Julie Brannon
Here is a list of the best educational apps, sites and resources that teach coding to kids.
"It's like Instagram but you make stuff"
Educational app loved by people of all ages, kids, teens, parents and teachers.
**** 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award winner ****
**** 2014 Children's Technology Review: Best Educational Technology ****
**** Featured by Apple in Kids and Education categories ****
Hopscotch is programming designed for everyone! In a few minutes, you'll be making characters move, dance, draw, and interact. Control your project by tapping, tilting, shaking, and even shouting at your iPad. Our easy-to-follow videos help you make awesome games like "Food Fight Dodgeball" and "Fire Bunny". The possibilities are endless.
Hopscotch is available on the iPhone and the iPad. You'll be able to create and play projects on the iPad version and play projects on the iPhone version.
Praise from our users:
“I totes adore Hopscotch! I feel like it has helped me learn a lot. I want to be an engineer and computer techno person when I grow up.” —Genesis, age 11
"This is the best app I have ever put on my kids' iPads."
—Bill Genereux, Digital media technology teacher and dad
"BTW, Hopscotch is so much fun! I went to Hawaii and for the whole 8 hour flight I played on it. The whole time! Thanks for being so awesome!!!!! :D”—Amara, age 9
"Great job!!! I'm seventy two years old, old - time amateur Apple II programmer and I used to teach my kids how to program with Logo. Now, I do the same with my grandchildren, using Hopscotch."
—P. Chatzisarantis, Grandfather
"You guys are incredible. I've never seen such a simple and powerful learning tool.” —M. Meyers, science and programming teacher
Why learn to code? Computer Science is among the highest paid college degrees and programming jobs are growing at 2x the national average. By the year 2020, there will be a projected 1.4 million computer jobs but only 400,000 CS students. Even if kids don’t grow up to be programmers, the problem solving and critical thinking skills they will obtain playing Hopscotch are necessary for every career path. Hopscotch was inspired by MIT’s Scratch.
Recommended for kids ages 8 to ∞.
Learn more about us at gethopscotch.com
“For building practical skills that you can put to use right away, you can’t pass up L2Code CSS.” – MacLife
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is the next step after basic HTML. L2Code CSS provides simple step-by-step instructions and introductory practice tutorials to help you master layout, colors, fonts, and more. Take control over the look and feel of your webpages and learn the skills you need to design and create a professional and polished website directly from your mobile device.
Many other websites and apps may give you how-to training, but only L2Code CSS includes the one tool you need to successfully learn CSS and build your webpage - a built-in text editor! This feature allows you to test your code immediately to see if your web page will appear the way you want it to.
As with all of our L2Code apps, L2Code CSS includes:
Become a CSS coder with L2Code CSS today and you’ll be easily programming your own websites in no time!
MIT App Inventor is a blocks-based programming tool that allows everyone, even novices, to start programming and build fully functional apps for Android devices. Newcomers to App Inventor can have their first app up and running in an hour or less, and can program more complex apps in significantly less time than with more traditional, text-based languages. Initially developed by Professor Hal Abelson and a team from Google Education while Hal was on sabbatical at Google, App Inventor runs as a Web service administered by staff at MIT’s Center for Mobile Learning - a collaboration of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the MIT Media Lab. MIT App Inventor supports a worldwide community of nearly 3 million users representing 195 countries worldwide. The tool’s more than 100 thousand active weekly users have built more than 7 million android apps. An open-source tool that seeks to make both programming and app creation accessible to a wide range of audiences, MIT App Inventor has grabbed the attention of:
Formal and informal educators who have used MIT App Inventor to introduce programming to their Computer Science students, science club members, after-school programs attendees, and summer campers. Many educators have also started to use MIT App Inventor to develop apps in support of their own instructional objectives.
Government and civic employees and volunteers who have harnessed the power of MIT App Inventor to develop custom, often hyper-local apps in response to natural disasters and community-based needs Designers and product managers who have seen the potential that MIT App Inventor has to support the iterative design process via rapid prototyping, testing and iteration.
Researchers who use MIT App Inventor to create custom app in support to meet their data collection and analysis requirements in support of their research in a wide variety of fields from medical to social.
Hobbyists and Entrepreneurs who have an idea they want to quickly turn into an app without the cost or learning curve that more traditional app creation entails.
Over one million people have enjoyed Cargo-Bot! The puzzle game that challenges your brain and helps you learn programming concepts.
Cargo-Bot is the first game programmed entirely on iPad® using Codea™
It's a puzzle game where you teach a robot how to move crates. Sounds simple, right? Try it out!
