Various models for bringing families together to engage in coding activities have emerged in recent years, but few studies have explored the affordances of different coding technologies for fostering family engagement. This project examined family coding in early childhood with 2 different programming interfaces: the ScratchJr app (a graphical interface) and the KIBO robotics kit (a tangible interface). Data from parent surveys
and facilitator observations were collected from informal coding workshops called “Family Coding Days,” in
which young children and their parents were invited to learn about the interface (either ScratchJr or KIBO),
create a coding project together, and share their project with other families. Findings indicated no significant
differences between ScratchJr and KIBO Family Days in regard to families’ coding interest before and after the event, the nature of parent-child interactions, and children’s engagement in key computational thinking skills. Study limitations, implications, and future directions for research and practice are discussed.
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