Year 2 Coders
Building Skills Through Play
When people hear ‘coding, they often think it’s for older, tech-savvy students. But at Bangkok Patana, even our youngest learners are exploring the foundations of computer science through playful, hands-on experiences.
In the early years, coding starts with ‘unplugged’ activities—sequencing stories, following recipes or planning steps to make clay dough. These tasks build computational thinking: breaking down problems, sequencing steps and checking outcomes. Coding also nurtures communication, collaboration and resilience, skills essential for lifelong learning.
This term, Year 2 students have been creating games using Octo Studio, a child-friendly coding app from MIT. They’ve chosen emojis, drawn their own characters, or used photos as Sprites. With just a few coding blocks, their characters jump, speak, glow, and respond to touch or tilt—perfect for interactive games! Students proudly test their creations with peers, learning to give and receive feedback.
It’s inspiring to see their joy when their games work, and their determination when debugging. Through this, they’re not just learning to code; they’re becoming creators of technology.
Coding continues throughout Primary School, with tools like Beebot, BlueBot, Vex 123, Scratch Jr and Microsoft MakeCode. These help children develop logical thinking, creativity and problem-solving.
As any coder will tell you, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” is more than a saying—it’s a mindset. And our young learners are already embracing it.
