Fun Way to Get Kids Into Engineering With a Hands-On Experience

The Project

Abstract This project solves the problem of teaching coding to beginners, especially kids, in a fun way. I created a guide with video links that teach coding through a hands-on project: building a Snake game using a joystick, Arduino, and a 16x16 LED matrix. The guide is beginner-friendly and teaches programming concepts like variables, loops, conditionals, and functions. I tested the guide during development to ensure the instructions were clear and the game worked. The result showed that users found the guide easy to follow and the game enjoyable. The solution successfully helped beginners learn to code interactively. Problem Around 55% of kids worldwide don’t know basic text-based coding, and only 0.5% of adults do. Coding is not just useful for tech jobs—it helps develop problem-solving and critical thinking. My goal was to make learning to code easier and more fun by turning it into an interactive experience that shows kids coding can be exciting and rewarding. Inspiration for the project Those statistics made me realize how few people know coding, even though it’s such a valuable skill. I wanted to make coding less intimidating and more fun, so I created a hands-on project to help kids learn in a creative and simple way. My Hypothesis My goal was to build a fun, portable Snake game that teaches real coding, not block-based tools like Scratch. The guide needed to be beginner-friendly but also allow kids to experiment with changes. The device had to be clean, compact, and easy to power with a wall plug. It also needed to teach wiring and code in a way that was easy to follow but educational. Conclusion The guide walked users through building a Snake game using Arduino parts and taught core coding ideas like loops, conditionals, and functions. Videos helped explain things clearly, and a walkthrough showed how the code works. The guide was easy to follow, even with limited time. It can be used at home, in clubs, or classrooms, and doesn’t require a teacher to know coding. I want to test how different age groups respond, compare video vs. written learning, and expand the game with new features. I also want to gather more feedback from total beginners to make the guide even better. Troubleshooting The game worked well, with responsive controls and a fun buzzer. My brother enjoyed playing, showing the game was engaging. But the setup was messy, with wires everywhere. To fix this, I made a box to hold all components—joystick, buzzer, LED matrix, and Arduino. I used a smaller Arduino Nano to fit everything neatly. I added a hole for the USB-C port so it could be programmed easily. The Nano remembers code unless reset, so the device can be unplugged and used anywhere. If changes are needed, it’s easy to plug back in and update. The cleaner design made the setup more portable and user-friendly, making the guide more engaging and fun.

View this project on YouTube