Mommy Coding Camp
Welcome to Camp Mama Dabagh — a joyful home-based summer coding camp for my youngest two, Issa and Zachariah! This page tracks our weekly adventures in coding, computational thinking, and creative problem-solving.
Week 1 Schedule (July 15–19)
| Day | Morning Activity | Afternoon Project |
|---|---|---|
| Monday |
Intro to Computers & Logic CS Unplugged Activities |
Make your camp name badge Use Canva |
| Tuesday |
Intro to Coding with Blocks Scratch Jr or Scratch |
Design your own sprite or animation |
| Wednesday |
Math & Coding Games Code.org Puzzles |
Create your own number guessing game |
| Thursday |
Story Coding Use Twine or Scratch |
Build a choose-your-adventure story |
| Friday | Review & Showcase | Camp Awards + Show & Tell |
Learning Resources
Scratch
Beginner-friendly block coding platform perfect for creating games, stories, and animations.
Visit ScratchCS Unplugged
Screen-free logic and computing activities—learn coding concepts without a computer!
Visit CS UnpluggedTyping Club
Keyboarding practice to build computer literacy (optional warm-up activity).
Visit Typing ClubPrintable Materials
Download these fun printables to track progress and celebrate achievements!
- Reward Chart — Track daily accomplishments
- Camp Badge Template — Design your camper badge
- Daily Challenge Cards — Fun coding challenges
Camp Philosophy
Why Mommy Coding Camp?
As a mom and educator, I believe in starting early with computational thinking—not to create future programmers (though that's great too!), but to develop:
- Problem-solving skills: Breaking big problems into smaller steps
- Logical thinking: Understanding cause and effect, sequencing, patterns
- Creativity: Using technology as a tool for self-expression
- Persistence: Debugging teaches resilience and "productive struggle"
- Digital literacy: Understanding how technology works, not just consuming it
Plus, it's FUN! We learn together, celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities, and end each week with a showcase where Issa and Zachariah present their creations.
Connection to My Work
This home camp is a small-scale version of my larger mission: making computer science and mathematics accessible, engaging, and joyful for all learners.
The same principles I use here—scaffolded learning, hands-on practice, celebration of progress—inform my dissertation research on AI-powered education and my teaching across multiple institutions.
Whether I'm teaching my own kids, college students, or designing AI tutoring systems, the goal is the same: empower learners to believe in their ability to solve problems and create with technology.