When video games first arrived on the scene, parents thought they were a waste of time. The idea of spending all day pumping quarters into an arcade machine at the mall didn’t strike parents as productive!

A lot has changed since then. Now, video games aren’t only in our homes — they can be played on pocket-sized smartphones we can take anywhere. Millions of people play them worldwide and they generate billions of dollars annually. Perhaps unsurprisingly, attitudes around video games have changed, too.

Video games are a safe and fun hobby, but the only thing better than playing a video game is building one yourself. The good news is, programming doesn’t have to be complicated: even kids can do it.

Kids Learn Real Programming Languages Online
Industry-leading online coding classes show kids how to use coding languages that professionals use to build some of the world’s most popular video games. Avoid coding sessions that only teach simple drag-and-drop languages.

Instead, look for one that teaches coding languages industry uses:

• Python
• Java
• JavaScript
• C#
• C++
• Unity

Python can be an excellent introduction for kids, but it’s absolutely a real programming language in its own right. As your child ages and gains experience, they can advance to coding languages like JavaScript and C++, which are used for games like Angrybirds and World of Warcraft, respectively.

Coding Classes Are Fun
Sometimes, parents face pressure to prepare their children for their eventual entry into a competitive job market. It can be hard to balance the need to preserve childhood innocence and fun while also making sure they’re ready to face what’s to come.

The best coding classes don’t force you to choose! Look for a coding program taught by undergrad students in Computer Engineering or Computer Science. Your child should learn how to code video games from a teacher who knows first-hand what it was like to play them growing up. Online coding classes are inclusive, fun, and safe to do during a pandemic.

Multiple Languages
Does your child want to make video games for a console or a web browser? Programming games for browsers requires knowing different codes if you want to give a complete user experience.

Check that the programming course you sign up for can teach your child HTML5, CSS3, SQL, and JavaScript. Specializing in only one language can take a student far, but their options expand the more languages they know.

Don’t sign up for a programming course unless it can teach the skills required to code any type of game, whether it’s to be played on a console or a computer.

Video games have been around for a few decades, but the past few years have seen explosive changes that suggest a rich and still unwritten future. It’s a wonderful time to be a kid who loves video games, but the future will be a great time for people who can code them.