1. They learn to express themselves

Using coding as a form of self-expression can enable children to exercise their inner creativity. It teaches kids to express themselves creatively, organize their ideas, solve problems, and develop as logical thinkers.

2. They build their self-confidence and self-esteem

Self-esteem: Whilst learning how to program their very own games, kids will face hurdles that will encourage them to think critically and effectively. During these challenges, they will discover new solutions to solve the problem, which they might have thought was impossible. Through this process, they open their minds and look at the situation in a new way. Once solved, this will help them reach a strong sense of satisfaction and a higher level of self-esteem.

Self-confidence: Computer coding helps kids see mistakes as opportunities to learn and evolve. This allows kids to feel they're in a safe space to voice their opinions without feeling embarrassed. When mistakes are understood, it gives them an opportunity to look at the situation on a deeper level and enhances their critical thinking skills and increases self-confidence.

3. They practice resilience and learn to handle failure

When kids learn new skills, they may get angry and frustrated when things don't quite work out the way they wanted them to. This is the same for coding. It's a case of experimentation and resilience with a vision of an aspired outcome. To be successful, they need to keep negative emotions under control and push past them to reach their end goal. When coding to create games, kids learn these skills by default.

4. They have a better understanding of the world around them

It's no mystery that we are moving towards a digital future. Digital literacy will be essential to survive in most jobs that don't even exist today. When kids understand these skills at such a young age and develop them, they have a competitive advantage for the future when applying for internships, colleges, universities, and jobs, as well as a good understanding of the world around them today. They will be able to approach these situations with a sense of knowledge and understanding. The younger they start, the more it will be embedded within them.

5. They build emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is a key skill that will help kids in all aspects of life and has a growing emphasis in the workplace. Here are the elements of emotional intelligence that can be built through coding to empower kids:

Self-awareness: They develop the skills to identify their personal strengths and weaknesses immediately. When something doesn't work, they know that they need to figure out how to improve it in order to make it work.

Empathy: Many coding projects require children to work together. To do so, they need to respect and understand everyone's views and opinions and find an objective and fair way to come to a collective informed decision. This is a big part of emotional intelligence because it requires children to look beyond themselves. As coding is a collaborative process, kids can improve this skill.

Self-motivation: Kids also need to be motivated even when they face challenges. From coding, they learn that if they want to see their project come to life, they have to keep being motivated and they will find it within themselves.