Rasberry Pi/Coding

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BigPete

BigPete

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Any coders out there id imagine so with it being an internet forum!

Im looking at getting bairn one of those Rasberry Pi things as he does coding at school.

I also work in IT and our minds similar so wana try give him early start see if he likes it and hopefully have brilliant future ahead of him.

Whats the best ones to go for and also any tips would he greatly appreciated please.

Looking at it as one of xmas presents as learning also plus id do it with him as cant help to further my knowledge too.

Thanks in advance
He is 8 btw but very clever
 
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I'm not a coder but I also work in IT. At my workplace we use over 200 raspberry pi to display PowerPoint slideshows for the people working on the line for work instructions. They are great to mess about with and the Internet especially the official raspberry pi org website is a massive oracle of info. We mainly run pi 3 but I would really recommend the pi 4, it's quite powerful and can be configured infinitely like the others. I must have had every available os on them and have configured them for basic stuff like a massive live clocks. I do plan on using a pi 4 as retro pie coffee table
 
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BigPeter said:
Any coders out there id imagine so with it being an internet forum!

Im looking at getting bairn one of those Rasberry Pi things as he does coding at school.

I also work in IT and our minds similar so wana try give him early start see if he likes it and hopefully have brilliant future ahead of him.

Whats the best ones to go for and also any tips would he greatly appreciated please.

Looking at it as one of xmas presents as learning also plus id do it with him as cant help to further my knowledge too.

Thanks in advance
He is 8 btw but very clever
Click to expand...
He’s 8 and doing coding? Aren’t they still learning how to spell at that age?
 
Raspberry pi 400 the pi is built into the keyboard. The OS comes with a python IDE which is probably best language to start him on
 
Pi4 runs a bit hot.
Pi3 runs much cooler and is good enough for most things, unless you need the better video/dual video outputs.
 
You need a project and you'll need to buy a load of patch wires, resistors, LEDs, sensors, etc. If you don't go down that route then he might as well just use a desktop.
 
Patch said:
You need a project and you'll need to buy a load of patch wires, resistors, LEDs, sensors, etc. If you don't go down that route then he might as well just use a desktop.
Click to expand...

This. You can download a Python IDE to whatever their current computer is. Get them started creating a few simple games & if they take to that then start thinking about more advanced stuff.
 
These are quite expensive but the CrowPi 1 comes highly recommended. It includes loads of components and activities for bairns to learn electronics as well as coding.

www.elecrow.com

CrowPi2 - All in One Raspberry Pi Laptop & STEM Learning Platform (Per-sale)

As an all-in-one board with 22 necessary sensors, such as a buzzer, RGB LED, and so on, CrowPi2 helps you learn hardware electronics and programming easily.
www.elecrow.com www.elecrow.com

Unfortunately no chance of getting one for Christmas, they're only taking pre-orders at the moment I believe.
 
BigPeter said:
Any coders out there id imagine so with it being an internet forum!

Im looking at getting bairn one of those Rasberry Pi things as he does coding at school.

I also work in IT and our minds similar so wana try give him early start see if he likes it and hopefully have brilliant future ahead of him.

Whats the best ones to go for and also any tips would he greatly appreciated please.

Looking at it as one of xmas presents as learning also plus id do it with him as cant help to further my knowledge too.

Thanks in advance
He is 8 btw but very clever
Click to expand...

I was 5 when I got my first computer, I'm sure my dad wanted it for him, but he turned up with an Acorn Electron. I'd written my first Basic programs on that by the time we moved away from Peterlee when I was 9, and from then knew the career path for me. Well I had two, join the RAF or work with computers. I joined the ATC and hated it, so knew where I was heading from then on. So it's never too young to start programming.
 
Daydream Believer said:
This. You can download a Python IDE to whatever their current computer is. Get them started creating a few simple games & if they take to that then start thinking about more advanced stuff.
Click to expand...
I'd agree with this. I'm a big fan of the Pi but don't need it to learn coding. My son is 9 and we have been running through the game writing tutorials at:

KidsCanCode.org

KidsCanCode - we teach kids to code
kidscancode.org

One of the problems with the Pi is although it is small, you have to plug it into a monitor and keyboard, which means unplugging something else first, so a quick session becomes a chore to get started.

Where the power of the Pi comes in is when you start connecting hardware to the GPIO header. LEDs, sensors etc. You can start by accessing them with Scratch but also from Python (other languages too, but they are the most common). There are a few kits at:
thepihut.com

Raspberry Pi Kits and Bundles

Just starting out with the Raspberry Pi? Not sure what you need or which parts to buy? Confused? Relax – we’ve done the hard work for you. Our Raspberry Pi starter kits contain everything you need to get started, including quality parts which we have tested and use ourselves daily. A number of...
thepihut.com thepihut.com
or do a general search for 'Raspberry Pi GPIO kit'.

