If-then card game: learn coding conditions with cards

Every game, app and website makes decisions based on conditions: if the player touches the coin, then add a point. This card game teaches exactly that logic, and the rule conflicts children discover are real programming problems.

• Ages: 7–12
• Time: 25 minutes
• Skill: Conditions (if / then / else)

What you need

• A pack of playing cards
• Paper and a pencil

Step by step

1. Write three rules. For example: IF the card is red, THEN clap. IF it is a picture card, THEN jump. ELSE say the number.
2. Shuffle and draw. Each player draws a card in turn.
3. Follow the rules. Players do whatever the rules say. A wrong action loses a point.
4. Add AND / OR. Add a rule like: IF red AND higher than 7, THEN spin.
5. Let your child write rules. Now your child writes a new set of rules for the next round.
6. Find conflicts. What happens if two rules both apply? Programmers have to decide the order too.

What your child learns

Conditions (if / then / else), combining conditions with AND and OR, and the importance of rule order: the same logic children use in their first coded games.

Enjoyed it? Book a free coding demo class, or see Fun with Coding for year-round coding.