Programming problems: In your opinion, what are the advantages of giving kids in school programming puzzles to solve?

Like mathematics it help them in problem solving and critical thinking. it is better learned starting at young age cause it has an impact on brain developement

Help them to develop problem-solving skills

I think it would be a great idea to have them do that. It will help them think about problems logically and helps them think of possible other ways to solve problems. And they learn a little bit of programming as well.

this is a good approach to filter some kids that has the ability to think in different way

and it is useful for all kids to develop thier mind capabilities 

When your child is alone with a puzzle you can expect three basic skills to be built:

• Physical skills -- from holding puzzle pieces and turning them until they fit

• Cognitive skills -- as they solve the problems of a puzzle

• Emotional skills -- they learn patience and are rewarded when they complete the puzzle

Each of the three basics break down further into specific skills that a puzzle can build for your child.

programming puzzles give kids more skills to learn and help them to extend their knowledge and make them the ability to solve problems more faster

 In my opinion that's a good thing, because that Helps to develop their way of thinking, and think logically

Anyone can learn to code. In a few hours you can pick up the basic skills and in a few weeks you will be able to build useful applications and websites.

 Computational Thinking 

 the ability to communicate your thoughts in a structured and logical way. This type of thought process is like the step by step instructions that are coded into a computer. It is also the process of thinking up and then solving problems in a methodical way that could be replicated by a machine. Software engineers, computer programmers, and logistics specialists use this method of thinking to solve problems. Computational thinking is a combination of advanced mathematics, algorithm development and logic. The development of computational thinking involves considering a problem and breaking it down into single-action steps. Each of these steps is handled in the most efficient way possible. There is also an element of abstraction in computational thinking, which allows your child to move from a specific solution to a specific problem and generalize it to other situations. The result is a paradigm shift in thinking about how the world works.