Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that involves teaching computers and machines to perform tasks, think, and respond in certain ways. Many young people are fascinated by technology, so it makes sense that there are some great online artificial intelligence courses for kids.
This article covers everything you need to know about artificial intelligence for kids, including artificial intelligence courses, online resources, classes, video games, books, and toys that will help them learn about this smart technology. There are even some free artificial intelligence classes for kids available. Keep reading to learn all about these resources.
Can Kids Learn Artificial Intelligence?
Yes, kids can learn artificial intelligence. It may seem like a highly complicated concept to learn, but kids can be exposed to AI from an early age by using the right approach. Since artificial intelligence is a branch of science, you can use a few strategies and techniques to help kids learn basic concepts in AI.
One of the best ways to teach kids AI starts by showing your interest in the discipline. How you view and talk about AI can influence kids’ attitudes and overall learning process. Also, kids tend to learn better when they put what they’ve learned to practice. This is where you can use fun and interactive artificial intelligence projects, such as tests, quizzes, and challenges.
Resources to Help Kids Learn Artificial Intelligence
All kids learn differently, so it is a good thing there are a range of resources available. Below, you will find some of the best learning resources to help kids learn simple artificial intelligence concepts such as machine learning, human intelligence, and speech recognition.
Online Artificial Intelligence Courses
There are a ton of online courses designed for kids of all age groups. For instance, Create and Learn’s artificial intelligence classes for kids are an excellent option for young learners in grades four to seven. Create and Learn has worked with several well-known companies, such as Google, Apple, Stanford University, and Harvard University to develop interesting and accurate classes.
In-Person Artificial Intelligence Classes
It’s reasonably hard to find schools and institutions offering in-person AI classes. However, some personal tutors offer in-person AI classes for kids. Check out Coding Hero, Create and Learn courses, Fire Tech Camp, and AI World School to find many fun classes your kids can join.
Artificial Intelligence Toys and Games
Games can be a lot of fun for kids, especially when they include an interactive element. Fortunately, many games that teach kids AI are free and easily accessible on Google and Apple’s app stores.
Some of these games include creating an Art Bot, learning coding through Tynker, and using Minecraft’s educational edition. STEMpedia offers toys that introduce kids to programming, AI, robotics, and self-driving technology.
Artificial Intelligence Books
There are several books that can help kids learn more about AI. These books feature many pictures and are written in an easy-to-understand language. Some of the best books include Artificial Intelligence for Kids by Tinker Toddlers and Machine Learning for Kids “A Project-Based Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.”
Online Artificial Intelligence Classes to Help Your Child Learn Artificial Intelligence
| Course Title | Course Provider | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Learning for Kids | IBM | Free |
| AI Basics for Middle School (M1) | AI Club | $200 |
| AI Advanced Course (M2/H1) | AI Club | $200 |
| Python with AI (PA1): Build an AI-Powered Application | AI Club | $250 |
| Introduction to Programming with PictoBlox | STEMpedia | $19,99 |
| AI Explorers | Create & Learn | $315 |
| Junior Adventures in Artificial Intelligence- Week-Long | FireTech | £156-£395 (approx. $211 to $534) |
| AI Creators – Computer Vision | Create & Learn | $567 |
| Artificial Intelligence for Kids | Codevinyha | $280 to $560 |
| Artificial Intelligence Course For Kids | Cyber Square | $390 |
The Best Online Artificial Intelligence Courses for Kids, Explained
Machine Learning for Kids
- Course Provider: IBM
- Subjects Covered: Artificial intelligence, machine learning
- Cost: Free
IBM is renowned for offering tech solutions to organizations and businesses across the world. It has created this learning resource for kids aged six to 19. It features hands-on activities designed to introduce young learners to machine learning and artificial intelligence.
AI Basics for Middle School (M1)
- Course Provider: AI Club
- Subjects Covered: Basics in algorithms (classification, regression), data, the difference between AI and robotics
- Cost: $200 (entire course)
The designers of AI Club claim that their workshop is the only one that allows students to work on an AI project in their first class. Students who take this class will learn what AI is and will create a custom project to train their AI skills. This class is suitable for students in grades six through eight.
AI Advanced Course (M2/H1)
- Course Provider: AI Club
- Subjects Covered: Algorithms, decision trees, neural networks, linear regression.
- Cost: $200
If you have a child in grade eight or higher, consider this class as it teaches slightly more advanced concepts. Students are required to have their own laptops. They also receive a certificate of completion from AI Club and a cloud account which they can use to build machine learning and artificial intelligence applications.