• Beautiful graphics
• Fiendish puzzles
• A game about programming, programmed entirely on iPad
• Record your solutions and share them on YouTube
• Learn more about how it was made by searching for Codea on the App Store
*** Winner of a Parents’ Choice Gold Award
"I highly recommend it for all kids, whether or not they want to get into programming. The kind of thinking required to solve the tasks in the app is important for everyone to learn, for every field of study."
-- Wired.com / Geek Dad
"Are you a computer geek that loves programming or are you a classroom teacher instructing on such skills as angles, measurement and two dimensional geometry? If you answered yes to either these, then you have come to the right educational app"
-- IEAR.org
"I spent my formative tech-years trundling a robo-turtle around the floor while learning the Logo programming language. Now there's an app for that, although in this case the turtle is virtual"
-- The Guardian
*** Move the Turtle teaches children (ages 5+) the basics of programming (yes, we do mean coding!)
*** Challenges and rewards keep children (with parents' assistance) & teenagers (on their own) engaged!
*** NEW! *** Share procedures via public links!
*** NEW! *** See commands used in other users' procedures!
*** NEW! *** Import the procedures to your Move The Turtle app!
Move The Turtle is an educational application for iPhone and iPad that teaches children the basics of creating computer programs, using intuitive graphic commands.
Do you remember the Logo programming language? A friendly Turtle will introduce your child step by step to the basic concepts of programming in a colourful graphic environment. Who knows, maybe your child will be the next outstanding programmer!
By completing the tasks, one after another, your child learns:
** how to plan complex activities composed of simple elements
** how to reuse previously completed work
*** how to use graphics, spatial orientation and sound in programming
Your child will also become familiar with the notions of loops, procedures, variables and conditional instructions.
Programming is about more than completing tasks, it is also about implementing your own ideas using your imagination. With this in mind we give you the opportunity to create your own programs from scratch or based on our inspiring examples.
Teach Kids the basics of any programming language using a fun game and classroom friendly curriculum. Get the FREE App with lesson guides and teacher tools.
A little programmer odyssey!
"Who says that computer programming should only be left to the adults?... although Cato’s Hike is geared towards children, it can definitely unlock the little programmer in all of us." -- AppAdvice
Cato is a little boy who just like every little boy likes to go out and play. One fine day Cato was playing outside when a portal to another world opened up in front of him; a portal to another world!
Cato stepped through and discovered that this world unlike his own didn't follow the same rules. Every time he tried to take a step or an action he'd find himself stuck in place. Stuck that is until he finally discovered the rules in this universe: by writing a program for himself he would be able to overcome all obstacles and learn something new along the way!
Features:
Upcoming features:
Essentially, 'Cato’s Hike' is a universal game for the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch to teach kids and young children basic programming skills. The younger ones will obviously enjoy solving levels using simpler coding techniques but the hope is the older ones will pick up more advanced concepts like loops and branching as well as even more advanced concepts like a basic stack or memory! There is enough in here to keep everyone from children to parents engaged! More challenges are upcoming however so stay tuned!
As with all my projects I take this one very seriously and I hope you enjoy. I intend to continue improving Cato's Hike as much as possible and incorporate your feedback and suggestions as well as try to make it more intuitive and better able to convey the concepts it is setting out to teach. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, or bugs you'd like to report please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at: hesham.wahba@gmail.com
Learn the basics of computer programming with Daisy the Dinosaur! This free, fun app has an easy drag and drop interface that kids of all ages can use to animate Daisy to dance across the screen. Kids will intuitively grasp the basics of objects, sequencing, loops and events by solving this app's challenges. After playing Daisy, kids can choose to download a kit to program their own computer game.
Become the ultimate code warrior and hack your friends with Hakitzu Elite. An epic multiplayer robot combat game, where you learn the basics of coding while battling robots in both single and multiplayer missions. Victory is in the code!
As seen on Mashable, Gamezebo, The Guardian, VentureBeat, WIRED and more!
Hakitzu Elite helps you learn the basics of JavaScript. No previous coding knowledge is required as the game takes you from beginner, to coder, to hacker in both the single player mode and on the battlefield. The more you code by hand, the more points you receive to unlock ultimate weapons for a battle royale in the gaming arena. New in-game leaderboards rank you against your friends, taking your rivalry to a new level.
Features:
Website, iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, Kindle: Get kids programming within minutes.
Lightbot offers an easy way for kids to learn concepts like loops, if-then statements, and the like without typing or coding. - TechCrunch
Gamestar Mechanic uses fun, game-based quests and courses to help you learn game design and make your own video games!
iPad, Android & Website:
Description
Learn to program with puzzles and easily build your own games. No internet connectivity required. Start by solving coding puzzles. Great for Hour-of-Code and more. Easily build games using the Tynker Workshop, with themed graphics,10 game-kits and customizable characters to inspire imaginative games and stories. Additional puzzle levels are available as in-app purchases.
