Why kids should learn game development

Preparing your child for the future can be scary. The truth is, we don’t know what the world will look like in 10 years. Every day our society becomes more comlpex and changes are happening faster and faster. When thinking about a child’s future career, it’s important to think about their mindset instead of their skillset.

When I was in highschool something very important happened to me. I decided to take a digital media extracurricular class because I liked to use computers and loved video games (still do!). The class involved tinkering with different software like Photoshop, Maya and making games in Flash. All with the guidance of the most laid-back teacher I could ask for. It was heaven.

My childhood involved a lot of chaos and shifting family dynamics, but when I went into the computer room, I could leave all that behind and obsess. I would spend hours creating whatever I could imagine. I didn’t know this at the moment but this class sparked an undying passion and a fruitful career as a programmer.

Now I realize there are incredibly important things that make game development a perfect starting point for any career.

1. It allows for experimentation
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   Trial and error is the best way to learn. When you make games, there is little consequence for making a mistake. This gives you a chance to try things and see what works. The research shows that 30%-50 of the time a developer is fixing bugs. Code usually doesn’t work the first time you run it. If we don’t encourage children to make mistakes and learn from them they will never achieve their potential.

2. You get immediate visual feedback
   The research is clear. “The most important takeaway from the research is that the shorter the time interval between eliciting the evidence and using it to improve instruction, the bigger the likely impact on learning “

Students tell us all the time that learning to code in games is great because you can see the consequences of your code right away. If you create a vector to move your character forward and they move to the left you know that you put in the wrong vector. Code is pure data and a lot of times when you start to code it’s abstract and the results aren’t clear. If students can learn to analyze their logic gaps quickly they will be successful in anything they do in their future.

3. Transform your imagination into reality
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   "Running Blade". One of our favorite student projects at Academy of Games.
   It always amazes us how students create the wackiest games as soon as they start personalizing their game. Creating something you are proud of is the most effective way to spark a passion for programming. It’s also a great way to see what your child is doing and share special moments. One of the best feelings in the world is when an excited kid shows their parent something they created. I still remember the first project I created and shared with anyone and everyone.

4. It's challenging
   Anything worth doing is hard work and programming is hard work. That’s why developers typically earn a generous salary. Kids need to learn early on to have a disciplined mind and to address challenges with a constructive mindset. In the first month students typically encounter a few tough bugs that will challenge them. When this happens we focus on their thought process so they learn to react with calm problem solving skills. And then to celebrate when they solve a problem they thought was unsolvable.

5. It's FUN!
   Last but not least, making games is an incredibly fun experience. There’s nothing like writing some code and then seeing your character defeat a goblin, or activate their jetpacks to fly away. Learning is supposed to be fun. If you see a cute kitten pretend-fighting another kitten, you see them playing and having fun. But more importantly you see them learning. If we don’t teach our children that learning is fun then they will have a life where they slowly lose their love for learning.

We have some big challenges ahead in our world and the next generation will be faced with some of the most challenging moments for humanity. I know they can solve these problems, but only if they learn to love to learn.