Coding is a skill that’s now part of just about every discipline; it’s fun for kids to learn as well as easy for parents and teachers to add to lessons at home or school, according to Google.
Students of all ages can be engaged while learning to code and there are coding apps for just about every grade and skill level.
Below is a look at nine apps that can help kids with their coding skills. The apps are broken down into two sections which are beginning to code and more advanced coders.
Beginning to code
Cloud Stop Motion (Play Store)
Cloud Stop Motion is a stop-motion and animation movie creator which allows kids to work with animations on a zoomable, scrollable timeline. Sound effects, music, titles, credits and speech bubbles can be added before rendering to an MP4 movie. An extensive library of audio, backgrounds and styles are also included.
Grasshopper (Web app)
Grasshopper is a coding app for beginning learners that uses games to build skills with JavaScript. Learners can move up through progressively challenging levels to refine their coding prowess.
Scratch Jr (Play Store)
Scratch Jr is tailor-made for younger learners and is based on a programming language that teaches kids how to program by creating their own interactive stories and games.
Tynker Jr (Play Store)
Tynker Jr is the app for children who are just learning to read. Children between the ages 5-7 can learn the fundamentals of coding by connecting picture blocks to move their characters.
More advanced coders
Bloxels (Play Store, App Hub)
Bloxels lets users build a video game with their own characters and art. Game worlds are quick to build with built-in logic, triggers and actions.
Codecademy (Play Store)
Codecademy creates an engaging and accessible way for children to learn to code online allowing them to gain skills for employability and build something with technology.
Access hundreds of courses in subjects like web development and data science are available, as well as in-demand languages like Python, CSS, and JavaScript.
Piper Make (Play Store, App Hub)
Piper Maker is a drag-and-drop coding platform for the Pico. Using Piper’s hardware packages available online, the Piper Make portal offers new narrative-based tutorials, projects as well as ways to start building and coding technology.
Replit (Play Store, App Hub)
The Replit online coding platform is perfect for beginners. Replit supports all programming languages, including Python, Java, Javascript + HTML/CSS, and C/C++, and runs on every device, including Chromebooks.
It combines an IDE (integrated development environment) with a debugger, built-in testing/autograding, and hosting tools to build websites and applications.
Tynker (Play Store, App Hub)
Tynker features block-based coding challenges that help learners move on to more complex skills like Python coding and advanced computer science.
It even offers AP Computer Science courses.
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