We, the parents, would love our kids to engage in activities that build their talents and skill during their free time, rather than just watching T.V., Youtube movies or playing games on mobile.  Now, the activity should have an element of fun too, so that kids get stick to it.
Coding is one such activity, which is interesting , builds a much needed skill and prepares your child for the future too.

Following are some of the reasons kids should learn to code.

1. Coding develops logical thinking skills needed to solve a problem in a systematic way:
   While solving coding problems kids go through a logical mental workout to come out with a step-wise solution to a given problem. This step-wise process is called the algorithm.
   As in real life, initial solutions may not work and the child tries again in a disciplined manner thus coming out with elegant and more effective solutions.
   Solving coding problems on a regular basis develops the logical thinking and critical approach  needed to solve real life problems in a systematic and effective manner.
2. Coding is fun :
   Figuring out solutions to intriguing problems, building applications, creating something that moves without human intervention, the act of creating something useful and the delight of learning make coding very interesting and enjoyable.
   
    Image credit: Freepik
   Coding “gratifies creative longings built deep within us and delights sensibilities we have in common….” –Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.

   I personally feel that once the child takes interest in coding and gets the fun element of it , he or she shall be utilizing his/her free time in this useful activity instead of watching TV or playing games. Instead the child will feel delighted to create games.

3. Coding demands concentration and attention to details :
   While on the Internet there are a lot of distractions, coding lets the child learn to concentrate and focus on a single target to find a solution to the given coding problem. This helps the child in the long run to focus their attention and thinking on a single activity with a better ability.
   While solving complex coding projects , the child has to get into the details of every individual step, resulting not only in the solution rather creating a thing of beauty. To arrive at the final solution, the kid may have to get back to the detail of the problem again and again and try many times. This develops a detailed minded approach in the kid.
4. Coding increases the chance of getting into GREAT colleges of the world.
     There is excessive competition for getting into the top colleges of the world like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, University of Toronto, Ontario University, National University of Singapore and a few Indian colleges like Chennai Mathematical Institute, ISI, IIIT Hyderabad. You need to show exceptional talent for admission to these Universities. If you start learning to code early as a kid, you may build an impressive portfolio with coding projects. You may participate in School level coding REAL Olympiads called ICO(Indian Computing Olympiad) for Indian students.As per the IARCS(Indian Association for Research in Computer Science) website
   “The Indian Computing Olympiad is a nationwide competition organized annually by IARCS. The goal of the competition is to identify school students with outstanding skills in algorithms and computer programming”. You must definitely visit the IARCS website for details on the exam. Few students are selected from ICO to represent India at the International level Programming Olymiad called the IOI (International Olympiad of Informatics). There are similar selection level programming contests in other countries like USACO in the USA, NOI in Singapore, COCI in Croatia and so on.
   I just mention below few examples,on how coding has helped students to get admission to some Dream colleges 👍
   
   1.  Malvika Raj Joshi , an unschooled girl after class-7 and with no class-Xth    and  XIIth certificate but made it to the most prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is a three-time medal winner (two silver and a bronze) at the IOI (International Olympiad of Informatics).
      Read the full story to get inspired and start coding.
   2.  Udit Sanghi got admission at National University of Singapore(NUS). He is a Silver medalist at IOI. Check out here on what he says on how to prepare for IOI.
   3. Rajarshi Basu, a silver medalist in IOI is now at NUS.Click to see his preparation journey.
          There are numerous such examples. I shall be writing a blog specifically on Competitive Programming.
5. Coding makes you future ready for jobs :
   There is growing importance of technology in our world and more aspects of our life are getting automated. In the future there will be self-driven cars, robots who cook for you, robots to  perform surgeries and so on . These developments demand the supply of people who know how to code. As the services and products are digitized, the number of jobs requiring coding skills will grow exponentially.
   Learning to code can open up career opportunities in fields such as software development, web development, data analysis, and cybersecurity.
6. Coding builds entrepreneurship mindset:
   Learning to code can develop an entrepreneurship mindset in kids by teaching them problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, independent learning, self-motivation, and technology skills that are valuable for starting and running a business. Through coding, kids can develop the ability to break down complex problems, think creatively and innovate, and gain knowledge in areas such as web development, software development,machine learning, AI, automation, App development and data analysis.
   Furthermore, coding can also provide entrepreneurial opportunities for kids to develop and launch their own software-based products or services. Overall, coding can be a valuable skill for kids to learn in order to develop an entrepreneurial mindset that can be beneficial for their future career and life goals.
   Following are a few of the many examples of entrepreneurs who started off with coding:
   
   1. Bill Gates(Microsoft) has written the programming language BASIC for the Altair 8800 microcomputer very early.
   2. Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) famously wrote the initial code for the platform while he was a student at Harvard.
   3. Jack Dorsey (Twitter) is also a software developer and wrote much of the original code for the platform.
   4. Elon Musk – The founder of SpaceX, Tesla, and other ventures has a background in computer science and coding, and has been involved in writing software for some of his companies.Here are a few Indian coders turned entrepreneurs:
   5. Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati: The co-founders of Ola, one of the largest ride-hailing companies in India.
   6. Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal: The co-founders of Flipkart, an e-commerce giant that was acquired by Walmart in 2018 for $16 billion.
   7. Vijay Shekhar Sharma: The founder of Paytm, a mobile payments and financial services company that has become one of the most valuable startups in India.
   8. Naveen Tewari: The founder of InMobi, a mobile advertising platform that has been recognized as one of the most innovative companies in the world.
   9. Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal: The co-founders of Snapdeal, an online marketplace that competes with Amazon and Flipkart.
   10. Girish Mathrubootham: The founder of Freshworks, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that offers customer engagement and support tools.
   11. Shashank ND and Abhinav Lal: The co-founders of Practo, a platform that connects patients with doctors and healthcare providers.

Overall, learning to code can provide kids with many valuable skills and benefits that can be applied in a wide range of industries and situations. By developing problem-solving, critical thinking, and technology skills, kids can set themselves up for a successful future.

Finally let us conclude this blog with the wonderful statement by Linus Trovalds ,  Software engineer and principal force behind the development of the Linux kernel:

“Most good programmers do programming not because they expect to get paid or get adulation by the public, but because it is fun to program.”

Also read “Why encourage your child to participate in Math Olympiads ?”