-Like Game?
Pramod Sharma, co-founder and CEO of Tangible Play, told The Wall Street Journal that Osmo Coding will allow children to learn the basic concepts of programming without teaching coding directly. "It's about how you put your thoughts together in a way that computers understand. It's similar to learning a language," Sharma stated.
But parents should not assume Osmo Coding as their child's ticket to big companies like Google or Facebook. Sharma emphasized that "coding is a journey" and that Osmo Coding is focused on the early part of the journey.
Do you believe that kids can acquire programming skills by simply playing a Lego-like game? Leave some comments below.
