Maker Kids

October 28, 2026

Self-guided coding apps let kids explore at their own pace, anytime, often for free. Weekly virtual coding classes add a live instructor, real-time feedback, a peer group, and a steady routine. Apps are great for sparking interest and practicing between lessons. Classes help kids go deeper, get unstuck faster, and build bigger projects. Many families use both.

Key takeaways

• Both have a place. Apps spark curiosity; classes build depth and consistency.
• Feedback is the big…

October 25, 2026

Yes, coding skills can help kids beyond math. Research links learning to program to gains in creative thinking, metacognition, spatial skills, and reasoning. The effects are strongest for skills close to coding itself, and weaker for literacy and general school grades. Coding works best as a thinking workout that supports other subjects, not a shortcut to better marks everywhere.

Key takeaways

• A review of 105 studies found moderate benefits from coding beyond coding itself.
• Big…

October 22, 2026

Kids make their own apps with block-based coding tools like MIT App Inventor, which lets them design screens, drag in buttons, snap together logic, and test the app on a real phone or tablet. Most kids aged 10 and up can build a simple working app, like a quiz or a reminder, in an afternoon. The best kid-made apps start with a real problem, and some have gone on to help whole communities.

Key takeaways

• Kids can build real, working apps with free, block-based tools, no typing…

October 20, 2026

Coding teaches kids to break big problems into small ones because you can build a program one piece at a time. To make a game, kids split it into parts like the player, the obstacles, and the score, then build and test each part separately. This skill, called decomposition, turns overwhelming tasks into manageable steps, in code and everywhere else.

Key takeaways

• Decomposition means breaking a big problem into smaller, solvable parts.
• Our brains can only juggle a few things at…

October 17, 2026

Kids become willing to try new things when they believe skills grow with practice, the first step feels small, and mistakes are part of learning rather than a verdict. Research supports this: kids who struggle with a problem before being shown the answer often understand it more deeply. You can build that courage at home through the words you use, the challenges you set, and how you react when things go wrong.

Key takeaways

• Mindset matters. Kids who believe abilities can grow…

October 14, 2026

MakerKids teaches the eight coding concepts in Ontario’s Grades 1 to 8 math curriculum: sequential events, concurrent events, repeating events, nested events, conditional statements, efficiency of code, defined counts and sub-programs, and analysis of data. Each grade adds one new concept, and each one builds on the last. Kids learn them by making things: games, robots and Minecraft machines.

Key takeaways

• Ontario’s math curriculum adds one coding concept per grade, from Grade…

October 13, 2026

Kids who learn alongside peers tend to understand ideas more deeply, solve problems better and form stronger friendships. Explaining an idea to a friend forces a child to organize their own thinking. Seeing a classmate try a different approach shows there’s more than one way to solve a problem. Research links structured group learning to measurable gains in both achievement and social skills.

Key takeaways

• Structured small-group learning adds about five months of progress on…

October 7, 2026

You can add STEM to your homeschool schedule without teaching it yourself by booking one anchor class a week, such as a coding or robotics class, and building light, kid-led follow-up projects at home around it. Homeschool co-ops, live online classes, museum programs, and in-person weekly classes can all cover the expertise. Your role shifts from teacher to coach: you keep the routine steady, ask good questions, and celebrate what your child builds.

Key takeaways

• Many parents…

October 6, 2024

Coding belongs in a homeschool curriculum because it builds problem-solving, logic and persistence, connects to math and science, and matches what Ontario students now learn in school. Coding has been part of Ontario’s Grades 1 to 8 math curriculum since 2020. You don’t need to know how to code to teach it. Free tools, live online classes, and in-person weekly classes can do the heavy lifting.

Key takeaways

• Ontario includes coding in Grades 1 to 8 math, so it’s a natural fit…

October 3, 2026

You can still find after-school care after the school year starts. Look beyond the in-school program: community and private programs with school pick-up, recreation centres and flexible part-week options often have space in October and beyond. Spots open up as families’ plans change, and some programs add new pick-up schools when enough families ask. Move quickly, ask about mid-year start dates, and keep a short-term backup while you search.

• You’re not alone. More…