Author: Ty Petty

Introduction

Every parent wants to equip their child with the tools to thrive — not just in school, but in life. The real question is: how do we prepare them to face challenges confidently and make smart, independent decisions when it counts? One powerful answer is coding. More than just a technical skill, coding sparks creativity, builds resilience, and strengthens communication — all essential qualities for navigating an unpredictable future. That’s why coding camps are quickly becoming one of the smartest investments parents can make in their child’s personal and academic growth.

1. Coding sparks creativity

Teaching kids to code opens up a whole new world for creative expression. Unlike traditional forms of creativity that rely on paintbrushes or musical instruments, coding allows kids to bring their ideas to life through interactive stories, animations, games, and apps. They get to imagine something entirely new, then use logic and digital tools to build it from the ground up. Whether designing their own video game characters or developing a website about their favorite hobby, coding gives kids the power to create things that are both imaginative and functional.

More importantly, coding teaches that creativity isn’t just about artistic talent — it’s about thinking outside the box to solve problems in original ways. Kids quickly learn that there are often many different ways to write code to achieve the same result. This freedom fosters experimentation, playfulness, and innovation. Coding doesn’t just support creativity — it amplifies it.

2. Coding builds resilience

Teaching kids to code is one of the most effective ways to build resilience, especially when it comes to facing disappointment and failure. Coding naturally involves trial and error — things rarely work perfectly the first time. Whether it’s a broken loop, a missing semicolon, or an app that just won’t run, young coders quickly learn that mistakes are not the end, but part of the process. Rather than giving up, they’re encouraged to debug, iterate, and try again. This repeated experience of facing setbacks and working through them strengthens their ability to bounce back and persist in the face of challenges.

In the world of coding, failure isn’t framed as a negative — it’s feedback. Kids begin to understand that frustration and mistakes are valuable tools for learning, not signs of incompetence. This mindset shift builds emotional grit. They start asking, “What went wrong?” instead of saying, “I can’t do this.” Over time, this habit of self-reflection and problem-solving nurtures confidence, patience, and adaptability — all core traits of resilient thinkers.

As technology becomes more central to every career and creative field, resilience will be just as critical as technical skill. Coding gives kids early practice in working through obstacles independently, collaborating when they need help, and developing a mindset that sees failure as a stepping stone to success — not a reason to quit.

3. Coding strengthens communication

Coding isn’t just about computers — it’s about communication. In our coding camps and after-school programs, kids often work in teams to design projects, debug code, and present their ideas. These group activities naturally teach them how to explain their thinking, listen to others, and collaborate toward a shared goal. Whether they’re dividing tasks in a game design project or helping a teammate troubleshoot a tricky bug, they learn to express themselves clearly and respectfully. These real-time conversations reinforce the value of being understood and understanding others.

Additionally, coding gives kids a structured way to communicate complex ideas. They learn how to break big problems into smaller parts, sequence instructions logically, and explain their solutions in ways that others can follow. These skills carry over into everyday life — from writing stronger essays to speaking more confidently in class. And because coding camps bring together like-minded peers, kids also form friendships built on curiosity, creativity, and teamwork. In short, these programs help kids become not only better coders but better communicators — a skill that will benefit them in any path they choose.

Conclusion

In the end, teaching kids to code is about far more than preparing them for a tech-driven future — it’s about helping them grow into capable, confident problem solvers. Through creativity, resilience, and strong communication, coding gives kids the mindset and skills to navigate whatever challenges come their way. Whether they’re building games, fixing bugs, or working in a team, they’re also learning how to think critically, adapt, and express themselves — all while having fun! It’s a foundation that supports success in any field, making coding camps a powerful investment in your child’s long-term growth.

Next.js provides multiple ways to style applications, including global styles, CSS modules, and styled-components. When working with individual pages, CSS modules are the best approach to ensure scoped styling and avoid conflicts. In this guide, we’ll explore how to create and manage CSS for individual pages in a Next.js project.