But, if you are looking at that then it is also worth considering the Micro:Bit. Smaller, less powerful but programmable via a desktop app and uses a language similar to Scratch to control the hardware. You can't run a python game on that, but can control LEDs, sensors, servos etc.
 
SAFC2403 said:
You can set up minecraft servers on them - might be something to do.
Click to expand...

That what i had heard and he loved that before fortnite so hopefully learn and have fun at same time
DaveH said:
I'd agree with this. I'm a big fan of the Pi but don't need it to learn coding. My son is 9 and we have been running through the game writing tutorials at:

KidsCanCode.org

KidsCanCode - we teach kids to code
kidscancode.org

One of the problems with the Pi is although it is small, you have to plug it into a monitor and keyboard, which means unplugging something else first, so a quick session becomes a chore to get started.

Where the power of the Pi comes in is when you start connecting hardware to the GPIO header. LEDs, sensors etc. You can start by accessing them with Scratch but also from Python (other languages too, but they are the most common). There are a few kits at:
thepihut.com

Raspberry Pi Kits and Bundles

Just starting out with the Raspberry Pi? Not sure what you need or which parts to buy? Confused? Relax – we’ve done the hard work for you. Our Raspberry Pi starter kits contain everything you need to get started, including quality parts which we have tested and use ourselves daily. A number of...
thepihut.com thepihut.com
or do a general search for 'Raspberry Pi GPIO kit'.

But, if you are looking at that then it is also worth considering the Micro:Bit. Smaller, less powerful but programmable via a desktop app and uses a language similar to Scratch to control the hardware. You can't run a python game on that, but can control LEDs, sensors, servos etc.
Click to expand...

Cheers mate will 100% look into that
 
DaveH said:
One of the problems with the Pi is although it is small, you have to plug it into a monitor and keyboard, which means unplugging something else first, so a quick session becomes a chore to get started.
Click to expand...

I just allocated static IPs as part of a headless install and then access them using putty.

It's asking a lot of a bairn to work with a CLI though, on the plus side, if he becomes proficient with the Linux shell & vi at the age of eight then he'll be able to go contracting at the age of 10.
 
Patch said:
I just allocated static IPs as part of a headless install and then access them using putty.

It's asking a lot of a bairn to work with a CLI though, on the plus side, if he becomes proficient with the Linux shell & vi at the age of eight then he'll be able to go contracting at the age of 10.
Click to expand...
There is a linux remote desktop system you can use, which will give the full graphical experience, and can even work from an iPad.

I've not looked into it, but plan to over Christmas. I need a new laptop for astronomy imaging, but sitting with a laptop in the garden at night can be a pain. I was looking at a Pi 4 strapped to the telescope and use an iPad for remote access. It would also mean I could do it from in the house and even use the GPIO header plus a stepper motor for remote focussing. It will be far cheaper if it works.
 
DaveH said:
There is a linux remote desktop system you can use, which will give the full graphical experience, and can even work from an iPad.

I've not looked into it, but plan to over Christmas. I need a new laptop for astronomy imaging, but sitting with a laptop in the garden at night can be a pain. I was looking at a Pi 4 strapped to the telescope and use an iPad for remote access. It would also mean I could do it from in the house and even use the GPIO header plus a stepper motor for remote focussing. It will be far cheaper if it works.
Click to expand...
You can install teamviewer on the full desktop and remote into it via a tablet. You’ll need a screen for the initial set up but after that you can run it headless.
I use a pi 3 as a headless VPN server. Works well and I just cron a scheduled reboot once a week.
If the kids want an easy start into coding then you could try scratch.

my daughter got a coding book last year at a book fair. She loves messing with it.
 
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SAFC2403 said:
You can install teamviewer on the full desktop and remote into it via a tablet. You’ll need a screen for the initial set up but after that you can run it headless.
I use a pi 3 as a headless VPN server. Works well and I just cron a scheduled reboot once a week.
If the kids want an easy start into coding then you could try scratch.

my daughter got a coding book last year at a book fair. She loves messing with it.
Click to expand...
Cheers. I’ve always just used bash but this would need to be graphical. I’ll get a pi ordered and look into it.
 
I have a couple of Raspberry Pis from a few years back when they first came out. They are sat in my safe still. The best of intentions etc. I just have never had the free time to get started on a project like a bird nesting box cam. Always something else more urgent came up. I do love the idea of them though. I still hope to find some spare time before I fall off the conveyor belt of life.

My two boys (9 and 11) use Scratch at school for the coding basics. Once they get their head around the decision logic, loops, input/output etc then the rest comes pretty easily. They can set up a basic game in Python or write a basic web page in Visual Studio with a C# back-end. There are loads of tutorials to follow. It will do their job prospects no harm at all to be able to write computer programs by the time they leave school.
 
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