Sonnesyn fifth graders code their own video games

From adventure games to sports games and more, Sonnesyn Elementary School fifth grade students are creating and coding their own video games as a capstone project.

Students at Sonnesyn start to learn about computer programming in first grade, as they learn how computer programs work and are part of every video game, website, and app. 

“Each year students tackle harder and more complicated tasks involving code,” said Matt Schneider, media specialist at Sonnesyn. “This helps students understand why a program might glitch or how we can constantly improve our work through updates.”

By the time they are in fifth grade, students are able to brainstorm ideas and work independently or collaboratively to code their games. 

While some students created games based on their imagination, other students based their games on the extracurricular activities they participate in. 

“We made a game that was relatable to the sport we play. We also made sure it was a game that every kid could play. We’ve never done anything like this. It was fun to learn how to make games,” said fifth graders Journee and Ka’Nye about their basketball-themed game.

The fifth grade students shared their video games as part of the Sonnesyn Arcade on March 3 and 4, where other Sonnesyn students and staff had the opportunity to play the games and chat with the games’ creators.

“We really enjoyed turning our creative ideas into our game,” said Ben, a fifth grade student, about his group’s platforming (Mario-like) game. “We worked very hard on this every day. I think we could turn it into something even bigger with more time.”