Waaaay back in 1996, when I was still a teenager, I taught myself how to write html code and design web pages. At one point, I had built a site with roughly 50 pages of information on my favorite Japanimation characters. It was a huge deal for me. I spent many many hours learning a skill that would serve me well years down the road. Can I just say – I’m thankful for communities that existed way back when, like WBS (which to my complete delight has been resurrected here – this is where I met my husband 12 years ago!), Geocities and Tripod.
Well, here I am years later and my kids have the opportunity to learn a skill that most adults never master! Zion and Abby have been using the Web Design For Kids DVD to learn html. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at first. I mean, my 8 and 9 year olds are going to learn a skill that I learned at 17 after many many hours of study?
With laptops setup at the coffee table in front of the TV, they got to work. Every step is clearly explained and demonstrated on the dvd and I was surprised at how well the kids followed along. Really, the most difficult part for them was learning when and how to pause the dvd player after each step! Seriously!
By the end of their first session, the kids had written the code for a basic webpage and learned how to make a title that scrolls and blinks. After three sessions, they were logging onto the internet and picking out background designs! The DVD is about an hour and 22 minutes long and covers these subjects:
- The 10 Basic Lines of Code
- Coloring the Background and Letters
- Making Letters Move Across the Screen
- Designer Backgrounds
- Changing Fonts
- Adding Pictures
- (bonus) File and Folder management
I wish I’d had this dvd when I was a teenager!
We’ve been thrilled with this product. It’s a useful skill that I would never have guessed my kids could learn at their ages. The picture and sound quality on the dvd is good and the instructions are very easy to follow. The kids needed minimal help and only when they’d accidentally clicked on something they weren’t supposed to. Another major selling point is that the only software required to do this comes standard on any pc! If you have a web browser and notepad, you can design web pages! While the dvd instructions are geared for a pc they can be adapted for a mac system.
I’m excited for the kids to learn html because I believe this could be a great way for them to gain writing skills and share their interests with others. I am encouraging them to create a website about something they love. We’re still working on these so when they are created and up, I’ll be sure to post links to them. We’re also anticipating the release of a second DVD to come in the 4th quarter of 2009.
The DVD ‘Web Design for Kids’ is currently on sale for $19.99 – a 50% discount! If you have a child interested in creating their own website, this resource is definitely worth the money, but purchase it now while you can get it on sale!
*interesting note I discovered: A portion of all funds generated by the DVD ‘Web Design for Kids(…and Curious GrownUps!)’ will be distributed to the following five charities: The Smile Train, Ronald McDonald House, Childrens Miracle Network, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and the American Foundation for the Blind.
I hope you try this product. This is a great company sharing a very useful skill with kids and the blessings of God with others.
Sara O’