As the school holidays draw nearer, I’m sure all of us are excited and looking forward to what we can do during the break! Why not try out some #Techtivities? Have fun with your friends and family, and discover the wonders of technology at the same time!
Let’s first hear some #TechNews!
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has developed a ship that uses a wind/solar hybrid propulsion system and Artificial intelligence (AI) to navigate the sea and cross the Atlantic without a human captain on board! 🚢
Using AI, the ship is capable of recognizing obstacles in the water and making its own navigation decisions with the information gained from its sensors! Find out more about this ground-breaking achievement here! 🌊
Now that we’re learnt something new, keep scrolling on to discover techtivities that you and your family can indulge in this month! ✨
HyperDrive
Fans of F1 racing? Up for a fast and furious adventure? Visit HyperDrive, the recently opened indoor go-karting arena at Sentosa, uniquely mixed with virtual gaming elements! Perfect to go with both friends and family, especially for those looking for a little competition on the road (at a safe place, of course). 😉
What tech is here? 🤔 🧑💻 Go as fast as you can with the help of virtual turbo boosts powered by Augmented Reality (AR) that you can collect throughout the race track! 🏎️
🧑💻 Play Mario Kart in real life as you collect virtual bombs and missiles to get ahead of the other racers, all with the help of AR! 💣
Details: When: Permanent
Where: The Palawan @ Sentosa
Price: From $30
Learn more here.
Going Viral
Learn about how things go viral at the Going Viral Exhibition! (Not viral as in social media, but viral as in the spread of viruses 😉) Going Viral is a travelling exhibition that will tell you all about pandemic management and how science has helped with interventions! It is making a stop at the Singapore Science Centre, and now’s the time to stop by with your family to learn about this topic in a unique way with 360-projection mapping and virtual reality. 😲
What tech is here? 🤔 🧑💻 Learn the science of viruses, vaccines and our immune system in a fun and engaging way, with interactive entrances and multimedia games! 🤩
🧑💻 Satiate your curiosity about the Covid-19 virus by dissecting it virtually through the interactive touch table! 🦠
🧑💻 Access various secret animations and become the expert at science by scanning the QR codes using QR technology! 🤳
Details: When: until March 2024
Where: Singapore Science Centre
Price: From $8
Learn more here.
The World of Nickelodeon
To all fans of Paw Patrol, Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this is the event for you! The World of Nickelodeon is back this year at Marina Square and this is the perfect place to go with your little ones for action-packed family fun! 😄
What tech is here? 🤔 🧑💻 Make your artistic talents come to life on the big screen at the Dora the Explorer colouring stations, with the help of Augmented Reality! 🎨
🧑💻 Use your energy to power the bubble machine, constructed carefully with Robotics, and create a world of bubbles to play in! 🫧
🧑💻 Be part of the Paw Patrol Fire Rescue as you put out the fires as fast as possible, powered with Sensing Technology! 🚒
Details: When: until 14 January 2024
Where: Let’s Play @ Marina Square
Price: From $28
Learn more here.
October Post-PSLE Coding Camps
Spend a productive 3 days with us in our Post-PSLE Holiday Coding Camps! Whether you’re a beginner in coding, or looking to take your skills to the next level, we have a class for everyone! 🤩
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 Ages 7-9: Introducing our full-day Scratch camps! Go beyond just the basics and discover what your child will be able to create in just 3 days! 💥 We’re talking about turning their original ideas into full-fledged games designed and created by themselves! 👾🕹
🧑💻 Ages 10-12: Thinking about having your child DSA to their dream school, but not sure where to start? 🤔 It’s never too late to start now! Get equipped with the core foundations of programming and apply that knowledge to creating amazing projects, and building an extensive portfolio for themselves today. 📑👍🏻
🧑💻 Ages 13-18: Set your teen apart from their peers and get a head start on today’s latest tech trends! 🧑💻👩💻 Dive into Python and explore challenges based on actual real-world scenarios and understand how coding is applicable in our day-to-day lives.
Join us for an invaluable, eye-opening learning experience this holiday! See you there! 🤗
Psst! You can apply the discount code ‘CODEHANGOUT’ to get *12% discount when signing up in a group of 3 or more! Slots are running out quickly so secure a timeslot of your choice for your child today! 😉
*When stacked with Early Bird Discount
Details: When:
Where: Online, Parkway Parade, Bukit Timah (KAP Mall)
Price: From $401.52
Ending off with a fun #TechFact, Ending off with a fun #TechFact, did you know that Mark Zuckerberg is red-green colour-blind? The colour he can see best is blue – this is why blue dominates the Facebook website and mobile app that we know today! (Source)
If you haven’t seen our previous techtivity recommendations, check out our February #TechtivitiesOfTheMonth, which includes more cool tech-related activities you can do with friends and family!
(Written by Thinzar)
Best-in-class Curriculum for Coding
We are honoured to be the winner of multiple awards.
Thank You for your support.
Hop on board the Coding Lab train! Click here to get our monthly newsletters straight to your inbox.
We invited 2 passionate brothers, Lucas and Louis Tang, who first began their coding journey with us 4 years ago when they were 9 and 6 years old respectively. They have since accelerated across our S100 Python for teens, and are already pursuing our S200 Electives course at the ages of 12 and 10. Lucas will also be commencing his studies at Hwa Chong Institution in 2023.
Let’s hear from them regarding their experience so far!
What do you love about coding? What about it keeps you going?
Lucas: I enjoy it because it is satisfying! It is like maths. Because I love maths, that is why coding is fun! Once you solve a problem, it gives you this satisfying feeling, and I am quite enthusiastic about this. I feel like somehow, when I have questions in the first lesson, somehow the second lesson will answer it!
The teacher will help us recall what we learned the previous time so that we can remember what we have learned in the previous lesson, and she will first address any question we may have about the last lesson.