Awards:
*** Parents’ Choice Gold Award
*** Featured by Apple in Education, Kids & Best New Apps
*** Editor's Choice, Children's Technology Review
*** Rated 5 stars for Engagement, Common sense media
*** Rated “Best for 8-14” by USA Today
*** Award of Excellence from Strictly Mobile
”Tynker makes programming more accessible and fun for kids, regardless of prior experience.”
“One of the best learn-to-code apps we've seen for younger kids - Nice work!”
CODEY’S QUEST (Free)
Use the correct logic and loop variations to lead Codey home.
** 20 Levels
TYNKER WORKSHOP (Free).
-- Create games and apps quickly with the same visual programming language introduced in the puzzle adventures
NEW! With an online account, access all projects created on tablets or web from either platform.
Includes plenty of inspiration for an unlimited portfolio of games and projects to play with friends:
DRAGON JOURNEY (In-app purchase)
Create functions and subroutines to lead your dragon through the forest.
** 72 Levels, across 2 different adventure scenarios, replay with 3 different dragons
LOST IN SPACE (In-app purchase)
Apply conditional logic to lead astronaut Biff to his moon base.
** 72 Levels, across 3 adventure scenarios
LAZER RACER (In-app purchase)
Draw complex geometric shapes using simple commands in this futuristic racing game.
** 48 geometric pattern puzzles
Unlock hidden bonus games in every adventure! Puzzle Solutions Available.
What do Children learn?
Pattern recognition, problem solving, sequencing, spatial visualization, algorithmic thinking, how to debug programs. Introduces concepts like sequencing, repetition and conditional logic. Reinforces basic geometry concepts while using programming to draw angles and lines.
What is Tynker?
Tynker (www.tynker.com) inspires kids to create and collaborate through programming, in a visual, intuitive and imaginative way. More than 10,000 schools and 9 million kids have started coding with Tynker -- building critical computational thinking skills for future success.
Tynker is inspired by visual programming languages such as Scratch from MIT, Alice from CMU, and other programming languages like Logo, SmallTalk, and Squeak.
Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.
With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) learn important new skills as they program their own interactive stories and games.
By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In the process, children learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer. They also use math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, supporting the development of early-childhood numeracy and literacy. With ScratchJr, children don’t just learn to code, they code to learn.
ScratchJr was inspired by the popular Scratch programming language (http://scratch.mit.edu), used by millions of people (ages 8 and up) around the world. The ScratchJr interface and programming language were redesigned to make them appropriate for younger children’s cognitive, personal, social, and emotional development.
ScratchJr is a collaboration between the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT Media Lab, the Developmental Technologies research group at Tufts University, and the Playful Invention Company. The ScratchJr project has received generous financial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF DRL-1118664), Code-to-Learn Foundation, LEGO Foundation, and British Telecommunications.
If you enjoy using this free app, please consider making a donation to the Code-to-Learn Foundation (www.codetolearn.org), a nonprofit organization that provides ongoing support for ScratchJr. We appreciate donations of all sizes, large and small.
iPad app: Test your problem-solving skills to defeat your arch nemesis, Fat Cat!
Personalize Alpha-1 with over 180 costumes and voices! Have fun with millions of costume variations!
Take control of your robot friend, Alpha-1, using logic, puzzle solving and math skills. Use your arsenal of shrink rays, invisibility cloaks, shields, propeller packs and a whole lot more as you program your way through 80 mind-teasing levels. Program a sequence of instructions for your robot to follow, and earn all 3 ribbons per level by creating efficient programs and collecting all the coins.
There’s just one catch: Your arch nemesis Fat Cat will try to thwart your every move! (Oh no!)
My Robot Friend has power-ups to boost Alpha-1’s abilities and 80 exciting levels to unlock secret content. With every accomplishment, you’ll earn coins to redeem for crazy clothes, wacky wigs and out-of-this world accessories to customize your robot.
In addition to the main story, you can play 3 mini games. Dance Party lets you choose from 8 tracks and 24 moves to get Alpha-1 into the groove. Spelling Bee challenges you to spell words at 3 different difficulty levels. And Save the Monkey puts your programming skills to the test as you race against the clock to collect monkeys.
Features
• 80 levels of story-driven gameplay
• 3 mini games including: Dance Party, Spelling Bee and Save the Monkey
• Unlock secret content
• Earn coins, ribbons and rewards
• Customize your robot with OVER 180 PIECES OF CONTENT like crazy clothes, wacky wigs and more!
• Earn over 30 game achievements
Teaches:
Curriculum is for 7+ years old.
