A passion for technology and coding is a great path for a teenager to follow. There are tons of opportunities for people who take an interest in these topics, whether it’s for a career choice or even just a fun hobby.
If there’s a teenager in your life and you’d either like to introduce them to coding, or to further foster an interest they already have, check out these coding gift ideas for teenagers.
5 Coding Gifts for Teens
Here are some great gift ideas for the teenager in your life that has shown an interest in coding and computer science…
1. Coding Classes
A coding course is a great starting point for a younger person who is showing an interesting in learning to code, and probably one of the best best coding gifts for teens who are getting started. A good course will teach them how to think about coding, it’ll introduce the basic concepts, and it will give them fun projects to work on so that their endeavor is instantly rewarding.
2. A Custom Keyboard
Any teen that’s into coding, and computers in general, is going to be spending a lot of time typing. Whether that means talking to friends, working on projects, or just doing random stuff on the internet, a nice keyboard is a huge quality-of-life upgrade for someone who spends a lot of time online.
Mechanical keyboards come in a lot of different styles and feels, so it’s probably best for them to try out some different options. for example, some of them have loud clacky sounds that some people love, some are silent, and even the feel of pressing a key can vary a lot.
Keychron is a good introductory brand for custom keyboards, with some solid options coming in around the $100 range, or around $200ish for their higher-end keyboards.
3. Coding Games
There are some board games like Hacker Cybersecurity and others that can help teens understand the important concepts that are necessary for coding.
Aside from board games, there’s no shortage of computer games that can help teens understand coding by turning it into a game.
4. Raspberry Pi
A Raspberry Pi is basically a very small little circuit board that teen can program to do any number of things, with various sensors and accessories that can be added-in.
By turning coding into a fun project where they’re actually building something useful, teens will be able to open their minds to the possibilities while gaining real-world practice and experience in coding and problem solving.
5. Headphones
A nice pair of headphones isn’t directly related to coding, but it can help tune out outside distractions so a teen can focus. Noise-cancelling headphones are perfect, especially if there are noisy siblings or if they’re in a busy home. Being able to block out sounds can help a lot with focus and getting into the zone, and that’s an area any coder will need to become familiar with.
Why Coding is Good For Teens
Coding teaches a lot of useful and important life skills for teenagers. It can help teens learn things like patience, problem solving, “sticktoitiveness” (sticking to something). It’s also a great hobby that can help them meet new people and make friends.
All of this while preparing them for a job in a competitive yet very rewarding field, and a very in-demand field, too. Technology isn’t going anywhere, and giving a teen a head-start can make a big difference, especially if this is something they’re already interested in.
