Help your Child Learn The Basics of Programming with Osmo Coding Blocks
Coding is considered a tough task; it demands a lot of skill and experience to master the art of bringing down the right pieces to make a program look worthwhile. Well, this is true, but lately, complex codes have been transformed into tools that are user-friendly in their approach. These tools have rendered coding so easy that even a five-year-old can work on them.
Osmo Coding Game is one such manifestation, which allows your child to learn the basics of programming at an early age. The interactive gameplay converts physical motions into dimensions on your tablet. It subtly brings fun and learning together.
What is Osmo?
It is a smart iPad game where physical and virtual realities meet, converting gameplay into a learning drill, ensuring your kids learn the basics of modern day art – programming. Coding and programming hold many promises; it is better to start your kids training at an early age so they can emerge out as a successful programmer one day.
Physical tools are brought together with virtual realities, which help your kid learn while having fun. The game translates the building blocks of a computer program into real-world building blocks. The basics of the game are the same as that of real coding techniques, made easy so anyone can learn and master them.
It has been adopted in over 15,000 schools in over 42 countries. It has brought game development and playing together. Now, your child can learn the basics of computer programming and code at an early stage.
Getting Started
The game starts when an iPad, mounted with a mirror slot, is fixed on the stand. The mirror allows the iPad to configure the shapes drawn on the surfaces present just in front of the iPad.
The basic coding game is a quest game in which you control a tiny monster looking for strawberries all the time. The idea features intuition of blogs together by voice commands like jump, run, and grab. There are other games and drills that feature different activities, helping your kid improve in design, coloring, logo creation, etc.
The software views the physical pieces through a smart camera which duplicates the real life activities into a 3D model within your tablet.
It is, currently, compatible with iOS only, while Android and other operating systems are in the queue to adopt this smart game in future.
Featured Games
Many games make part of the set. There are colored boards cut into different shapes, different alphabets and numbers, which involve in multiple games. Coding games involve number sequences, puzzle games and drawing games, which improve logo and designing approach of your child.
Osmo Coding
The basic coding game features a strawberry-loving monster that wanders around strawberry trees to pick as many as he can. The game is played using physical blocks. The blocks have signs and directions drawn on them, commanding the monster to do a requisite drill.
It helps your kid learn how coding works as each block is a coding command, which ordains the monster to do a task in the game.
Tangram – Puzzles
Another interactive game is the completion of puzzles. Small wooden pieces are brought together to complete the shape appearing on the screen of your iPad. Once completed, the iPad will sense the accuracy of the shape and award points if your shape matches perfectly with the one on screen.
You can set time limit to make your kids complete it within a specific duration. You can challenge others on a multiplayer, where your kid will challenge others on who completes the puzzle first.
Masterpiece – Draw
In this game, your kid must draw different shapes on paper in front of the mirror. The shapes ultimately duplicate the screen of the iPad. This helps your kid learn logo development and designing, which is quite in demand these days.
Your kid can use plain paper with a color pen to draw images on it. There are, however, options where you can convert an image from your gallery into easy to draw dotted lines. This helps your kid develop accuracy and sharpness in their work.
Words – ISpy Guessing Game
It is always fun when learning involves physical activities. In this game, an image appears on the screen, and your kid must complete its name by bringing together the alphabets of its name. The individual alphabets are supposed to be arranged in the right order, completing the name of the animal, fruit, or color appearing on the screen.
Newton – Physics Based Puzzle
The game is not a puzzle where you have to complete jigsaws, nor does it hold any of the intricate laws of Newton. There are falling balls that need to be put in the right place on the screen. You need to guide those balls on their way into their right place.
You can use either a pen and paper to guide the balls by drawing their path, or you can use the physical motion of your hands to show them the right path. This helps your kid think beyond a set of fixed rules and limitations, making him improvise the way he desires to guide the balls to their expected positions.
Benefits of Osmo Coding Game
This world has transformed into a place where computer programming and coding holds great importance in the job market. Today, people are expected to start their careers at young ages. This game helps your child to learn the basics of coding and programming in a friendly, playful environment. This improves their skills and fades away the boredom as it integrates virtual experience with tangible gameplay. Moreover, it also helps your child improve mind to body coordination, which is important for their growth and development.
The game is easily available in Apple Stores. It will cost you $49 for the game pieces with an additional $98 if you don’t have the camera mirror. This costs nothing compared to the fun and learning your kid will experience.