1) Problem-solving
2) Logic and reasoning
3) Programming skills
4) Sequencing
5) Mathematics
6) Spelling
Discover how LeapFrog ignites learning through the power of play. Visit www.leapfrog.com!
Every student in every school deserves the opportunity to study computer science.
Launched in 2013, Code.org® is a non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. We believe computer science and computer programming should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.
Things you love are Made with Code. Code your first creative project and meet music producers, fashion designers, humanitarians, and animators who are coding the world they want to see.
Why did Google launch Made with Code?
Made with Code builds on our long-standing commitment to increasing diversity in Computer Science. Since 2010 we’ve invested $40 million in organizations like Code.org, Girls Who Code, NCWIT and Black Girls Code. We are committing an additional $50 million over the next three years to further these efforts.
We started Made with Code because even though increasingly more aspects in our lives are powered by technology, women aren’t represented in the companies, labs, research, creative arts, design, organizations, and boardrooms that make technology happen.
Computer Science can make the world more beautiful, more usable, more safe, more kind, more innovative, more healthy, and more funny, but we need to help more girls find relevant ways to interact with it. Along with our coalition of supporters, we’re making it our mission to creatively engage girls with code. And you can too!
Learn programming with a multiplayer live coding strategy game for beginners. Learn Python or JavaScript as you defeat ogres, solve mazes, and level up. Open source HTML5 game!
Primo - Cubetto Playset
A tangible interface that helps children learn programming without the need for literacy or screens.
Linkitz is a wearable electronic toy for social play. Kids have fun while learning to program. (Yay STEM!)
Robot Turtles is a board game you play with your favorite 3-8 year old kids.
It sneakily teaches the fundamentals of programming.
Robot Turtles launched on Kickstarter, where it became the bestselling board game of all time.
Which is pretty darn amazing.
ThinkFun was founded in 1985 by husband and wife team Bill Ritchie and Andrea Barthello. Bill was a born puzzler, so defining his dream company was no challenge, but the 80's were a tough time for toy companies. Retailers were moving away from games, and the Rubik's Cube, which had broken through in the mass market, was losing popularity.
Teach kids how to program with Dash and Dot, toy robots that make coding fun using apps on iPads, iPhones, Android tablets and phones.
Learn to code interactively, for free.
About Codecademy
Codecademy is an education company. But not one in the way you might think. We're committed to building the best learning experience inside and out, making Codecademy the best place for our team to learn, teach, and create the online learning experience of the future.
Education is old. The current public school system in the US dates back to the 19th century and wasn't designed to scale the way it has. Lots of companies are working to "disrupt" education by changing the way things work in the classroom and by bringing the classroom online.
Our Mission
We're not one of those companies. We are rethinking education from the bottom up. The web has rethought nearly everything - commerce, social networking, healthcare, and more. We are building the education the world needs - the first truly net native education. We take more cues from Facebook and Zynga in creating an engaging educational experience than we do from the classroom.
Education is broken. Come help us build the education the world deserves.
Over 100,000 people build incredible apps and games with Codea. Unleash your creativity now, right from your iPad.
"It’s kind of like the Garage Band of coding." – Wired
"Codea for iPad is a super slick way to write and run programs on your iPad." – Gizmodo
Codea lets you create games and simulations — or just about any visual idea you have. Turn your thoughts into interactive creations that make use of iPad features like Multi-Touch and the accelerometer.
We think Codea is the most beautiful code editor you'll use, and it's easy. Codea is designed to let you touch your code. Want to change a color, or an image? Tapping will bring up visual editors that let you choose exactly what you want.
Codea is built on the Lua programming language. A simple, elegant language that doesn't rely too much on symbols — a perfect match for iPad.
Here's how you use it: type your code. Press play to watch it run. Interact with it. Get creative.
FEATURES
• A fully featured 2D and 3D renderer
• Lots of great example projects to learn from, including games
• Touch your code: tap colors, images and sounds to adjust them
• Export your finished projects to Xcode to produce real apps
• Complete in-line reference documentation accessible from keyboard
• Intelligent syntax highlighting and auto-completing code editor
• Import your own assets from Dropbox
• Full physics engine for complex motion
• Add parameters so you can tweak variables at runtime
• Interact with accelerometer and multi-touch on your device
• Generate retro-game sound effects
• GLSL Shader Language support with live shader editor
• Bluetooth keyboard support and keyboard shortcuts
• Video recording: Record videos of your projects and share them
• Air Code: code live from your PC using WiFi
• Much, much more
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
• Join the forums at http://codea.io/talk to ask questions, share ideas and get help when you need it
• If you would like to help translate Codea into your language please join the translation effort at http://translate.twolivesleft.com
• If you need help or wish to get in contact with us, please use the support link on this page
