Most Code the Dream programs focus on high school students and young adults. But last weekend we were happy to be back at the ‘Kids Code’ event at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. The event uses fun, interactive techniques to give young children a chance to explore and experiment with technology and basic science and coding concepts.
Have you ever wondered how a computer can understand language — how it really encodes data? Well, if you asked the hundreds of kids we saw on Saturday, they’d be able to tell you, more or less.
Code the Dream led an activity where each participant used colored beads (red and white) to make the first letter of their name using binary code. Binary code is how computers encode data by interpreting a pattern of 1’s and 0’s. With only a few beads falling on the floor, the museum began fill with children wearing binary bracelets, and a bit more insight and enthusiasm for the technology they use every day!
We want to say thank you to Marbles Kids Museum for the opportunity to share a bit of binary with the next generation of programmers!