The digital era has seen a proliferation of coding apps tailored for kids, steering them towards the fascinating world of technology and development. We’re in 2019, and coding isn’t just for computer whizzes anymore; it’s becoming an essential skill that can provide a competitive advantage for future careers. The following are 13 current coding apps designed with children in mind:
1. ScratchJr: An introductory programming language, ScratchJr allows younger children to create their own interactive stories and games by snapping together graphical programming blocks.
2. Tynker: Tynker offers self-paced online courses for children to learn coding at home, as well as an engaging programming curriculum for schools.
3. Code.org: Highly recognized due to the Hour of Code, Code.org features a variety of fun and interactive games that teach students the basic concepts of computer science.
4. Hopscotch: Aimed at kids aged 10 to 16, Hopscotch is a mobile app that lets kids program their own games and stories by dragging and dropping blocks.
5. Kodable: Starting with the very basics, Kodable progresses to cover topics like JavaScript and game design, suitable for kids from kindergarten through fifth grade.
6. Lightbot: Using puzzle gameplay, Lightbot playfully introduces learners to the concepts of algorithms, loops, and instruction sequencing without typing or text.
7. Blockly: A visual code editor that introduces block-based programming, Blockly includes puzzles that help learners understand coding fundamentals like variables and functions.
8. CodeSpark Academy: With its colorful and friendly design, this app teaches kids about computer science through interactive puzzles and games built around the ‘Foos’ characters.
9. Swift Playgrounds: An iPad app from Apple that teaches kids how to code in Swift through a fun and interactive interface filled with 3D experiences.
10. Cargo-Bot: A puzzle game where you teach a robot how to move boxes teaches problem-solving skills and basic programming concepts through gameplay.
11. CodeMonkey: It’s a game-based learning platform that teaches students (and also teachers) real programming languages through fun online games.
12. Robot Turtles: A tabletop board game turned app teaches young learners programming fundamentals by making them write programs with playing cards.
13. Daisy the Dinosaur: This free app lets children control a dinosaur with drag-and-drop commands aiming to teach the basics of logic flow in coding.