“Coding is fun and challenging! Firstly, coding is fun because when I test my project after working very hard on it, I find that I feel relieved! I feel that it is fun playing with the game that I have created.“
– Louis Tang
Meet Louis, who enjoyed learning about the intersections of Mathematics and Coding in our Python 2 class!
Louis: Coding is fun and challenging! Firstly, coding is fun because when I test my project after working very hard on it, I find that I feel relieved! I feel that it is fun playing with the game that I have created.
I also feel that it is actually challenging as sometimes I might not know the topics being taught, as I am usually one of the younger ones in the class, so I might not know much of the maths! For example, for some of the quadratic equations, I do not know them. So I can only rely on the formulas as I do not fully understand them. The teacher will help me with the tough maths challenges, as I am weaker in these areas, and I didn’t know how to create a plot in Python!
What do your friends and family say when they hear that you are a coder?
Lucas: Coding really revolves around Math. Once I solve a problem, I feel accomplished, and I am quite enthusiastic about this. For both Coding and Math, I really need to be very familiar with formulas. The best part is that once you solve a question, it feels satisfying!
Louis: I think coding is very fun and figuring out how to do the programs help me relieve stress! Sometimes the Math needed for programs can be challenging and I have not yet learned them at school as I’m only in P4. For example, quadratic equations – The teacher will help me with these tough Math challenges in class and it took me 3 days to understand and complete the project!
What is your favourite project that you have worked on in Coding Lab?
Lucas: My favourite project was mental sums, it was a task where you have to make an unlimited number of questions using the random module, where you can create simple mental sums!
I like to use it as sometimes when I feel that my mind is unproductive, I will just use the programme for a while to enhance my reaction time and awaken my brain! It was a Coursemology project, so I had to do it to earn experience points to progress to the next level.
Here is how Lucas’ Mental Math game looks like! Why don’t you give it a try? 😉
Louis: My favourite project is the phonebook. You can add someone’s name and then their contact. You also can update it, delete it, and you also can view it. So an example is that when you run it, it can act like WhatsApp, you can search for someone’s name and find their contacts easily by just typing their name! I find it interesting but challenging, as it requires many codes, but it is fun to play with!
This is Louis’ favourite Phonebook program, which he learnt in our Python 2 classes! 😀
“Lucas is an independent student who displays great problem solving skills. He has a strong foundation in coding and is able to grasp new concepts quickly. It is evident when he is attempting challenges in class where he uses and applies concepts in the right way, even adding his own customisations to further improve the program.“
– Educator Thinzar
What would you say to someone who is new to coding? Is there any advice you would like to share with them?
Lucas: Do not memorise all the modules! Trust me, it uses unnecessary brain power. If you memorise all the functions, you will not be putting all your energy into solving the problem! You will just be trying to memorise the modules and how to use them. You can use a cheat sheet to solve the problems instead!
Coding, like maths, requires formulas, like modules. It feels so good every time you complete one assignment. You will also get to exercise your brain!
Louis: I would tell them to join (Coding Lab), as personally, coding is not very extremely hard. They might not know some of the topics, but the teacher will go through all of the topics clearly, and help them understand more. I think coding is very fun and a way to relieve stress!
If the project is very hard, just do not give up as eventually, you can solve it. For example, for the quadratic equation, it took me 3 days to finally understand it and complete the project!
“Because I love maths, that is why coding is fun! Coding really revolves around maths. For both of them, you really need formulas. For example, for coding, you need to use functions. Other than functions, you can use modules also. In maths, it is called formulas too. The best part is that once you solve a question, it feels satisfying!“
– Lucas Tang
Lucas loves attending his Coding Lab classes with Educator Thinzar, and has progressed wonderfully under her supportive guidance.
Just a few more questions! Is there anything you would like to say to Educator Thinzar?
Lucas: I like your class because you always joke around and you help us when we have any questions. Thank you for making coding so fun!
Is coding something you want to do in the future?
Louis: Yes. Coding is something that I want to do in the future, as my dream job is to be a programmer! I want to program robots to help me do my work!
This is as I am quite lazy and I don’t want to do my work on my own! Usually, today I have HBL as it’s PSLE, so I just woke up at 6.30 in the morning, as my brother also wakes up to go to his PSLE. I then finish all my work in the morning, so that in the afternoon I can just slouch back.
What is the feeling that you get when you have solved a code?
Louis: Well, I feel very relieved and excited! I also feel happy as I feel accomplished after I’ve finished my code.
I feel happy and excited, because I want to test out the code. I like to test out the code as it’s very fun and exciting, and usually after doing a large volume of work, some parts might not work, but I really wanna test it to make sure it works.
“Louis is a bright student who always asks additional questions to understand concepts in-depth. I really appreciate his questions as it shows his keenness for learning and helps to equip him with a strong foundation.
– Educator Thinzar
Thank you Lucas and Louis for sharing your personal stories with us, and for the invaluable advice that you have given to new coders that are just starting out! 😄
We are incredibly impressed by your enthusiasm for the intricacies of coding, and are heartened to have witnessed your growth in Coding Lab under the caring guidance of our nurturing Educators!
Many of our students have overcome various challenges, advanced far beyond their own expectations, and forged their own path in programming, and we are so proud of them. Our #CodingLabStudents series features some of our exceptional and resilient students, and aims to put a spotlight on their dreams, goals and achievements! 🌱
Find your own starting point to this journey here with us by browsing our course catalogue today!
September holidays are here, and that means a time to have fun! Take a look at our consolidated #Techtivities for some fun powered by technology this holiday. 🥳
Firstly, for the #TechNews of the month, Covid-19 has greatly raised the importance of food security and resilience. While using methyl bromide has been a safe and common food storage practice within the industry, Singapore Storage & Warehouse is now using a safer method to store rice 🍚. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) box is a locally developed technology that creates a low-oxygen environment that allows rice to be stored for up to a year!⏱
Find out more on how Singapore Storage & Warehouse uses MAP technology to enhance our food security here!
