My attempt to introduce coding at a game night backfired

I was at a game night with friends last weekend. Someone said they were curious about learning to code. I got too eager and tried to use a board game as an analogy for functions. I said, 'Each turn is like calling a function,' but they just stared at me blankly. We argued about rules instead of coding. It was pretty awkward, but also kind of funny looking back. How do you guys explain coding ideas without confusing people?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_anderson3d ago

At a BBQ last summer, I compared variables to different types of burgers. People just asked for more ketchup instead of getting it, lol. Now I stick to showing quick phone apps when someone's curious.

jason_shah723d ago

After that BBQ fail, what's your go-to app for showing how variables work, @xena_anderson? Do people actually grasp it better with a quick phone demo?

jennifer_kim383d ago

Wasn't there a friend of mine who tried to explain a 'for loop' while making pancakes? She said each flip was like the loop repeating. Her cousin just got mad about uneven blueberries and totally missed the point. It feels like those real world examples can get messy fast, you know? Maybe that's why @jason_shah72 has the right idea looking for a clear app instead.