Following steps

Ages 3 to 5 Read and do together · about 15 minutes

Read together

A recipe has steps. You do them in order.

First, then, next, last.

Do it

1. Choose a simple job: make a pretend sandwich with paper, or wash your hands.
2. Write each step on a card, with a picture: bread, spread, filling, bread.
3. Mix up the cards. Put them back in order together. Does the sandwich still work in the wrong order?
4. Then be the “robot”. A grown-up says one step at a time, and you do exactly that.

Talk about it

• What happens if we change the order?
• Which step is first when you get dressed?

For the grown-up

Following and giving clear steps in order is the root of computer programming, and you do not need a computer to learn it. This kind of play is called “unplugged”.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• Code.org, CS Fundamentals unplugged activities for early learners
• Tim Bell, Ian Witten and Mike Fellows, CS Unplugged (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.