Now that we’re learnt something new, keep scrolling on to discover techtivities that you and your family can indulge in this month! ✨
MeshMinds 3.0: ArtxTechForGood
Experience a unique exhibition at MeshMinds 3.0 powered by technology at the ArtScience Museum! See how we can look at cultural and environmental issues in a different way as you immerse yourself in various digital environments. 😲
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 Try out Sky Farm Island, the first Roblox educational game that allows players to learn about sustainable farming! 🧑🌾
🧑💻 Explore Aquasia, a futuristic utopia that aims to teach us about rising sea levels, all powered with Virtual Reality! 🌊
🧑💻 Experience a completely new Geylang at Geylang Crunk, where the area has been reinvented into a thrilling roller coaster ride with the help with Augmented Reality! 🎢
Calling all Aviation enthusiasts! RSAF Open House is back after 7 years at the Paya Laber Air Base to commemorate the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)’s 55th Anniversary. With various carnival activities, performances, games and many more, everyone is sure to have fun and learn more about our Air Force at this event! 🥳
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 Prepare yourself on the RSAF55OH Digital Experience Webapp, where you can create your avatar and use the Augmented Reality Aerial Display Filter to earn digital coins to get rewards at the event! 📱
🧑💻 Admire the abilities of our RSAF crew at their Aerial Capability Display, where they are deployed to handle a suspected bomb threat, and sending all the live footage via Video Transmission! 🤩
🧑💻 Try out various simulators, physical displays, and interactive elements, and even play immersive games such as Full Body Agility Tests and Air Combat powered by Sensing Technologies at their three Exhibition Halls! 🎮
Celebrate Mid-Autumn with the Singapore River Festival! With bright lights and colours, as well as food, music, performances and experiences, experience the fusion of local heritage and culture while enjoying your time with friends and family! 🏮
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 View the mesmerising light installations at Singapore’s three quays – Cavenagh Bridge, Read Bridge and Alkaff Bridge, and immerse yourself in the ambience as you enjoy the various food and performances! 😋
🧑💻 See how Augmented Reality is used to make historical landmarks come to life with interactive storytelling, and hear the tale of Singapore’s evolution from its founding to the global city it is today! 😄
Last call for our September Holiday Camps! 📢 Calling all young tech enthusiasts, this is your time to shine! 🌟
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 Ages 5-6: Get a head start through an interactive and engaging hands-on curriculum and let your child explore all about Sensors, Sounds and Movement! Program their new friend, Photon the robot, and go on exciting adventures together! 🤖
🧑💻 Ages 7-9: Done Scratch in school? We go way beyond that! Expand your coding abilities and discover all that you can create – Add exciting game features into your games such as creating time challenges, tracking your high scores, and many more! 👾
🧑💻 Ages 10-12: Create your very own version of your favourite mobile apps in our App Inventor classes and learn all about App Design and User Interface! Release fully publishable and popular apps such as Whack-a-Mole, Flappysaurus, and even a mini game to identify and name objects in real life.
🧑💻 Ages 13-18: Get the best headstart in coding in our extensive curriculum for teens! Dive into the top 5 global programming platform, Python, and pick up key coding concepts with challenges relevant in today’s society. 🌎
Take your pick, because whatever your choice is, we’re sure your child will have loads of fun in our classes! 😎 💚 Not free this holiday? Our October and December Holiday Coding Camps are coming up, not to mention our regular weekly classes! 😉
With so many options for both beginners and the initiated, and various physical and online options, there’s definitely a class suitable for everyone! Sign up here or feel free to drop us an email, call us or WhatsApp us to get in touch. 😊
Psst! You can apply the discount code ‘CODEHANGOUT’ to get *12% discount when signing up in a group of 3 or more! Slots are running out quickly so secure a timeslot of your choice for your child today! 😉
*When stacked with Early Bird Discount
Details:
When: 4 – 8 September 2023
Where: Online, Parkway Parade, Bukit Timah (KAP Mall)
Ending off with a fun #TechFact, did you know that there are more than 1.1 billion websites on the World Wide Web? The web reached 1 billion websites 9 years ago, showing how important websites are in today’s world! (Source)
If you haven’t seen our previous techtivity recommendations, check out our August #TechtivitiesOfTheMonth, which includes more cool tech-related activities you can do with friends and family!
(Written by Thinzar)
Best-in-class Curriculum for Coding
We are honoured to be the winner of multiple awards.
Thank You for your support.
Hop on board the Coding Lab train! Click here to get our monthly newsletters straight to your inbox.
Remember our 10 Medallists at the 26th National Olympiad in Informatics (NOI) earlier this year?
We are dedicated to nurturing future leaders in technology, and as educators, we are always delighted to hear our students’ achievements and their kind words of appreciation for our efforts. We caught up briefly with our student, Ziv who had some words for us:
“The countless days spent practicing on websites, as well as attending classes at Coding Lab, have greatly contributed to achieving this milestone. However, I want to express my deepest gratitude to my parents, teachers, and friends, who have been like stars in the sky, always standing by me, watching over me, and guiding me through the treacherous jungle of life. Thank you for being my guiding light.”
– Ziv Lim, Zhonghua Secondary School and Silver Award Winner (NOI 2023)
Once again, congratulations on your Silver Award for NOI 2023 – and on your very first try! This prestigious competition is very reputable, and it is amazing to see what you achieved after all these years. Thank you, Ziv, for your message to us, and we’re incredibly proud to have played a part in your coding journey! We’re honoured to have been your guiding light, and we eagerly anticipate your future accomplishments.
