Introducing young children to computer science at an early age is crucial for developing foundational skills in logical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Engaging children in computational thinking not only enhances their cognitive abilities, but also prepares them for a world where technology is pervasive. By sparking an interest in computing from a young age, educators can help bridge the digital literacy gap and nurture a generation that is both confident and competent in navigating technological advancements. As researchers and computer science university lecturers, we consider it our duty to help society develop a more informed perception and constructive relationship with the field of computer science and its scientific advances.

With the objective of promoting the interest in science in general (and computer science in particular) among children through early educational experiences, we organized and developed a one-hour activity to introduce early childhood students (aged 5 and 6 years) from two preschool classes to the field of computer science. The session was structured in four parts: introduction, computer components showcase, parallel computing game, and closure.

The session began with the authors presenting themselves as university professors, explaining what a “university” is to provide the children with a foundational understanding of the academic purpose. This helped position our profession and the university context in relation to their school stage.

Following this introduction, a description of several computer science elements was presented, covering both the meaning and components of personal computers’ software and hardware. These concepts were described with scientific rigor, yet tailored to a level accessible for young children. For instance, the hardware explanations were accompanied by an in-situ exhibition of the components, progressively extracted from an actual computer. After the components showcase, the students actively participated in filling up a concept map we prepared to help them assimilate the new concepts.

Afterward, we presented our field of research: High Performance Computing (HPC) through a game in which the students were the players. The objective of the game was to complete a harvest procedure as fast as possible, where the fruits to harvest were represented by plastic flowers, and the farmers were actually bee robots. Starting with a sequential algorithm (only using one robot), the cornerstone of the game was the moment in which the students proposed using more than one robot to faster harvesting all the flowers. That has a natural discovery of parallel computing, which is a key field of HPC.

To conclude the session, we explained that researchers usually explain to the scientific community their progress through conferences, so we explained them that their recent discovery (parallel computing) should be shared with their community (family and friends). As a preparation for that knowledge-sharing process, each student received a batch (simulating those of conferences) and a certificate.

The engagement of the students was observable during the whole session and later assessed by the students’ teachers. In our humble opinion, it was a great approach to bring science to the youngest students.

Keywords: Preschool, computer science, high performance computing, engagement, game.