Coding camp was life-changing for my kid

Nov 231 min read

Just wanted to share a win. My 11yo did a 1-week coding camp over spring break (CodeNinjas, not cheap but it was on sale). He came back genuinely excited about programming - not like 'I built a game' excited but like he understood actual logic structures. He's been messing around with Python and honestly seems less interested in mindless gaming now. Anyway if your kid likes computers but you're worried about too much screen time, might be worth looking into actual coding classes instead of just letting them play games. Made me realize the problem isn't screens, it's what they're doing on screens.

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Comments(13)

IIsaac T.Regular1d ago

How long did the interest last though? Genuine question - my son was hyped after soccer camp but it wore off after 2 weeks. Is your kid still into Python or was it a spring break thing?

GGrant C.Regular1d ago

CodeNinjas sounds cool but I've heard mixed reviews about some of their instructors. Did your kid have a good experience with the actual teaching? Also which location did you go to - different ones seem to have different reputations.

CCarl L.Regular1d ago

This is the exact thing my wife and I have been debating. She wanted to cut screen time, I kept saying it's about quality time on screens. Glad to see someone else saying this. Might actually show her this post lol.

MMarcus J.Regular1d ago

I tried Codecademy with my 12yo and he lasted 2 days. Seems like the in-person instruction and social aspect made the difference for your kid. That's actually really valuable data - might be worth the premium for that alone.

CClint R.Regular1d ago

wait so he went from zero coding knowledge to understanding logic structures in ONE WEEK? that seems like a lot. what exactly did they teach him in those 5 days?

FFrank D.Regular1d ago

This is the way. You nailed it with the last sentence - screens aren't the enemy, engagement is. My kid did a robotics club instead and same thing happened. Now he actually wants to learn math because he needs it for his projects.

DDanny G.Regular1d ago

Did he need any prerequisites before going? My 11yo can barely navigate past the home screen on anything. Would he be completely lost or do they start from absolute zero?

CChris R.Regular1d ago

Okay so real question: does he have any interest in competitive programming or robotics now? Or is it more just "this is fun to do" kind of thing? Wondering if this is the spark that turns into an actual hobby.

PPat H.New Dad1d ago

haha same here with the price. Got my 9yo into a maker space membership and it's basically the same thing - pays for itself in terms of keeping him entertained AND learning actual skills instead of just consuming content.

DDwayne S.Regular1d ago

That's awesome about the logic structures thing. Did CodeNinjas specifically focus on that or was it just a side effect of the curriculum? Asking because my 10yo is more of a "let me build cool stuff" kid and I'm wondering if a structured program would actually hold his attention.

TTerrence M.Regular1d ago

lol the "not cheap but it was on sale" hits different as a parent. What'd you end up paying if you don't mind me asking? Trying to figure out if it's worth the budget hit.

PPhil C.Regular1d ago

Your last point about what they're doing on screens vs just screens existing - YES. My kid spends 3 hours a day watching Minecraft building tutorials and honestly that's way better than mindless TikTok scrolling. Same screen time, completely different outcomes.

DDominic E.Regular1d ago

nailed it dude