Coding is a fun skill that even the youngest learners can enjoy! In my classroom, we use coding along with some well known children's stories to help teach the basics of coding. With a few simple materials, off-the-grid coding can happen as students practice retelling children's stories.
To get started with coding each year in my classroom, I start very low tech. I want my students to understand how they are helping objects to move visually before they try using fancy coding robots. I have several "mats" that I use with my students and all of them are made out of white or clear shower curtains. I like using shower curtains because they are durable, wipeable, and can fold up for easy storage. You could also use a vinyl tablecloth, butcher paper, or even an old sheet. I also like that I can add gym tape to them and can peel it back up if I position it incorrectly. I divide up my shower curtain into approximately 12 x 12 boxes and begin taping them off. I also sometimes use a thick Sharpie permanent marker to draw lines instead of taping them off. If you do use the Botley robot (more on him below), you will want to make your boxes closer to 6 x 6 because that's about how far he travels for each movement he makes.
We like to use these mats to help us act out and retell stories that we have been reading. The first story we read was The Three Billy Goats Gruff. In the story, the goats are trying to cross a bridge when they meet up with a troll. After reading the story, I set up the goats on one of our shower curtain mats. I add some plastic trees and greenery in a few of the boxes to prevent the goats from using them as they try to get past the troll. I also added a bridge (from our classroom train set) and a "troll" (which is a Monster Character Stress Ball).
Once I get that all set up, I give some of my students a few arrows. At this point, all the arrows point the same direction but can be turned to show movement in a different direction. For this specific lesson I printed off some simple arrows, but I have been known to draw arrows on sticky notes or index cards as well for my students to use.
My students take turns placing the arrows to show the goats which direction they should go to avoid the troll. There is always discussion about which way is the safest and if all the goats should go the same way to get around the troll. Eventually, they all make it past him without much trouble.
Another story we retell is The Three Little Pigs. I love using stories that have more than one character in them because it allows us to find multiple routes to take our characters through. In this version, the pigs that built their houses out of straw and sticks are trying to make it past the wolf and through the woods to the third pigs' house of bricks. My students were able to find a way for both pigs to get around the wolf and make it to the brick house. In both of these uses, I will move the trees/greenery around and then ask a different group of students to help us. I will also move the starting point and move any other obstacles (like the troll or the wolf) closer or further away depending upon how well my students understand.
After I can see that my students understand how each arrow represents one movement that their character needs to take, we move on to using Botley, our coding robot! 
Botley is controlled by a small remote that has four arrows, one pointing each direction, a GO! button, and several other buttons that let children control his sounds, or reset the chain of directions they have given him. For this activity, I set out several of the items that are included with Botley and let my students try to complete a challenge; moving the ball to the goal, knocking over a flag, or making it through a tunnel. We also try out the arrow cards that are included so students can make the jump from what they did with the other characters to Botley.
Once my students have a good idea of how to get Botley to move around, we try to use some of the obstacles that are included in the Botley Accessory Kit. Students can help turn the turnstile to knock the ball into the cup, or can tap dominoes so they fall over! 
With his big eyes and cute personality, Botley has quickly become a class favorite! This activity can be done as a low tech version as well. My students have used small metal cars and helped them to get around obstacles in the road. I have also put different pictures of shapes and colors and even some of our sight words on the mat and students have had to drive Botley to the correct answer.
Coding with young children doesn't have to be fancy! Students love that they can help save characters and will work over and over again to make sure they are successful! There are many stories that can be retold and acted out using these simple mats and most stories will work as long as they have two characters. My students love it when I include their names or pictures in the story and we have to help them out as part of the fun!