Using CSS Modules for Page-Specific Styling

Next.js supports CSS Modules natively, allowing you to write styles scoped to specific components or pages. CSS Modules work by creating a CSS file with the .module.css extension and importing it into the corresponding component or page.

Step 1: Create a CSS Module

Inside the app/ directory (and within the page/ folder for page-specific styles), create a CSS module file.

Example: app/about/about.module.css

.container {
    max-width: 800px;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: 20px;
    text-align: center;
    border: #0070f3, solid, 3px;
 }
 .title {
    color: #0070f3;
    font-size: 2rem;
 }

Step 2: Import the CSS Module in a Page

Now, import the module inside the corresponding page file.

Example: app/about/page.tsx

import styles from './about.module.css';

function About() {
  return (
    <div className={styles.container}>
      <h1 className={styles.title}>About Us</h1>
      <p>Welcome to our about page!</p>
    </div>
  );
}
export default About;

The result of using the CSS module and importing it to the specific page is represented in the below screenshot.

Why Use CSS Modules?

• Scoped styles: The class names are unique to the module, avoiding conflicts.
• Automatic optimization: Next.js ensures that only the necessary styles are loaded.

It is perfect to create CSS for an single page that you want affected.

Conclusion

For individual page styles, CSS Modules provide a clean, scoped, and efficient solution. With this approach, managing CSS in Next.js becomes simple and efficient!

Check out the rest of our blog posts for any other questions you may have or comment your questions below. We would love to hear and answer your questions and concerns!

Next.js is a powerful React framework that simplifies building fast, scalable, and SEO-friendly applications. One of its core features is its file-based routing system, which makes managing and creating pages intuitive. In this post, we’ll explore how Next.js handles pages, how to create and manage them, and how they function under the hood.

To understand where we are beginning in this tutorial, checkout the blog post about How to Begin a Next.js Project. I will be starting where that post left off. I you already know how to start a Next.js project, then go ahead and continue reading here.

Understanding Pages and Routing in Next.js

In a Next.js application, the app/ directory is the foundation of your app’s routing system. Unlike traditional React applications where you define routes manually using React Router, Next.js automatically creates routes based on the file structure inside the app/ directory.

For example:

• app/page.tsx → Maps to / (home page)
• app/new-page → Maps to /new-page

This file-based routing system eliminates the need for a separate routing configuration, making navigation simpler and more efficient.

Creating Pages in Next.js

To create a new page in Next.js, simply add a new folder/directory inside the app/ directory. Each folder should contain a default exported React component inside a TypeScript file called page.tsx that represents the page’s UI.

Example: Creating an About page (app/about/page.tsx):

function About() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>About Us</h1>
      <p>Welcome to our about page!</p>
    </div>
  );
}
export default About;

Now, visiting http://localhost:3000/about will display this page. It is important to note that the route name after the backslash is the name of the directory or folder you created to hold the TypeScript file.

Nested Routing

You can organize pages in subdirectories to create nested routes.

Example:

• app/new-page/nested-page → maps to /new-page/nest-page
• app/about/help → maps to /about/help

Below is an example of the help page nested under the about directory.

The code I added into the help/page.tsx file is shown below.

function Help() {
    return (
      <div>
        <h1>Help Us</h1>
        <p>Welcome to our help page!</p>
      </div>
    );
  }
  export default Help;

The resulting page on the route http://localhost:3000/about/help is shown in the screenshot below.

Linking Between Pages

To navigate between pages, Next.js provides the built-in next/link component, which optimizes navigation for performance.

Example:

import Link from 'next/link';

function Home() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Home Page</h1>
      <Link href="/about">Go to About Page</Link>
    </div>
  );
}
export default Home;

In this example, the text between the two Link tags would be clickable and would route the user to the About page.

Conclusion

Managing pages in Next.js is straightforward thanks to its file-based routing system. Whether you’re creating static pages, nested structures, or wanting to navigate between the pages, Next.js makes development very simple. By understanding how pages work, you can build scalable and well-structured applications with ease.

Short and simple! Check out the rest of our blog posts for any other questions you may have or comment your questions below. We would love to hear and answer your questions and concerns.