Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow – Summer Break – Age 6 to 9
Our popular Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow is coming back between 1st1st July and 15th August
This time we will be running our Summer Boot Camp for kids Glasgow Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, with a lot more enhanced features of Robot Coding, Computer Games Development.
Does your child want to learn to make their own games? How about learn how their console games are made? This is all available during our Games Development Boot Camp this Summer! At our Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow, they will learn about Game Development and about various Game Engines.
Unique Combination of Robot Coding + Computer Games Development + Athletics Training
A healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Therefore, this year in our Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow we are offering a unique course which will feature an Athletic training element in addition to computing games development and robotics coding. This is a rare opportunity for your child to spend their summer holiday in a productive way which will allow them to develop both mentally and physically, and we strongly believe it is equally important for kids to have a healthy body and a healthy mind. The computing classes will run in the morning between 9am and noon, followed by lunch until 1pm. The exercise session will then run from 1pm until 3pm.
Summer boot camp for Kids Glasgow course Schedule for age 6 to 9
[wp_table id=31435/]Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow Computing Syllabus
Each week of the Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow will focus on a different area of computing, ranging from basic computing skills through to intermediate to advanced coding and software development.
The Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow will be structured as follows:
Week 1 (2nd July – 6th July 2018): 2D Games Development and Introduction to Software
Introduction
- What is a computer?
- Operating systems
- Files, folders and paths
- File types
- The PC
- Windows versions
- CPUs
- Memory types
- Components of a PC
Software
- What is software?
- Downloading software
- Installing software
- Uninstalling software
- What can software do inside a computer?
2D Games Development using any of the games platform i.e. Unity, Unreal Engine, Stencyl, Game Maker etc
- Download and install programs
- What is a game?
- How are games made?
- Understanding layout
- Actors, backgrounds, scenes and sounds
- Testing created games
- Behaviours and events
- Peer game testing
Week 2 (9th July – 13th July 2018): 2D Games Development, Robotics, Hardware and the Internet
Hardware
- What is hardware?
- Examples of hardware
- Hardware vs software
- Identifying input/output ports
The Internet
- Browsers
- Cookies
- Search engines
- Password security
- Websites
- URLs
2D Games Development using any of the games platform i.e. Unity, Unreal Engine, Stencyl, Game Maker etc. This will be different from the one which has been taught in the previous week.
- Download and install programs
- What is a game?
- How are games made?
- Understanding layout
- Actors, backgrounds, scenes and sounds
- Testing created games
- Behaviours and events
- Peer game testing
Robotics: Robot Coding
Week 3 (16th July – 20th July 2018): 2D Games Development, Customising PCs and Open Office
Customising PCs
- Changing the background
- Screensavers
- Shortcuts
Open Office
- Installing Open Office
- Making a document
- Customising headings and text
- Alignments
- Text effects
2D Games Development using any of the games platform i.e. Unity, Unreal Engine, Stencyl, Game Maker etc. This will be different from the one which has been taught in the previous week.
- Download and install programs
- What is a game?
- How are games made?
- Understanding layout
- Actors, backgrounds, scenes and sounds
- Testing created games
- Behaviours and events
- Peer game testing
Robotics: Robot Coding
Week 4 (23rd July - 27th July 2018): 2D Games Development, Excel and Powerpoint
Excel Spreadsheets
- Spreadsheet building
- Rows and columns
- Charts
- Formulae
PowerPoint
- Creating a presentation
- Animations
- Images
- Videos
- Text effects
- Showing a presentation as a slideshow
2D Games Development using any of the games platform i.e. Unity, Unreal Engine, Stencyl, Game Maker etc. This will be different from the one which has been taught in the previous week.
- Download and install programs
- What is a game?
- How are games made?
- Understanding layout
- Actors, backgrounds, scenes and sounds
- Testing created games
- Behaviours and events
- Peer game testing
Robotics: Robot Coding
Week 5 (30th July - 3rd August 2018): 2D Games Development and Robotics
2D Games Development using any of the games platform i.e. Unity, Unreal Engine, Stencyl, Game Maker etc. This will be different from the one which has been taught in the previous week.
- Download and install programs
- What is a game?
- How are games made?