Ziv Lim – NOI Silver Award Winner (2023) – His very first NOI Competition
We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our exceptional students, Chen-Xuan, Emrys and Prabir, who have achieved remarkable accomplishments in this year’s Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge 2023! 🏆 Chen-Xuan, Emrys, and Prabir have each earned the prestigious Platinum award, the highest honour bestowed upon the top 1.5% of participants.
Such incredible achievements have brought forth a multitude of opportunities for our students. We acknowledge the results of our numerous Coding Lab students who also achieved a medal in 2023! Many of them have received confirmed DSA offers from their preferred schools, including esteemed institutions like NUS High, Hwa Chong Institution and SJI, among others.
These sterling results for HCIC 2023 not only continue the legacy of excellence but also magnify it. Our students have perpetuated the outstanding tradition, setting a high bar since Jun Ray’s achievement of securing 1st Position in the challenge back in 2019. We’re thrilled to note that this remarkable journey persists, with our 7 Platinum and Gold winners marking our triumph in HCIC 2022. We’re elated to witness our students’ growth, celebrate their feats, and stand by them in their journey of achievements. To all our extraordinary students, we extend our wholehearted congratulations once again! 💚
Interested to find out more? Check out the Python Programming and Elective courses we offer for Secondary school and Junior College students. At Coding Lab, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of tech enthusiasts, empowering them to transform their ideas into reality!
About the HCIC
The Hwa Chong Info-communications Challenge (HCIC) is an annual competition to kindle the flames of interest among primary school students within the realm of info-communications. It serves a dual purpose of not only fostering curiosity but also spotlighting prodigious talents in the spheres of programming, coding, and robotics. The year 2023 saw the competition unfold in May, with participants hailing from Singapore’s Primary 6 segment as well as overseas centers’ equivalent of Primary 5 or 6 students.
Meet our Coding Lab student, Isaac Khong – Platinum Award winner (the highest honour, awarded to the top 1.5% of participants) at the Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2022.
“Coding has always been my favourite hobby which I enjoyed during my free time. I am very delighted to have the unique opportunity to expand into the AI field, which I can see a lot of interesting developments in the near future like ChatGPT! “
Hello again, Isaac! Congratulations on winning the Platinum Award at the HCIC! How do you feel about your achievement?
Meet Isaac Khong, who has been with us at Coding Lab since a young age of 7!
I feel honoured yet humble to have received the Platinum Award at the HCIC. Coding has always been my favourite hobby which I enjoyed during my free time and winning a Platinum Award in a coding competition held across Primary schools in Singapore gave me the recognition for my efforts put into learning and practising coding.
I would like to thank my parents, teachers and friends for supporting me throughout this exciting journey!
How was your HCIC experience?
My HCIC experience was very fulfilling. The questions were challenging and it requires critical and creative thinking skills. Preparation for the HCIC was manageable. I enjoyed the opportunity to think-out-of-the box which gave me a lot of satisfaction.
What are you coding right now? Are there any exciting future coding projects or dream project that you want to mention?
I am coding a program to automate web browsing using Python’s selenium module. The computer will then be able to go through many web pages within a short duration and interact with the website. This saves time for the user.
“Isaac is a very responsible and independent student who has shown great understanding in programming. He displays self discipline and concentration, and is very enthusiastic towards learning. On many occasions, I have seen him attempting the challenges before the rest and he is helpful and willing to share his knowledge with his classmates, which is really commendable!“
– Educator Edmund
Which school do you study at currently? How is adapting to life in Secondary school so far?
I am currently a student at Hwa Chong Institution. I applied for DSA through coding and I received two confirmed offers from Dunman High and River Valley High and, initially, a waitlist offer from Hwa Chong Institution.
Transitioning from Primary to Secondary school, the workload has increased significantly and yet there are many opportunities for independent work and collaborative projects, which I really enjoyed. I am very delighted to be admitted into HCI, as it offers me the unique opportunity to expand into the AI field, which I can see a lot of interesting developments in the near future like ChatGPT!
Isaac has advanced from a young budding coder to an advanced, brilliant programmer at the level of 13-18 years old, with several competition wins under his belt!
What do your friends or family say when they know that you can code?
I have taken a lot of inspiration from my dad whom I used to watch him code when I was a young. I got my first computer in Primary One and was learning Scratch. My sister who was two years younger was amazed at how one can program a computer. She is now on her path to be a young programmer at Coding Lab as well!
It was great catching up with Isaac again in this student feature and hearing updates on his progress in his coding journey! We are glad to have played a role in his growth over the years as well as his DSA journey. 😊
Here at Coding Lab, we take pride in taking our students’ aspirations seriously, as our mission is to nurture future leaders in technology and help our students reach their fullest potentials! We hope that Isaac’s journey and aspirations will motivate you to consider investing in your child’s education in coding!
Isaac Khong started attending P101 Scratch 1 class at Coding Lab when he was barely 7 years of age and advanced his way to our S200 Electives by the time he was 12. He was awarded the Platinum Award (the highest honour) at the Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2022. He is 13 years old as of 2023 and is attending Hwa Chong Institution.
Our #CodingLabStudents series features our ambitious students and their ongoing coding journeys – be it the budding coder or advanced Python Pro, we appreciate each and every single one’s efforts as they progress to greater heights. 🌱
Coding Lab offers an award-winning curriculum specially for ages 5 to 18 – check out our courses to begin your own coding journey today!
Our nation’s birthday is coming up, and it is a time that our family can celebrate and have fun! We have some techtivities lined up for you, so the whole family can have fun and learn about the wonder of technology at the same time. 😄
Let’s first hear some #TechNews!
With over 180 different types of mosquito species in Singapore, it is challenging to eradicate disease-spreading mosquitoes. 🦟 However, with the power of A.I, GovTech has successfully created a model that could “not only correctly classify species from different groups, but also differentiate seemingly lookalike species from the same group”! 👨💻 Read more about it here!
