Glossary
Coding concepts for kids, in plain words
Nine ideas that every game is built from. Each comes with a one-line definition and an example from a game, so you can explain them at the dinner table.
Variable
A named box that holds a value, like speed = 5. Change the value and the game changes.
In a gameYour hero's speed, lives and score are all variables.
Loop
Instructions that repeat, either a set number of times or forever.
In a gameA game redraws the screen in a loop, about 60 times a second.
Condition
A question with a yes or no answer that decides what happens next. If this, then that.
In a gameIf the hero touches a coin, then add one to the score.
Event
Something that happens, like a key press or a tap, that the code listens for.
In a gameWhen you press space, the jump code runs.
Coordinates
Two numbers that say where something is: x for across, y for up and down.
In a gameA sprite at x 100, y 50 sits 100 pixels from the left.
Sprite
A picture the game can move around, like a hero, a coin or a monster.
In a gameThe drawing studio makes sprites.
Function
A set of instructions with a name, so you can use it again and again.
In a gameA jump() function can make the hero and the monsters jump.
Bug
A mistake that makes a program do something you didn't expect. Finding it is called debugging.
In a gameThe hero falls through the floor? That's a bug.
Random
A number the computer picks by chance, so things aren't the same every time.
In a gameCoins fall from a random spot along the top.
How kids meet these in Vibe Kids™
Kids don't study a list. They run into each idea while building, and the helper explains it in one line the first time, using its real name. Ask your kid at dinner which new word they heard today, and see if they can explain it to you.