Why I Chose Bedtime Stories to Teach My Kids Coding

As a software engineer and a mum of two, I knew I wanted my kids to grow up with a strong foundation in coding. But here’s the thing - I didn’t want coding to feel intimidating, like another subject they had to learn. I wanted it to feel natural, fun, and part of our everyday life.

So I turned to one of our favorite family rituals: bedtime stories.

Bedtime = Bonding

There’s something magical about those few quiet minutes before sleep.
The house is calm, the lights are soft, and the day’s distractions are gone.
Reading together at bedtime has always been one of my favorite ways to bond with my boys - to laugh, to wonder, to just be close.

That’s why it felt like the perfect space to sneak in a little learning.

No Extra Time or Pressure

Parents are busy. Between school runs, work, and dinner, there’s not much time left in the day. But bedtime? That was already part of our routine.
Instead of adding an extra class or screen time, I simply swapped one bedtime story for a coding concept story. No rushing, no guilt - just one small change that made a big impact.

The Magic Hour: When Kids Are Most Receptive

Something I noticed about my boys is that they always turned into little chatterboxes right before sleep.
That’s when the big questions came out:
"Why is the sky blue?"
"How do calculators know the answer?"
"Who decides how websites look?"

It felt like their minds were most open at that time - ready to connect dots and soak up new ideas.
So why not use that curiosity to introduce them to the logic behind coding?

Bedtime Learning Sticks

And here’s the science-backed bonus:
Research shows that when kids learn new words or ideas before sleeping, they actually remember them better after a night’s rest. Sleep helps consolidate memory, which means the coding concepts we explored stayed with them - not just for a day, but for the long term.

Books Are Our Safe Space

For us, books have always been more than just entertainment. They’ve been our comfort on hard days, our teachers on curious ones, and our favorite way to connect. So turning coding into a story just made sense - it kept learning cozy and pressure-free, even for a subject that can feel “too big” for little kids.

Your Turn

Do your kids turn into little philosophers right before bedtime too?
What’s the funniest, silliest, or deepest question they’ve ever asked you under the covers?
Share it in the comments — I’d love to hear your bedtime story moments.