Now that we’re all set, keep scrolling on to discover techtivities that you and your family can indulge in this month! ✨
Singapore Night Festival 2023
The annual Singapore Night Festival is back at Bras Basah.Bugis Precinct! Showcasing Singapore’s growth from a small port city to a modern metropolis, there are various installations, unique experiential activities, and for the first time, a family zone with activities for children hosted by the Children’s Museum Singapore. 🥳
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 See Augmented Reality (AR) in action as you whip out your phone to explore the secrets behind installations like GIIFEST III: Imperfect Compilation! 🤳
🧑💻 Experience the power of projection mapping as you view various light installations projected onto different features like buildings and even the trees! 🌴
🧑💻 Immerse your senses in lights, colours and sounds carefully timed and programmed to work beautifully in harmony! 🎶
Want to discover the world right in the heart of our top-ranked airport? Explore the exciting virtual world of Changi Airport through 10 different zones at Changi Experience Studio @ JEWEL. Experience the wonder of technology as you learn more about aviation and how the airport operates! ✈️
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 Want to be a pilot? Take flight through the Aeroviation Flight Simulator while staying planted on the ground! 🧑✈️
🧑💻 Be the fastest in the virtual race at the Amazing Runway as it senses your peddling speed! 🚲
🧑💻 How to be a successful airport? Play games at the Backstage zone as you control the running of the airport through various sections like baggage control, immigration and plane parking with the screen! 🛫🛬
Details:
When: Permanent
Where: JEWEL Changi Airport
Price: From $12.75 (with current promotions as of 28 July 2023)
Is your little one interested in the seas? Let them explore the Singapore Navy Museum, where they can learn about how the Singapore Navy has become the modern force it has today!
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 Learn interesting facts through interactive boards that will activate with your actions! 😄
🧑💻 Interested to try out your own gun? A huge gun display has been set up where your little ones can sit and move the gun! 🔫
🧑💻 Want to thank our Singapore Navy for what they have done? Simply hover your hand over the interactive board and it will send a message through Sensing Technology! 🤗
Details:
When: Permanent
Where: 112 Tanah Merah Coast Road
Price: Free (for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents – $8 for tourists and foreigners)
Calling all young tech enthusiasts, this is your time to shine! 🌟 In our September Holiday Coding Camps, join us for an unforgettable experience and challenge yourself to create your best project ever! Jump into game development and code a game with features of your choice, or create innovative mobile apps from scratch – Unleash your creativity and gain lifelong skills to cherish for life! 😎
What tech is here? 🤔
🧑💻 Ages 5-6: Discover the fun with your new robot friend as you bring him on adventures and conquer challenges together.
🧑💻 Ages 7-9: Done Scratch in school? We go beyond that! Expand your coding abilities and discover all that you can create – Add exciting features into your games such as creating time challenges, tracking your high scores, and many more! 👾
🧑💻 Ages 10-12:Create your very own version of your favourite mobile apps in our App Inventor classes and learn all about App Design and User Interface! Join us in our Python Junior classes and create ingenious programs with fun challenges as you go along! 📱💻
🧑💻 Ages 13-18: Get the best headstart in coding in our extensive curriculum for teens! Dive into the top 5 global programming platform, Python, and pick up key coding concepts with challenges relevant in today’s society. 🌎
Take your pick, because whatever your choice is, we’re sure your child will have loads of fun in our classes! 😎 💚
With so many options for both beginners and the initiated, and various physical and online options, there’s definitely a class suitable for everyone! Sign up here or feel free to drop us an email, call us or WhatsApp us to get in touch. 😊
Psst! You can apply the discount code ‘CODEHANGOUT’ to get *12% discount when signing up in a group of 3 or more! Slots are running out quickly so secure a timeslot of your choice for your child today! 😉
*When stacked with Early Bird Discount
Details:
When: 4 to 8 September 2023
Where: Online, Parkway Parade, Bukit Timah (KAP Mall)
To wrap up our #TechtivitiesOfTheMonth, here is a fun #TechFact! Did you know that the first ever computer virus, Creeper, was created in 1971? When a computer catches the virus, the screen displays the message “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!”
However, unlike the viruses and malware today, Creeper was not sent out with malicious intent, it was created for experimental purposes, to show that it was possible to create a self-duplicating program! (Source)
If you haven’t seen our previous techtivity recommendations, check out our July #TechtivitiesOfTheMonth, which includes more cool tech-related activities you can do with friends and family!
(Written by Thinzar)
Best-in-class Curriculum for Coding
We are honoured to be the winner of multiple awards.
Thank You for your support.
Hop on board the Coding Lab train! Click here to get our monthly newsletters straight to your inbox.
We’re in the Fourth Industrial Revolution where everything technology is found in every aspect of our lives, and the digital world is now our children’s playground. Everything we see around us is being automated, for instance, that chatbot you’re typing to or the ordering kiosks at your favourite bubble tea shop. Isn’t it exciting that our children get to be part of something like Big Data and Artificial Intelligence?
While technology has many benefits, it also has its pitfalls. So, how do we ensure that our children benefit from the use of technology? How do you, as parents, create a safe and fun environment and prepare your children to learn about the world around them and help them to form healthy digital habits?
Learning and Playing With Technology
Our Junior Coders play with Photon the Robot during class while learning all about computational thinking.
What better way to get to know technology better than by engaging your little ones through play?
Using tech toys is one way. Since 2015, the Infocomm Media and Development Authority has been developing the PlayMaker programme to introduce tech toys to preschool centres to enrich preschoolers’ learning experiences. Scratch Junior, Bee-Bot and the KIBO Robotics kit were some of the tech toys introduced.
