[Tutor] Ideas for Child's Project

[Jim Gallaher]

Good day Stephen,

I have a few recommendations. Make Magazine has a lot of fun projects that use Python programs along with either a Raspberry Pi or an Arduino to create interactive projects. Arduino is more for electronic/programming based projects, but you can, say for example, attach an LED to a breadboard and program the LED to flash at certain intervals using a fairly simple Python script. The hands on and visual results of seeing what a program does might keep your son's interest better and longer, especially at his age.

Make Magazine's website is makezine.com

Raspberry Pi is very Python friendly and there's add on boards you can use along with Python. geek gurl diaries has video tutorials on programing with Python and raspberry that are focused towards the youngsters. Her website is www.geekgurldiaries.co.uk

Hope that helps! Jim Gallaher

>> On Tue, Jan 6, 2015 at 1:46 PM, Stephen Nelson-Smith <sanelson at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello,
>> 
>> My son is interested in programming, and has dabbled in Scratch and done a
>> tiny bit of Python at school.  He's 11 and is going for an entrance exam
>> for a selective school in a couple of weeks.  They've asked him to bring
>> along something to demonstrate an interest, and present it to them.
>> 
>> In talking about it, we hit upon the idea that he might like to embark upon
>> a prorgamming challenge, or learning objective / project, spending say 30
>> mins a day for the next week or two, so he can show what he's done and talk
>> about what he learned.
>> 
>> Any suggestions for accessible yet challenging and stimulating projects?
>> 
>> Any recommendations for books / websites / tutorials that are worth a look?