Coding Websites For Kids: Top 5 Definitive List

As the demand to learn coding grows, it can quickly become more of a project when seeking the perfect program to invest in. From a caregiver’s perspective, you want to provide your child with an educational outlet without sacrificing fun and engagement. On the other hand, it is essential to have various lesson-based approaches, interactive solidification, and a community to reflect from a student’s perspective. Computer programming for children is a fruitful activity that sneaks the nutritional aspects of literacy from all angles, including self-confidence and collaborative skills.

At Code Galaxy, we value the importance of diversity in education and ensure to provide lessons that can help nourish a career path. We have made it a point to implement different aspects into our courses, including live instruction for real-time engagement, small classes to concentrate lessons in a focused environment, and private tutoring to drive topics further home. Our curriculum provides a linear approach beginning at the elementary level, where skills build and span throughout high school.

There are various pain points parents experience when it comes to enrolling their child to learn to code. To help, we compiled a list of free coding websites for kids that can be utilized on their own or in tandem with a course here at Code Galaxy.

Code.org

Code.org, one of the more popular programs, is a non-profit organization geared toward children between 4 to 14. This program offers curriculum plans and videos that introduce concepts while motivating students to persevere through challenges. Two main components include the Hour of Code and Code Studio.

During Hour of Code, students learn coding mechanics visually and interactively. By dragging blocks to complete images and navigating directions to move a character, this component provides an inside look at how games are typically addressed. In contrast, Code Studio takes it a step further with coding classes for kids and activities reinforced throughout programming. While Code.org is meant for children as young as 4, the mouse requirements and instructions can be a drawback for budding coders. However, Code.org is entirely free, making it a great addition to Code Galaxy if you are looking for various skill applications.

Blockly

Blockly is designed for the storyteller at heart, offering a block-based programming approach. It’s just like putting a puzzle together, except students connect blocks and pieces of code to tell the story of a software program. With a drag and drop approach, Blockly offers an intuitive and interactive approach to creating a code sequence.

Blockly is a straightforward option with a mission to prepare kids for more in-depth computer programming languages. The only drawback is that the student must know how to read to get the most out of Blockly, even with its straightforward approach and graphics making it an exceptional place to learn to code for kids.

Scratch

Developed by the MIT Media Lab, Scratch is another well-known platform for children with a large online community allowing young ones to hone communication and interactive problem-solving skills. It is one of the best coding websites for kids with a starting point to share interactive media, including stories and animation, with other users worldwide.

While Scratch doesn’t actually teach any coding language, it is a perfect step for beginners to become familiar with the ins and outs of programming without requiring any prior knowledge. This software is free and is geared toward kids between the ages of eight to 16, making it a great addition to the Scratch programs we offer.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a crowd favorite for its diverse offerings in math, science, and coding, and computer programming for kids. Backed by industry leaders like Google and Bill Gates, the mission behind this option is to broaden education by providing a range of courses for free. Their coding lessons implement videos, interactive characters, and an online scriptwriter for a hands-on approach.

Each course has an overview of how many lessons are included allowing the student to decide whether it is a right fit depending on their schedule. As students grow in knowledge, they can become Khan-Academy certified coaches and grade other children. While this inspires leadership roles and self-development, it is essential to understand the drawbacks of a peer-to-peer review where, in some cases, receiving a checkpoint to move forward isn’t always dutifully earned. All in all, the website itself is very straightforward and caters primarily to children 13 and older. It makes for a complementary pairing to a more structured programming course where students can apply what they learned and see improvements in their coding acumen.

Code Monster

Another interactive approach toward programming, Code Monster, is designed for children 12 and older to put their JavaScript skills to the test. For the most part, this coding website for kids has an intuitive user experience where students follow the monster’s instructions to practice what they know. If a child gets stuck, various resources encourage the student to seek tutorials elsewhere.

Code Monster is a free option that assumes the student already knows basic skills, primarily serving as a place to practice what they know rather than learn new lessons. With that being said, this program has a wide range of flexibility, allowing students to skip through lessons if they have already mastered a specific topic.

There is no shortage in coding for kids websites and the value in life skills the screen can transfer to reality. The programs above offer an assortment of value depending on how old your child is, how familiar they are with coding languages, and the different types of interaction they are looking for.

Lesson plans with Code Galaxy let kids build real relevant and fun projects to show off and receive a certificate upon course completion. Pairing one or more of these top coding websites with a structured class regimen allows students to cross-examine their skillset, programming levels and understand where room for growth may reside.