Last week, I told you guys about my favorite STEM activities for indoor recess time. This week I want to share my favorite coding activities for indoor recess!
Computer science is becoming an essential topic to learn about and coding is an important part of computer science. To many people, this may sound complex, a bit too complex for elementary students. However that’s not the case!
Binary coding is a great place to start learning with upper elementary students. Binary coding is essentially a code made up of 0 and 1.
Given that this is such an important skill in this day and age, it will benefit our students more than ever to give them a lot of practice with this, both during normal lessons and on their own during recess.
What I love about binary coding is once it “clicks” and a student really gets it, it can become a really fun activity! Which is what makes it a great option for keeping students occupied during indoor recess.
My favorite way to do this is by setting up coding stations!
These Coding Challenges include themed coding activities for the whole year. Christmas time? Try out the Christmas Code Bracelet. Thanksgiving? Try Thanksgiving Coding in a School Box. Spring? Students will love the Spring Coding Bracelet.
Set up 4 or 5 stations for students to rotate through with a different coding activity or worksheet at each one.
If you want even more hands on coding activities, here are some of the best toys to have in your classroom.
This Coding Ball is a hit with students! Easily learn programming, complete hands-on activities, and share your creations with the community.
Similarly, this Coding Robot is a cool way to learn about coding. It comes with 5 free programming STEM apps.
Coding skills will set your students up for success in a world more reliant on technology every day. These activities are hands-on, engaging, and so fun your students won’t even realize they’re learning or practicing valuable skills!
What are your favorite coding activities? Let me know in the comments!