Educational apps have also been making waves as a way for children to be productive and make the most of their time outside of school. The Coding Lab Team previously covered the Top 5 Educational STEM Games for Children that you can check out! Such screen time goes a long way in helping our little ones learn.
Workshops and classes are also available for children to learn about technology through play. For example, art is no longer limited by the physical world. There are digital art courses and various digital platforms that encourage creativity and design these days. We also encourage our students to get drawing in their coding classes to create gorgeous backdrops on Scratch or the coolest characters on App Inventor!
Whether they are physical tech toys, apps or classes and workshops, it’s important to choose the right ones to kickstart your child’s tech journey and nurture their digital habits.
3 Ways to Nurture Your Child’s Digital Habits
While there is a whole trove of resources on the internet, there are also online threats, cyberbullying, fake news, issues of privacy and more. It is important for our children to use the internet with due diligence as anything posted online lasts forever. How should you guide your child through their digital journey so that they become responsible digital citizens? We compiled key tips from the Media Literacy Council here:
1. Educate Yourself
Know the ratings of movies, games, shows and videos that your children interact with.
Play their favourite games with them! It serves as quality time together too.
Encourage them to play in common areas like the living room.
2. Set Up Parental Control and Safe Search Settings
Ensure that the online world they interact with is already safe with Parental Controls. Not sure where to start? We’ve got our list of Top 5 Parental Control Software for more advanced settings or you can toggle web browser settings to restrict the websites that your child visits. Additionally, minimise exposure to violent or sexual content that have been flagged as inappropriate for children with Safe Search Settings on Google, Yahoo and YouTube.
MacBooks, PCs and web browsers can restrict what kinds of websites your children can visit.
Game consoles like Xbox and PlayStation control whether players have chat or video function.
Games like Minecraft have private servers so that you know who your children are playing with.
Sit down, talk to your children and draw up a screen time contract. This becomes an agreement between you and your child, instead of the imposition of rules.
Set boundaries and agree on how much time they can spend online for entertainment purposes.
Spell out the consequences of not sticking to the rules.
Create consistency by having a regular routine on how your children use technology.
So, what can parents do?
For those of us with younger children, you might be wondering how much time should your child be spending online and what you can do. We’ve compiled a set of guidelines below from an expert at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital to help you navigate through this journey in introducing your child to tech.
We hope that you’ve learnt some useful tips about guiding your children’s digital habits! Here at Coding Lab, we strive to nurture future leaders in technology, equip them with digital skills and take steps to become digitally literate through our coding classes for Ages 5 to 18. Kickstart your child’s technological journey the right way with our fun-filled, MIT-inspired and award-winning coding curriculum today!
Curious and hungry for more tips? Head over to the Media Literacy Council’s website! They have more resources on data protection, fake news and much more for everyone, including parents, youths and even seniors.
(Written by Zulaikha and Nicole Loo, Edited by Cheryl Tang)
Best-in-class Curriculum for Coding
We are honoured to be the winner of multiple awards.
Thank You for your support.
Hop on board the Coding Lab train! Click here to get our monthly newsletters straight to your inbox.
Coding Lab’s annual International Coding Showcase (ICS) is a collaboration with Coding Lab Japan, designed to provide a platform for our students aged 7 to 18 to present their remarkable coding projects. Our students get the opportunity to showcase their own exceptional projects, done in Scratch, App Inventor or Python, and share their brilliance with a global audience. This not only helps our budding coders gain confidence, but also paves the way for them to build a robust coding portfolio, preparing them early for a successful future in today’s digital age. The resounding success of ICS 2022 transcended borders as we proudly featured Coding Lab students from all over the world, from Singapore and Japan to Germany, Indonesia and the United States!
Our students take pride in their solid coding foundation and enriched knowledge gained from our MIT-inspired coding classes. They have poured their hearts and souls into their projects, and their extraordinary submissions left an indelible impression on our esteemed panel of judges! We proudly present an exclusive blog feature highlighting the achievements of our top Distinction winners from ICS 2022. These students not only secured the prestigious top award, but also gained the opportunity to have their superb work featured on our very own Coding Lab YouTube channel, captivating the attention of viewers from all across the globe!
Let us embark on an inspiring journey to learn more about our students’ coding journey and watch their amazing project submissions!
David Xu
7 years old, Singapore
Distinction and Judges’ Choice (Best Presentation) Award, Young Computer Scientists (Ages 7-9)
Hobbies: Reading, playing the piano and I also enjoy coding when I am allowed to use the computer in my free time!
How did you start coding? I followed in the footsteps of my older brother who is also a coder. I started coding with Scratch when I was in Primary 1!
Why did you join ICS 2022? I thought it would be fun to try and I had an idea to develop a game to help children learn science.
What’s your biggest takeaway from ICS 2022? Getting the chance to code with purpose! I enjoyed debugging because when I finally get it right, I feel very proud of myself!
What is your favourite thing about coding and Coding Lab? The teachers are very patient and help me learn how to code different things every week. My favourite part about Coding Lab classes is playing with the games I have made.
Future coding aspirations: I am currently taking part in the Minecraft Cup Competition 2023. I am very excited to build my own eco-friendly buildings and automatic farms, and I hope my team wins an award!
Any comments for the readers? I want to encourage all coders to not limit their imagination. Always try to think out of the box!
Nakamura Shinji
9 years old, Singapore
Distinction, Young Computer Scientists (Ages 7-9)
Hobbies: I spend a lot of time on coding. If I have more free time, I read comics and non-fiction books about coding.
How did you start coding? My kindergarten offered a robotics lesson. The robotics teacher told my parents that I was exceptionally good because I came up with the best robotics solutions without any guidance from him. My mother then signed me up for free lessons from Smart Nation’s website, where we got to know about Coding Lab. I was extremely keen to learn more about coding, so my mother signed me up for more lessons at Coding Lab!