- Understanding layout
- Actors, backgrounds, scenes and sounds
- Testing created games
- Behaviours and events
- Peer game testing
Robotics
Week 6 (6th August - 10th August 2018): 3D Games Development
3D Games Development
- Download and install program
- Create a scene
- Import characters
- Add textures and layers
- Important graphics created
- Add logic and physics to game
- Debug
Robot Coding
Robot Coding: Robotics
Robotics training has only recently been introduced for the first time to kids in Scotland. Robotics is an area of engineering which studies the conception, design, manufacture, and operation of robots. Robots frequently appear in films, TV shows and books, but they are increasingly becoming a part of real day-to-day life and many of today’s children may even work alongside them when they are adults.
As well as being fun and highly appealing to kids, robotics teaches kids about STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in an engaging and innovative way. This not only helps their performance in school, but gives them a solid foundation for entering higher education and landing well-paid and rewarding jobs in the future.
Our robotics programme during the Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow will involve teaching kids the core concepts of robotics through a game. The key aspects of this game are as follows:
- Teaches children as young as 4 the basics of computer programming
- As children gain confidence they can go on to more ‘unlockable’ advanced tasks
- No reading required and it takes seconds to learn how to play
- Educational game designed to be played with parents or an older sibling
- Teaches skills required by the new National Curriculum
Athletics Training Sessions
In a play-based yet structured Athletics Training format children are encouraged to develop athletic skills that are fundamental to physical development. Athletics sessions build cognitive and social skills which will help children to meet early learning goals.
The Athletics programme during the Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow will involve a play-based yet structured format consisting of various aspects:
- Basic movement skills (running, jumping, throwing etc.)
- ABC running drills
- Internal training and strength training
- Cross training and time trials
- Mat exercises and cool down.
Leading these athletics sessions will be gold medal winning athlete, Garry, who has many years of experience in coaching people of all ages and ability levels to achieve their fitness goals and develop a love of athletics.
We believe that this approach will benefit the children who participate in many areas:
Health
According to the Chief Medical Office, the guidelines for the amount of exercise children and young people aged 5-18 should receive are as follows:
- All children and young people should engage in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day.
- Vigorous intensity activities, including those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least three days a week.
- All children and young people should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.
As we at BYITC are encouraging kids to develop a passion for, and skills in, computing and coding, we want to counteract the amount of sedentary time kids spend in front of a computer by encouraging them to incorporate more physical activity into their lives and make exercise something they enjoy as much as learning about IT.
Moreover, it is becoming more crucial than ever that kids learn to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle. In 2016, 29% of children in Scotland aged between 2 and 15 were at risk of being overweight and 14% were at risk of being obese. A 2016 survey showed that modern kids spend around half the time playing outside that their parents did as children, preferring to stay indoors playing on their computers and consoles. Encouraging children to exercise not only helps them to stay fit and in shape but can prevent them from developing serious illnesses associated with being overweight, such as type 2 diabetes.
The programme’s coach, Garry, is also highly knowledgeable about all aspects of leading a healthy lifestyle, and will be happy to provide information to parents and kids about:
- Having a healthy and balanced diet
- Anatomy and physiology for exercise
- Creating a personalised fitness plan and aiming for realistic and achievable goals
- Using gym equipment such as exercise machines and free weights properly to avoid injury.
Teamwork
Computing skills are undoubtedly of vital importance in the modern age; however, it cannot be denied that computer work can often be fairly solitary.
According to Michigan State University, teaching children a sense of empathy through teamwork is crucial to their development. They suggest allowing children time to play together in an active way to practice “collaboration, problem-solving and conflict resolution.”
One excellent way for children to develop their teamwork skills is to participate in sports, as virtually every sport features a strong element of working with others. By playing sports with other children, kids can learn the importance of cooperation. Even with teammates they may not be particularly fond of, they learn to put their differences aside for the greater good of the team, which is undoubtedly a useful skill to have in the workplace!
This kind of teamwork also allows children to develop their social skills in a fun and productive way. While group projects at school may involve working as a team, the children may not have a real passion for the project and so limit their conversation on the subject to a minimum. However, when they are playing a sport they enjoy with others who share their passion, they are more inclined to discuss this passion with their teammates and brainstorm ways to improve their team.
Engaging in teamwork through sports can also improve a child’s confidence. As a result, not only do they become more confident in their interactions with their peers, but receiving compliments on their technique or game times may help to boost their self-esteem.
