Why We Added AI Courses to CodeMonkey’s Coding Curriculum for Kids

Vitaly Tev., Head of Performance Marketing, CodeMonkey

Recently, we made a decision to expand our curriculum by adding courses focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI). This wasn’t a branding move or a trend-following decision. It came after many discussions with educators, developers, and parents about where technology is headed—and what kids actually need to understand to thrive in that world.

This article explains why we believe AI should be part of early computer science education, and how we approached building these new courses.

The Bigger Picture: Why Coding Still Matters

Before talking about AI specifically, it’s worth stepping back to remember why we teach coding in the first place.

For us, coding isn’t just about syntax or making a robot move. It’s about helping kids learn how to think logically, solve problems independently, and create things from scratch. Those skills apply far beyond computer science. Whether a student grows up to be a programmer, a scientist, or an artist, understanding how systems work and how to break down problems step-by-step is incredibly useful.

Coding also builds digital literacy, which we define as the ability to understand, navigate, and influence the digital world—not just use it passively. In a time when kids interact with technology every day, helping them understand what’s “under the hood” gives them a sense of control and confidence.

Why AI, and Why Now?

AI is already part of everyday life—sometimes in obvious ways (like voice assistants or image filters) and sometimes in ways that are harder to notice (like recommendation algorithms or fraud detection). Most kids are using AI-driven tools without even knowing it. That’s part of what pushed us to start building AI-related content.

But there are a few deeper reasons as well:

1. AI Is Becoming a Core Technology

Just as coding became a foundational skill over the past decade, we think understanding AI will soon be just as important. It won’t be limited to data scientists. As AI shows up in more tools and professions, even a basic familiarity with how it works—and what its limitations are—will be valuable in many careers.

We’re not trying to turn 10-year-olds into machine learning engineers. But we are trying to make sure they don’t see AI as some mysterious, unreachable concept. Our goal is to introduce them to the basic principles—things like how machines can find patterns, what “training data” means, and why AI isn’t always right.

2. Kids Are Curious About How Things Work

We’ve noticed that once students get comfortable with basic coding, they start asking really good questions. Things like: How does Netflix know what I like? or Why does my phone finish my sentences?

Those questions naturally lead into discussions about algorithms, data, and automation. AI is a natural extension of the curiosity kids already bring to technology. It’s also a way to keep more advanced learners engaged by showing them what’s possible beyond conditionals and loops.

3. Understanding AI Helps Build Critical Thinking
One of the challenges with AI is that it feels like it’s always correct. But it isn’t. AI can make mistakes, reflect bias, or behave in unexpected ways depending on how it’s built and trained. These are important ideas to understand—not just for future programmers, but for any citizen in a digital society.

In our new AI courses, we’ve included content about fairness, bias, and the human choices that go into building AI systems. We don’t present AI as “magical,” but rather as a tool that depends on good data, clear goals, and thoughtful design. Helping students think critically about how AI systems work—and what could go wrong—is part of responsible tech education.

What Our AI Courses Actually Teach

We’ve designed our AI content to be accessible to all learners, regardless of prior coding experience. There’s no complicated math or deep technical theory. Instead, we focus on giving students a practical, intuitive sense of what AI can do and how it works.

Some of the topics we cover include:

• What AI is (and what it isn’t)

• How computers “learn” from data

• How to train a model to make predictions

• Common uses of AI in daily life

The courses are still hands-on and interactive, like everything else on CodeMonkey. We use simulations, visuals, and real examples to help students experiment with AI-like behavior in a safe environment.

Final Thoughts

Adding AI courses to CodeMonkey wasn’t about jumping on a trend. It was a decision rooted in our ongoing conversations with educators, our observations of how students interact with technology, and our belief that early exposure to complex ideas builds confidence.

We’re seeing schools and teachers looking for ways to introduce AI at earlier ages. Some are responding to national curriculum changes. Others are simply trying to make sure their students aren’t left behind. By offering AI courses that are ready to use, we hope to support both teachers and learners who want to explore this space without needing to be experts themselves.

We’re not saying every kid needs to master AI. But we are saying that kids deserve a chance to understand the tools shaping their world. They’re more capable than we often assume, and when given the opportunity, they rise to the challenge.

If we can help even a few students go from “I don’t get it” to “I made this”, we’ll consider that a success.