Why did you join ICS 2022? I wanted to compete with other contestants from Japan and showcase my projects on an international level!
What’s your biggest takeaway from ICS 2022? My ICS project is about a game that takes 5 days to finish. I created this simple game because my younger brother wanted to play computer games, but most games were too difficult for him. This game only requires three keys from the keyboard to play. Through this experience, I also learnt how to edit a video for my presentation, which was very fun. Maybe I can become a YouTuber one day!
What do your family and friends say when they hear that you are a coder? My grandmother is very proud of me. She tells her friends that I won awards for coding. I would like to thank her for the full support that she has given me!
Future coding aspirations: I am planning to create an advanced game that no one can replicate. I am looking forward to mastering other programming languages too!
Any comments for the readers? Follow me on Scratch and look out for my new projects!
Hobbies: I enjoy a variety of activities, like playing basketball, playing Chinese chess and reading books. When I want to unwind, I also play Roblox and Minecraft.
How did you start coding? At the age of 7, I started playing Roblox and was awed by the designs. This inspired me to take up coding so I signed up for my first coding class.
Why did you join ICS 2022? I saw this as an opportunity to challenge myself and find out where I stand in terms of my coding skills. Earning a Distinction Award gave me a rough understanding of my abilities.
What’s your biggest takeaway from ICS 2022? I learnt that determination and perseverance help me through hard times. Finding improvements and flaws in the project while continuously improving it is crucial. The best part of ICS is when I finally used Tkinter to make my Stock Price Retrievers inputs, which has a Graphical User Interface, which is more interactive than just plain text.
What is your favourite thing about coding and Coding Lab? Coding Lab not only trains our coding skills, but also allows us to hone our self-learning abilities and logical-thinking skills! Through the different problems provided, I was prompted to learn and research more about different functions myself, like the “join” function!
Future coding aspirations: I hope to make an entertaining Roblox game one day and also learn to utilise Python to make useful tools. I am interested in a career related to cybersecurity or programming apps in the future.
Any comments for the readers? As a coder, the ability to self-learn is critical for success. Be willing to take on new challenges! Persevere and remain determined when faced with difficult coding problems as this is an essential part of the learning process.
How did you start coding? I attended a class conducted by Coding Lab in 2017 when I was just 6 years old.
Why did you join ICS 2022? I wanted to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone and put what I had learnt to the test.
What’s your biggest takeaway from ICS 2022? Coming across many python functions I did not know of previously, such as “webbrowser”, during my research. I added these new functions I had learnt into my project!
What do your family and friends say when they hear that you are a coder? My family members are very supportive and always encourage me to pursue my dream to be a coder!
Future coding aspirations: I want to be a programmer so I can make a simpler programming language that would help other programmers save time when writing their code!
Hobbies: Reading, coding and playing Minecraft! I also enjoy competing in Math Olympiads and even achieved a Silver in the Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools Singapore in 2023.
How did you start coding? I started coding when I was 6. My parents sent me to Coding Lab’s holiday camp to learn Scratch. After that, I progressed on to Python when I was 8 or 9!
Why did you join ICS 2022? I wanted to use my coding skills to raise awareness for the Russo-Ukrainian War.
What’s your biggest takeaway from ICS 2022? Being able to make codes that can be used by anyone. My biggest motivation is for people to interact with my projects!
What is your favourite thing about coding and Coding Lab? I am pushed out of my comfort zones to solve problems such as bugs, formatting, and even in language.
Future coding aspirations: I aspire to be a mathematician or a quantum physicist. I hope that my coding skills can be applied in these fields to solve real-world problems, for the good of humanity!
Any comments for the readers? Try your best and when in doubt, Google is your best friend.
Hobbies: When I am free, I normally play video games or listen to music. Sometimes, I also interest myself in some personal coding projects. For example, I’ve been working on a new programme that simulates the basic levels of the economy in real life. Using Python, I’ve created what I call the “economy simulator”, where users can run certain commands within the programme to change the economy!
How did you start coding? I started coding when I was Primary 2, with my first programming language being Scratch. From there, I moved on to Python and other programming languages.
Why did you join ICS 2022? I wanted to test my capabilities and challenge myself to create a programme that would appeal to the outside world. I feel that one of the most important aspects of programming is the readability of the code. Instead of just programmers being able to understand your code, non-programmers should also be able to.
What’s your biggest takeaway from ICS 2022? The ability to communicate with confidence. I was nervous during the presentation, but after a few retakes I mustered up the courage to present confidently and effectively.
What do your family and friends say when they hear that you are a coder? When I first expressed interest in coding, they were shocked. After some time, they enrolled me in coding classes. When I show my family members what I do, they are amazed at how much a few lines of code can do. In fact, one of my main motivations for creating my project is my family. They are my biggest supporters and their unwavering belief that I can win the showcase pushed me on.
Future coding aspirations: I aspire towards a job in computer software programming. I feel that my interests, combined with my current skill set, can tackle the industry’s problems.
Any comments for the readers? Take things step-by-step! When I first started out coding, I was bombarded by multiple problems, like not being able to debug my code. However, I’ve overcome these problems as my knowledge about different programming languages grew, making it easier to solve issues within the code.
Linus Lim Jiarui
14 years old, Singapore
Distinction and Judges’ Choice (Best Presentation) Award, Python (Ages 13-18)
Hobbies: I code, play some computer games and musical instruments.
How did you start coding? Initially, I applied for my school’s infocomm club but got rejected. Instead of giving up, I researched other ways to explore my area of interest and my passion for coding developed from there.
Why did you join ICS 2022? I wanted people to see what I can create with my coding skills and knowledge.
What’s your biggest takeaway from ICS 2022? Filming the presentation video was a new and interesting experience. It was fun making projects related to my areas of interest!
What is your favourite thing about coding and Coding Lab? I like the teachers who are always there to guide me and answer any questions I have.