Python with AI (PA1): Build an AI-Powered Application
- Course Provider: AI Club
- Subjects Covered: Python, creation of artificial intelligence applications
- Cost: $250
This is the first session in a series of classes engineered to teach kids more about Python and the creation of AI. However, this class is for older students as it covers the basics of Python, including how to build an application. It takes about two months to complete, with classes delivered on Saturdays. This can be a fun programming language for kids to learn as they can use Python for game development.
Introduction to Programming
- Course Provider: STEMpedia
- Subjects Covered: Programming, conditional programming, and making different games and animations.
- Cost: $19,99
Although this is not an AI course, it introduces students to programming, which is essential for AI development. STEMpedia also offers games and animation videos as part of this class to help young minds learn quickly and effectively.
AI Explorers
- Course Provider: Create and Learn
- Subjects Covered: Computer vision, face recognition, image recognition, speech recognition, machine learning
- Cost: $315 ($105 for each package)
This class is delivered by a computer science engineer who uses a hands-on approach to teach how AI works and real-world AI applications. The class is best suited for young learners in grades four through seven.
Junior Adventures in Artificial Intelligence- Week-Long
- Course Provider: Firetech
- Subjects Covered: Machine learning and artificial intelligence
- Cost: £156-£395 (approx. $211 to $534)
This class explores the world of AI and teaches young students how to build their own AI models using numbers, sounds, images, and text. It’s designed for kids aged nine to 12. The course also introduces students to programming languages such as Python. Python is essential for AI programming.
AI Creators – Computer Vision
- Course Provider: Create & Learn
- Subjects Covered: Python, Google Vision API, machine learning basics, neural networks.
- Cost: $567
Create & Learn employs experienced professionals in the artificial intelligence field to make sure their classes are informative and up-to-date. This class has three units which take 70 minutes each to complete. Consider this class if you have kids in grades six through 12.
Artificial Intelligence for Kids
- Course Provider: Codevinyha
- Subjects Covered: Machine learning, creation of an AI-powered game, computational skills
- Cost: $280 to $560
By the end of this programming course, your kid will have learned the basics of machine learning and how to use tools to build machine learning models. Kids also get to build their own AI-powered games. All that is needed is a laptop/PC and a stable Internet connection.
Artificial Intelligence Course For Kids
- Course Provider: Cyber Square
- Subjects Covered: Python, computer vision, natural language processing
- Cost: $390
With over 30,000 people already enrolled, Cyber Square’s AI course for kids is arguably one of the most popular choices for parents. It is designed for children aged nine and above. The course takes three months (24 sessions) to complete, providing adequate time for each student to practice each topic.
The Best Free Artificial Intelligence Classes for Kids
- Free weekend coding practice. AI Club offers a free session every week that allows kids to practice while solving problems in programming languages such as Python. The sessions take place online via Zoom every Sunday.
- Experiments with Google. Experiments with Google includes an extensive collection of resources combined to help people learn more about technologies such as AI. Although it’s not a class, it can help your kids learn in a fun and interactive way. For instance, there is a feature that allows kids to draw something, and the AI tries to predict what comes next.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics for kids. YouTube is one of the best free online resources for programming and AI. This is a video tutorial that introduces kids to AI. It’s best suited for parents looking to introduce their children to AI.
- Artificial intelligence for kids. This YouTube class features a professor from Columbia’s engineering department who’s teaching a group of kids more about AI. This class is free and is designed for kids.
Benefits of Teaching Kids Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is expected to influence a lot of technologies in the future. Children will likely grow up to use these technologies in one way or another. Teaching them how AI works introduces them to better career opportunities, especially those in tech. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the job demand for professionals in this field to grow by 22 percent over the next decade.
Furthermore, teaching kids about AI equips them with transferable skills they can use in other fields. Developing a curiosity and understanding of AI and technology at a young age can help kids gain strong analytical skills. And as they get older, there are many resources for adults to learn machine learning and artificial intelligence and further their education.
Artificial Intelligence for Kids FAQ
You can teach your child AI using resources with interactive games, challenges, and quizzes to build a solid foundation. Start by letting them know they are surrounded by AI and intelligent machines. Your attitude and perceptions of AI will also contribute to how fast and effective they learn.
Artificial intelligence involves programming machines and computers to learn, think and act. When explaining this concept to children, it’s best to draw examples and real-world applications to help them understand better. You can also mention what jobs use artificial intelligence to inspire your child for their future career plans.
Artificial intelligence is essential for kids because a lot of products and services today use AI. Furthermore, the use of AI is expected to increase significantly over the next few years. This means that kids are always going to be surrounded by AI. Teaching them how AI works from a young age equips them with transferable skills that can be used in different career paths.
AI can have various applications, with the most common being digital personal assistants, self-driving cars, manufacturing robots, online shopping, and personalized advertising. Also, artificial intelligence is changing the healthcare industry as robots are now performing complex surgical procedures.
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