100 Days of AI for All: Day 46 - Confidence-Building Exercises with AI and Coding Apps

Introduction

Confidence is an essential trait for children as they navigate learning, social situations, and personal growth. Coding and AI exercises provide a structured yet creative way for kids to develop confidence by setting small goals, achieving them, and gradually tackling more complex challenges. On Day 46 of our “100 Days of AI for All” series, let’s explore confidence-building exercises using popular AI and coding apps designed to help children develop a positive self-image, resilience, and problem-solving skills.

Below are several exercises and activities, along with recommended apps, that can help kids build confidence while also gaining essential AI and coding skills.

1. Goal-Oriented Project Creation with Scratch

App: Scratch

Exercise: Design a Story or Game

Overview: Scratch, a visual programming platform, is ideal for younger kids who are just starting to code. By breaking down coding into simple drag-and-drop blocks, Scratch helps kids build interactive stories and games without needing extensive programming experience. Goal-oriented project creation, such as designing a personal game or story, lets kids focus on completing small tasks, achieving results, and showcasing their work.

Steps:

1. Choose a Theme: Encourage children to think of a theme or story that they are passionate about—perhaps a favorite animal, hobby, or story.

2. Break Down the Project: Help them divide the project into manageable steps, such as choosing characters, creating scenes, and adding animations.

3. Set Small Goals: Establish mini-goals for each part of the project, like programming a character to move, adding sound effects, or creating a dialogue.

4. Test and Improve: Let them test their project, making adjustments as needed. Encourage them to view each iteration as progress.

5. Showcase: Once completed, kids can share their projects on the Scratch platform, receiving feedback from a supportive community.

Confidence Boost:

• Achievement of Goals: Completing each step and achieving the final project builds a sense of accomplishment.

• Encouraging Creativity: Kids have the freedom to create something unique to them, which can be an empowering experience.

• Positive Feedback: The Scratch community provides supportive feedback, which can further boost confidence and encourage future projects.

2. Interactive Chatbot Building with Chatbot Makers

App: ChatBot or Dialogflow by Google

Exercise: Create a Chatbot with Dialogues

Overview: Building a simple chatbot allows kids to engage in interactive coding and teaches them how AI responds to inputs. Designing a chatbot also reinforces logical thinking, since they have to anticipate questions and program appropriate responses. Chatbot makers like ChatBot or Dialogflow simplify this process, making it possible for beginners to create chatbots with no coding knowledge.

Steps:

1. Choose a Purpose for the Bot: Have kids decide the bot’s purpose, such as answering questions about their favorite subject, providing jokes, or being a virtual friend.

2. Create Dialogues: Help kids think of various questions the bot might be asked and guide them to write answers. Kids get to be imaginative with the bot’s responses.

3. Test the Bot: They can test the bot by inputting different questions and seeing how it responds. Adjustments can be made to make the bot’s answers more accurate or interesting.

4. Invite Friends to Try It: Let kids share their chatbot with friends or family, receiving feedback and potentially updating the bot based on responses.

Confidence Boost:

• Real-Time Feedback: Chatbots provide immediate responses, letting kids see the impact of their work instantly.

• Creative Problem Solving: Developing responses encourages kids to think about how to handle different situations, helping them build confidence in problem-solving.

• Social Engagement: Sharing their chatbot lets kids interact with others in a comfortable, low-pressure way.

3. AI Art Generation with Deep Dream Generator

App: Deep Dream Generator or DALL-E

Exercise: Create and Share Unique AI Art

Overview: AI art generators like Deep Dream or DALL-E allow kids to create artistic images from photos or text prompts. This exercise is perfect for kids who may not feel confident in traditional drawing or painting, as it gives them an outlet for creativity through AI.

Steps:

1. Choose a Starting Image or Theme: Kids can start with a favorite photo or an idea they want to explore visually, like “a futuristic city” or “a magical forest.”

2. Set Parameters and Experiment: They can adjust the AI’s art style, colors, and textures to see how these changes affect the final piece.

3. Generate the Artwork: After setting the parameters, kids let the AI create the artwork. They can experiment with different settings to create variations.

4. Print or Share the Art: Kids can print their artwork or share it digitally, showcasing their creation to friends and family.