Future coding aspirations: I want to improve on and optimise my current code while learning more about different topics. In the future, I would like to work in an exciting field in a job related to coding!
Any comments for the readers? The internet is a great place to learn coding. As long as you start somewhere, you are bound to do great things!
The Coding Lab team would like to extend an immense THANK YOU to all our talented students who participated in this event. We appreciate the tremendous effort each and every one of you have dedicated to your projects! Congratulations to all our students for their outstanding achievements, and we look forward to seeing what other innovative projects they will come up with in future! Let us keep the flame of coding alive as we continue to hone our coding skills!
Keep a lookout for our International Coding Showcase 2023, coming soon! Brace yourselves for yet another awe-inspiring showcase of coding excellence!
This July, spend a weekend or a Public Holiday exploring Sentosa’s Air Combat VR Experience or head down to the Garden’s by the Bay to find our more about our planet’s endangered species. Combine fun and learning as you get to see amazing technology in action!
Starting off with a #TechFact, did you know that Norman Bel Geddes designed the first self-driving car in 1939? With further research, General Motors made the concept of autonomous vehicles a reality in 1958! (Source)
Now that we’re all set, keep scrolling on to discover techtivities that you and your family can indulge in this month! ✨
Air Combat @ Sentosa
Have you heard about the latest addition to the Central Beach Bazaar? Air Combat is the new, unique VR experience at Sentosa. Perfect for our budding techies who are also interested in fighter jets, drop by Air Combat for a thrilling adventure and enjoy the rest of the day at the day-to-night carnival beach with various attractions! ✈️
What tech is here? 🤔 🧑💻 Become a pilot as you direct the aircraft and soar through various realistic landscapes powered by Virtual Reality! ✈️ 🧑💻 Immerse your senses in the aerial battles and experience how air troops fight against enemy aircrafts! 😲
Details: When: Permanent Where: Beach Station, Sentosa Price: from $15 Learn more here.
Love The Last March @ Gardens By The Bay
Did you know there are over 1,300 endangered species around the world? To highlight the rate of extinction, Artists Gillie and Marc have created the world’s largest public sculpture, consisting of 45 of the world’s endangered species – on display right now at Gardens by the Bay! Our young computer scientists will gain an educational scientific experience as they learn more about our beautiful planet through this lovely experience at our world famous garden.
What tech is here? 🤔 🧑💻 Not just a normal static sculpture, interact with the sculpture by scanning the QR codes to learn more about various endangered species around the world! 📱 🧑💻 Bring the animals to life as they become 3D animations on your phone! 🦍
Details: When: until 18 May 2024 Where: Gardens By The Bay Price: Free Learn more here.
Sensory Odyssey: Into the Heart of Our Living World
Want to explore or revisit the lush vibrance of nature from your last holiday? Sensory Odyssey, ArtScience Museum’s latest exhibition, will fully immerse you as part of the natural world, from the African Savannahs to Mauritius!
What tech is here? 🤔 🧑💻 Move through 7 various landscapes powered with floor-to-ceiling 360-degree projection screens and become a part of nature as view the flora and fauna! 🌸 🧑💻 Immerse your senses as you catch distinct sounds and scents for each location at the installations, with the help of digital scent technology! ☺️
Details: When: until 29 October 2023 Where: ArtScience Museum Price: from $17 Learn more here.
Term 3 Weekly Coding Classes + Summer Holiday Coding Camps
If you haven’t heard, we’re bringing our award-winning curriculum closer to you with our 2 new campuses at The Learning Lab – United Square and The Seletar Mall, bringing us to a total of 4 locations including our original KAP Mall and Parkway Parade campuses!
For both our local and international students, our MIT-inspired curriculum will be offered at both campuses through our weekly classes and holiday camps, all taught by our experienced educators and for all experience levels.
What tech is here?
Ages 7-9: Create their very first platformer game with different difficulty levels, or dive into the AI and machine learning where they’ll get to train their computers to read data collected – There’s tons to do on the visual programming platform, Scratch!
Ages 10-12: We all know our students love their RPG games and engaging quizzes, how about continuing their coding journey with us and challenge themselves to create their own this holiday? Through programming platforms such as App Inventor and Python, code their very first game or quiz and share it with their friends in class!
Ages 13-18: Our well-loved Python foundational coding courses will let our teens explore real-world applications of code and understand how they can apply their Python knowledge with what they’ve learnt in school! ️
Take your pick, because whatever your choice is, we’re sure your child will have loads of fun in our classes!
With so many locations and schedules, there’s definitely a class suitable for everyone! Sign up here or feel free to drop us an email, call us or WhatsApp us to get in touch.
Psst! You can apply the discount code ‘CODEHANGOUT’ to get *12% discount when signing up in a group of 3 or more! Slots are running out quickly so secure a timeslot of your choice for your child today! *When stacked with Early Bird Discount
Details: When: From 1 July 2023 Where: Online, Parkway Parade, Bukit Timah (KAP Mall) Price: From $401.52
Did you know that it is possible to translate the Hokkien language? Meta has developed an artificial intelligence system that can translate Hokkien to English in no time! The Hokkien language has no standardized written form, which makes it difficult to translate. Moreover, the falling number of speakers makes it even more challenging to preserve. With Meta’s new AI tools, we are now one step closer to preserving the Hokkien language!
Learn more about how Meta’s Hokkien to English translation AI works here! ✍️
If you haven’t seen our previous techtivity recommendations, check out our June #TechtivitiesOfTheMonth, which includes more cool tech-related activities you can do with friends and family!
(Written by Thinzar)
Best-in-class Curriculum for Coding
We are honoured to be the winner of multiple awards.
Thank You for your support.
Hop on board the Coding Lab train! Click here to get our monthly newsletters straight to your inbox.
