The Japanese company’s games can help users learn the principles of coding with less screentime. Texico Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Parents around the world are responding to growing research showing that excessive screen time , especially for young children, may have negative cognitive effects . But what happens when a well-meaning parent wants to introduce their child to subjects intrinsically linked to screens, like computer programming? A new learning series from Japanese public broadcaster NHK called Texico aims to help solve that dilemma by using paper, plastic toys, and everyday objects to break down the core concepts and strategies essential to programming. Each episode in the series runs about 11 minutes and focuses on key concepts including analysis, combination, abstraction, and simulation.…