How to Teach Your Kids to Code With a Raspberry Pi

Teaching children to code at a young age helps them thrive in today’s technological world by developing skills in critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

The Raspberry Pi, with its low price and ease of use, is a fantastic device for introducing young people to computing and programming. With applications in robotics, computer programming, and even home automation, it’s ideal for kids to learn to code.

1. Get Started With the Raspberry Pi

In an effort to make computers and digital creation accessible to everyone, the Raspberry Pi Foundation created the inexpensive and widely available Raspberry Pi computer. Several models and revisions have been made available since the first Raspberry Pi was introduced in 2012.

If you do not already have a Pi, you can get one for as little as $35. Be sure to get the flagship Raspberry Pi 4, although the older Raspberry Pi models have some merit. You can also purchase the Raspberry Pi 400, which offers much the same features as the Pi 4 and comes in a keyboard form factor.

The official Raspberry Pi 4 desktop kit costs more money but comes with most of the components you need to use the Raspberry Pi, including a keyboard, mouse, case, power supply, and microSD card. After that, all you will require is a compatible HDMI display that you can connect to the computer.

The microSD in the official kit comes preloaded with the Raspberry Pi OS, a Linux distribution created specially for Raspberry Pi computers. You can also follow our guide on how to install an operating system on a Raspberry Pi.

Your children can begin their coding journey as soon as the initial setup is complete. A good place to start is at the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s projects site.

2. Choosing a Kid-Friendly Programming Language

It is essential to choose a kid-friendly programming language in order to make programming enjoyable and interesting for your children. Scratch, Python, and Ruby are just a few of the most well-known choices.

Scratch

Scratch is an interactive programming environment that uses a block-based visual interface. It is one of the few languages designed to be used by children. Due to the visual programming style, Scratch is straightforward and intuitive to learn. Concepts introduced in Scratch can be applied to more advanced languages such as Python and Java.

The Scratch website has numerous tutorials dedicated to teaching you how to use the language. It is also possible to remix user-created projects on the website.

Aside from learning programming, Scratch can also serve as a springboard for your children to explore their artistic ideas in other areas of interest such as visual art and music.

Python

Python’s syntax is simple and intuitive for newcomers. The language is widely used: arguably, it’s the most popular programming language for the Raspberry Pi. For this reason, there are many resources available to help beginners get started.

It provides access to libraries of pre-written code that may be integrated into personal applications. This is a key benefit of Python as it makes it easier to interface with physical electronic components connected via the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO header and enables you to create advanced projects.

Ruby

Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto created Ruby in the 1990s in Japan. It’s a general-purpose language that’s been called “a programmer’s best friend” and has a lot in common with Python. It is also one of the easiest languages to begin programming with.

Like Python, Ruby’s syntax is both straightforward and expressive. It also does not rely on indentation to separate code blocks. It however places a greater emphasis on object-oriented programming than Python. It has waned in popularity over the years, but it is still an amazing language that is well-loved by developers and programmers.

Apart from the languages listed above, other excellent options for teaching your child coding include Lua, JavaScript, Swift, and Java (for older children).

3. Hands-On Projects and Challenges

To solidify their programming skills, it is important to encourage your kids to work on hands-on projects and challenges using the Raspberry Pi. Here are some ideas:

Create a Simple Game

A video game is a project that holds a lot of appeal for most children. There are several ways to make a gaming machine using your Raspberry Pi. You can start by creating a retro gaming console with a Raspberry Pi with no coding involved and then move on to the more engaging projects in our list of the best Raspberry Pi gaming projects.

Build an RC Car

This can be a good project if your child already has an RC car. It is possible to hotwire it so that it is controlled from the Raspberry Pi rather than the remote that came with it. The process is outlined in an Instructables guide that uses a Traxxas remote control car and a long-range Wi-Fi USB antenna.

If you would rather not go through the stressful but rewarding process of hacking an RC car, you can buy a Raspberry Pi RC car kit such as the PiCar-V from Sunfounder that already comes with programming functionality in the box.

Security Camera With Motion Detection

If your kid is interested in home security and surveillance technology, they can also find installing a motion-activated security camera to be an engaging pastime.

Using a Raspberry Pi and a Camera Module, kids can create a surveillance camera that records still images or video and can also detect motion. The Raspberry Pi can be programmed in Python to trigger a recording of every motion it detects and save the files to a USB drive or an online cloud storage service.

Our tutorial on how to create a multi-camera CCTV system with a Raspberry Pi and motionEyeOS is a great place to start.

4. Join Coding Communities and Clubs

Apart from choosing a programming language and working on projects, coding clubs allow your child to develop essential skills such as collaboration and communication faster.

You should encourage your children to join coding groups or other offline platforms that cater to young programmers in order to keep the momentum going and to build a sense of community. They can usually find collaborators and get advice from professionals in these settings. These groups also offer constant encouragement and help those new to coding develop their skills.

You can also try to look for a Code Club or CoderDojo near you. These organizations are supported by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, but they are not limited to Raspberry Pi hardware.

Help Your Kids Learn Coding Using a Raspberry Pi

The original intention of the Raspberry Pi was to make computers affordable and get more young people interested in coding. If your kids are eager to explore coding as a way to express their creativity and intuition, a Raspberry Pi can be a great investment to help them bring that vision to life.

With the aid of online resources, offline communities, and hands-on projects, the single-board computer can be a perfect tool for guiding your kids into the world of coding.