Finally, children who take part in teamwork in sports are more likely to develop a healthy sense of accountability and responsibility. For example, when the child’s team loses a game or the child does not perform to the best of their ability, they must learn to cope with failure and admit their own shortcomings instead of blaming others.
Fun
Although education is vitally important to a child’s development, the summer holidays should still provide kids with an opportunity to have a break from the typical classroom structure and to let off some steam.
Allowing kids free time to enjoy themselves shouldn’t be seen as a waste of time. A great deal of research has shown the importance of play as part of a child’s development. A report by the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health notes that “despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children” and attributes this to factors including “hurried lifestyles” and “increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of recess or free child-centred play”. The report lists several important benefits of play, including:
- Allowing children to use their creativity
- Develop imagination as well as physical, cognitive and emotional strength
- Allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practising adult roles
- Enhance confidence and resilience needed to face future challenges
However, despite the benefits of children devoting time to playing, the report shows that schools have gradually reduced the amount of time children are given for play in an effort to focus on reading and mathematics. This may affect children’s ability to store new information as a clear-cut change in activity – e.g. going from a classroom to playing outdoors – has been proven to enhance children’s cognitive capacity.
For these reasons, we believe adding an element exercise to our summer boot camp for kids Glasgow will allow kids to enjoy their childhoods to the fullest while also learning skills that will serve them well in the future, as well as making the boot camp something that they will truly find to be fun.
About lunch and other requirements
- Kids are required to bring their own meals and a water bottle for their lunchtime break.
- Kids are advised to bring their own laptops to keep the programs they make and the software we install; however we have the necessary facilities to allow them to create the programs and they can bring in a pen drive to save their work.
- The Summer boot camp for kids Glasgow start at 9am and finish at 4pm each day.
- Please inform us if your child has any allergies or is on any medication.
- For health and safety reasons, please do not bring any food containing nuts.
- Once paid, money is non-refundable.
- Some kids’ pictures will be used for social media, if you have any objections to this please let us know.
- Once you have booked the classes, it will be your responsibility to remember what date and time the classes will take place as mentioned in the table below. We will not take any responsibility if you forget the class dates; however if you book through Eventbrite, this will send you a reminder about the event.
Deals for Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow and Early Bird discounts
The price per week of the summer boot camp for kids Glasgow is £250. We are giving a 40% discount to early birds, and only £150 per week will be payable should you book in advance.
You can also bring your child early and pick them up later at the additional cost of £5 per hour. Feel free to send any enquiries regarding the Summer Boot Camp for kidsGlasgow through our website.
We are flexible with dates: Kids can pick which weeks they attend
To allow you to base your child’s attendance at the summer boot camp for kids Glasgow around your summer holidays and other obligations, you can choose which weeks of the Boot Camp your child attends.
The course will run for 6 weeks in total with each week consisting of a different module. You can choose to register your child for as many weeks as you wish as each week is self-contained – there is no obligation for your child to attend for the whole 6 weeks or to attend only on consecutive weeks.
Computing Class Time for Games Development: Monday to Wednesday 9am to 12pm
Learn Coding through Robotics: Thursday and Friday 9am to 12pm
Athletics Training: Monday to Friday 1 to 3pm
Why should my child improve their computing/coding skills?
As coding is relatively new to the education system in comparison to traditional subjects like English and maths, many parents may wonder why it has suddenly begun to receive so much attention and why their kids are being encouraged to learn to code.
Just a few of the reasons include:
- IT, software and computer services are the largest sector in the creative industry – in 2014, it was almost double the size of the second largest sector (advertising and marketing)
- The IT sector employs a massive number of people – in 2016, 674,000 people were employed in jobs in the IT, software and computer services sub-sector
- There is a high demand for IT graduates as there is a skills shortage to vacancy ratio of 43% amongst Science, Research, Engineering and Technology professionals
- IT professionals are typically very well-paid, with those working in the science, technology and engineering sectors earning roughly 20% more than those in other sectors
Most of all, learning coding benefits children on a personal level – it enhances their creativity, improves their problem solving ability, and is a fun and satisfying activity for them to take part in.
Please click here to register for Kids Summer Boot Camp for Kids Glasgow
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Learn – Enjoy – Develop.