Confidence Boost:

• Artistic Expression: Kids who may feel shy about traditional forms of art can express their creativity in a new, accessible way.

• Instant Gratification: The immediate feedback from the AI creates a sense of accomplishment.

• Positive Identity: Each piece of artwork reflects their choices and preferences, helping them build a positive sense of self.

4. Code-Based Puzzle Solving with Lightbot or CodeCombat

App: Lightbot or CodeCombat

Exercise: Complete Coding Puzzles

Overview: Lightbot and CodeCombat gamify coding through puzzles that require logic and problem-solving skills. This format encourages kids to progress through levels, with each level becoming slightly more challenging. This game-based learning builds confidence as kids successfully “level up” and tackle harder problems.

Steps:

1. Start with Beginner Levels: Kids begin with simple puzzles that introduce the basics of coding concepts like loops and conditionals.

2. Progress Through Levels: Encourage kids to work through increasingly complex levels, applying what they’ve learned to new challenges.

3. Problem-Solving and Debugging: Each puzzle encourages kids to think critically and correct any mistakes in their code, teaching resilience.

4. Celebrate Each Level Completion: Give positive feedback and celebrate their progress to keep them motivated.

Confidence Boost:

• Incremental Success: Moving up levels shows kids that consistent effort leads to progress.

• Logical Thinking: By solving each puzzle, kids become more comfortable with logic and problem-solving, boosting their confidence in handling challenges.

• Reward-Based Learning: The game-like setting makes learning feel like play, giving kids a sense of accomplishment with every level.

5. Storytelling with AI Writing Tools

App: ChatGPT or InferKit

Exercise: Write and Complete a Story

Overview: Using AI writing tools, kids can explore creative writing in a supportive way. By entering a story idea or paragraph, they can collaborate with the AI to develop characters, plot twists, and endings, giving them confidence as storytellers.

Steps:

1. Create a Story Prompt: Have kids think of a story idea or a starting sentence.

2. Input the Prompt and Watch the AI Expand: Use AI writing tools to help generate additional paragraphs or suggest new directions.

3. Review and Edit: Kids can edit the story to make it their own, adding personal touches.

4. Read Aloud or Share: Encourage them to share the story with friends, family, or in a writing club if they feel comfortable.

Confidence Boost:

• Boosted Creativity: Kids gain confidence in their writing abilities by seeing the story unfold and contributing to it creatively.

• Guided Support: The AI acts as a co-writer, helping them build on their ideas without taking over.

• Sharing and Pride: The completed story becomes something they can proudly share, reinforcing their confidence in self-expression.

6. Voice Command Projects with Alexa Skills Kit

App: Alexa Skills Kit

Exercise: Create a Custom Voice Command

Overview: Alexa Skills Kit allows kids to design voice commands or “skills” for Alexa-enabled devices. By building a custom skill, kids can experiment with conversational AI in an exciting, interactive way, developing confidence in their technological skills.

Steps:

1. Brainstorm Ideas: Help kids think of a fun or useful voice command, like a morning checklist or a joke-telling skill.

2. Set Up the Skill in Alexa Developer Console: Walk them through setting up the skill in the console, choosing a name and voice commands.

3. Add Responses: Program Alexa to respond with specific phrases or information based on the chosen command.

4. Test and Refine: Kids can test their new Alexa skill on an actual device, adjusting it as needed for accuracy and enjoyment.

Confidence Boost:

• Hands-On Interaction: Creating a skill for a real-world device helps kids feel capable and tech-savvy.

• Positive Reinforcement: Every time they use their skill successfully, they reinforce their coding and problem-solving abilities.

• Sense of Achievement: Knowing they created something functional and interactive can be a major confidence boost.

Conclusion

Confidence-building exercises through AI and coding apps offer kids a structured path to personal growth and self-assurance. Each of these activities—whether it’s creating a chatbot, writing a story with AI, solving coding puzzles, or designing interactive projects—provides positive feedback, manageable challenges, and a chance to see their progress over time. As kids learn to overcome obstacles and accomplish their goals, they gain invaluable confidence in their abilities, setting a strong foundation for future learning and self-expression.