Help them make their own ideas happen.

Using technology involves more than writing code

DigComp 3.0 is a European guide to digital skills, published in 2025. It covers checking information, working with others, making digital content and solving problems. These skills can be useful at school and in everyday life. For a child, a small project they enjoy is a good starting point.

Why STEM development matters

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. SLO describes investigation and design as central activities in science and technology education. They give children a context for applying maths, asking questions and discussing possible solutions.

A practical Pliro activity: draw a square, then change it into a hexagon. Ask your child to predict how the turning angle changes, run the code and compare the results. This connects investigation, programming and geometry. Ask why the shape closes: a complete turn is 360 degrees.

You can do this with free Learner. Choose a small task, help with questions and ask your child to explain their approach. What they learn also depends on the task, practice and guidance.

Why learn to code if AI can do it?

AI can suggest code, but someone still has to decide what the program should do. Does it work? What happens if someone makes an unexpected choice? These are useful questions to explore with children.

Take a simple game rule: collecting a coin earns a point. Does it happen once, or every time the character touches the coin? Who decides? A rule your child has made gives you something concrete to discuss.

Ask your child to explain and test a small program. It is a way to practise thinking for themselves, whether an idea came from them, another person or a computer. You do not need to use AI to try these activities.

Three ways to follow their curiosity

Follow what your child enjoys. Music, drawing, maths and investigation can all be the starting point for a small project.

Tell a story with pictures and music

Draw a character, make it move and write a tune to go with it. Talk about how the colours, movement and sound change the mood.

Try an experiment

Change the size of a pattern or compare measurements of a growing plant. What do the numbers tell you? What else would you need to find out?

Make something useful

Create a quiz for a club or a simple tool for a friend. Ask someone to try it and tell you where they got stuck. Then improve one part.

Start small and leave room to grow

Choose something your child wants to make now. A small project they understand gives you plenty to talk about. Their interests may change, and coding can sit alongside music, sport, art and outdoor play.

Pliro lets children see what their instructions do as they try them. Free Learner is enough for the first coding activities. Creator Pro adds tools for more advanced apps, while Classroom is a separate option for schools. There is no need to buy either to get started.