10 Websites Where Your Kids Can Learn To Code

Kids spend so much time using computers and different kinds of digital devices. If you are a parent, I believe you may have been frustrated by their excessive use. Some of the energy they use in playing games can also be channelled into making those games or other programs. If you are an educator, you can also add programming or coding to your school’s curriculum. For them to make these games and great programs, they first need to learn to code.

Coding is now a new literacy and important skill to have. We are in a world where technology rules. Smart cities and products are rolled out every now and then. If you are not able to learn this, you need to encourage your next generation to learn. Don’t let them be left behind.

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WHAT WILL THEY LEARN

These coding websites are designed for different skill levels. The basic concepts such as commands, setting conditions, variables, functions, fixing bugs in the codes, syntax for higher-level programs will be covered. Beginners start with code blocks and may progress into languages like Javascript and Python when they have become comfortable with coding.

Knowledge of Programming = Better Math Skills. Among other important skills, learning to code will improve your analytical and problem-solving skills. They will be so proud of what they will be making. When I introduced my kids to coding at the age of 7 and 9, they were so happy. They made and played their own games and laughed at the hilarious programs they could make.

In this post, I have listed 10 different websites where kids can learn to code. Most of the websites have age ranges that will determine what type of programs your child or ward will enrol in. There are free and paid courses. Read on to know which ones are free and the ones that require payment.

1. Tynker:

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You will need to sign up as a parent or educator on Tynker. There is a free version and a paid version. The free version has limits to what your kids or students can learn. There are Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced sections which depend on the child’s programming skills. The coding courses are interest-driven so the kids don’t get stuck at programs they don’t enjoy. With over 2000+ modules, I’m sure a child will find one part or module that will be fun to learn.

The way the courses are laid out makes it one of the easiest ways to learn to code. For the paid programs, Tynker has individual and family plans which are quarterly, yearly or lifetime. It would be good to sign up for the free version first and let your child try out the courses to determine if this interests them before making any financial commitment.

Kids will be making Apps, code drones and robots, build Minecraft Mods, make maths and science projects, and build augmented reality games and websites. Age range: 7+ to Teenage. Sign Up on Tynker here.

2. ScratchJr

Scratchjr.org is a free website where young children can learn to code. According to the website, “With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.” ScratchJr is also available as a free app on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon Kindle, or add it as a chrome extension from Chrome Web Store.

Age Range: 5 – 7 years. You can get your little buddies to learn by signing up here.

3. Stencyl

You get to learn how to make games with little or no coding knowledge. It is a paid platform for game development. There is also a free version where you can publish your game on the web only but with the paid plan, you can publish it on other platforms. You design and publish your game on any platform.

Today, Stencyl supports iOS (iPhone/iPad), Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, Flash, and HTML5 (experimental). Building the game logic is what is important. Stencyl is one of the easiest ways to make and publish a game without much coding. Educators can get plans for their students as well. The age range is 6+ years.

4. Swift Playground

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Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for iPad that makes learning Swift interactive and fun. It requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out. Students will be coding robots and drones. Swift is the language used by professional mobile app developers to build popular iOS apps and games.

Your kid can learn to make apps and publish them on the app store. they will be able to solve puzzles to master the basics of programming using Swift. They can also take on a series of challenges and step up to more advanced playgrounds designed by Apple and other leading developers. Sign them up here. Age range: 7+

5. Code.org

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This is a free coding website where anybody can learn. With amazing sponsorship from founders of some of the Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon) companies, you know that great value can be found here. Engineers from Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Twitter helped create the learning materials on code.org. There are courses for students from Kindergarten to high school and also extends to university computer science courses. Hour of code is the most popular program.

Create an account and save your progress and projects. Or just start coding – no account needed. All courses are available at no cost. According to statistics on code.org;

“Computer science drives innovation throughout the US economy, but it remains marginalized throughout K-12 education.

15 states have adopted a policy to give all high school students access to CS courses (and of those, only 6 states give all K-12 students access) 544,449 open computing jobs nationwide. 49,291 computer science students graduated into the workforce last year”

If these statistics do not inspire you to learn to code or encourage the next generation to learn computer science which has been made available and accessible by many free coding websites like this, what else would? Sign yourself or your loved one up here.

6. Scratch

Scratch is meant for kids beyond this age or those who have graduated from ScratchJr. The Scratch junior is for kids between 5 to 7 years old but Scratch is more advanced. This learning platform is made by MIT which is geared towards making computer science accessible to all. It is a creative learning community with 38,171,320 projects shared. Below is an example of how the coding blocks look like.

The kids will learn to create stories, games, and animations. They can share with others around the world. Join now for free. Age Range: 8 to teenage

7. W3Schools

This is a free learning platform where anyone (young and young-at-heart can learn web development with tools such as HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT. They also web building and server-side web development using SQL, PHP, ASP, Python, Node.js, and Raspberry Pi. Bootstrap, JQuery is also covered.

The good part of w3schools is that you try your code right there. To save your progress, you need to register with an email. This platform is used by many schools and public libraries to teach teenagers how to code. If you have a child between the age of 12 to 18 years old, sign them up here.

8. Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a non-profit organization that provides free lessons to students on many subjects including computing and programming. The platform has made online learning very easy and accessible. There are a series of assessments used to determine the students learning level and understanding of the concepts in the process. Below is a summary of computer program lessons offered here:

• Intro to JS: Drawing & Animation
• Intro to HTML/CSS: Making web pages
• Intro to SQL: Querying and managing data
• Advanced JS: Games & Visualizations
• Advanced JS: Natural Simulations
• HTML/JS: Making web pages interactive
• HTML/JS: Making web pages interactive with jQuery
• They also get to meet with professional mobile, web developers, and amazing scientists

The ideal age to learn to programme on this platform is 12+ years. The student can learn on the web using computers or through the app by downloading the app on a mobile phone. It is free. Sign up here.

9. Code Monkey

This is a paid platform made mostly for schools and educators. There are various price ranges depending on the number of students the school entered into the plan. Courses available are Code adventure, Game adventure, Challenge builder, Dodo Does Math, and Python Chatbot. You can sign up for a free teacher trial here.

10. Codemoji

This coding for kids platform requires payment but offers a 14 days free trial. Codemoji’s computer science curriculum for schools allows 1st to 8th-grade students to learn the basics of web development and coding, including HTML, CSS, and Javascript, in a fun and easy way. This method of learning allows them to create their own websites, animations and much more with our unique and adaptable learning platform.

Who doesn’t like emojis? Learning to code with emojis will sure be awesome. Sign up here to join the fun and learn. The ideal age to learn on Codemoji is between 6 to 12 years old.  

I hope this list of website where kids can learn to code is very valuable to you or someone you know. Share your thoughts in the comment section below. You can also spread the word on your social media platforms to encourage more kids and parents. Please subscribe here to get more technology-related articles.