Sort & notice
Group cards by color, shape, or size. Ask what rule was used and whether another rule could work.
Home / Ages 5–7
Ages 5–7Early learners
Age-based learning path
Start with patterns, choices, and clear instructions.
At this age, computing can begin away from a screen. Children can arrange picture cards, give a partner directions, or spot a repeating pattern. The goal is to talk about how an instruction changes what happens next.
ExploreTryExplain
Three playful starts
Make the idea physical before making it digital.
Give directions
Guide a partner across a simple floor grid using one move at a time: forward, turn, stop.
Find the pattern
Extend a repeating sequence of sounds, shapes, or colors, then explain what comes next.
Debug together
If the directions go wrong, find the step to change. Treat the mistake as a clue.
A quick activity
Be the robot.
Place a toy or small object on a paper grid. One person gives directions; another follows them exactly. If the object misses the goal, pause and revise one instruction.
- Use a small grid with a clear start and finish
- Keep direction words consistent
- Ask the learner to explain the fix
What is the computer science idea?
A sequence is an ordered set of instructions. Debugging means finding and fixing a step that does not produce the intended result.