9 Coding Activities for Kids | iCode
Coding presents many amazing opportunities for younger kids as they develop their understanding of computer science. Whether you’re looking for coding games for 10 year olds or early teens, there’s an activity for every age range and level of expertise. Today, we’ll share some coding activities and learning resources for kids based on their individual needs. These resources offer great instruction as kids start to enhance their coding language skills.
Types of Coding Activities for Kids
So, what is coding for kids, and what are the best ways for them to learn? Let’s start by talking about some of the different types of coding activities for kids that you might run into. It always helps to know your options before making a decision.
Generally speaking, kids’ coding games fall into three categories:
- Introductory
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Introductory activities are for kids who are just starting out. They have little to no experience with coding, and they need to learn simple, fundamental coding concepts that they can build upon.
Intermediate activities are for kids who have some experience and are ready to step up to the next level. These activities help expand and grow a child’s coding skills as they move toward becoming fluent in coding.
Advanced activities are for kids with a lot of experience who are ready to code serious apps, programs, and other computer-based software at higher levels. These kids may know how to work with multiple programming languages and can even shift between them in their work.
Now let’s take a look at activities for kids that fit within each of these criteria.
Introductory Coding Activities for Kids
Young children who are just starting can learn from simple games and exercises that help them grasp the basics and build confidence in their skills. The following websites and activities are a fun way for kids to learn introductory-level coding and programming concepts
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Minecraft
In this console-based video game, kids can explore a world of possibilities and build, create, and manipulate their environment. Kids can build just about anything. From homes to farms to cities, kids explore a virtual environment and familiarize themselves with how it all comes together through coding.
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Coding Safari
Coding Safari is a “pre-coding” logic game designed to help children get a feel for the basics of coding. This kids’ coding game helps teach pattern recognition, decomposition, abstraction, algorithms, and other concepts––and they’re broken down into very simplified games that are loads of fun.
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Scratch Programming
Scratch is a free website and coding community for children that introduces kids to different aspects of coding such as digital stories, games, and animations. Scratch is used by schools and institutions worldwide to help kids learn valuable skills in creative thought, self-expression, problem-solving, and more.
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Intermediate Coding Activities for Kids
As kids begin to level up, they can expand their knowledge of computer programming languages and become more diversified in their skills. Now they can upgrade to intermediate games and classes.
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iCode
If you want to give your kid an immersive coding experience, iCode classes are an excellent choice. With iCode, your child can experience hands-on learning in coding and robotics at levels ranging from introductory to advanced. The classes are taught by qualified instructors and students work side-by-side with peers to solve coding challenges, create apps, and build their skills as programmers.
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Code.org
This website teaches kids how to code through fun activities and games that help them learn valuable career skills such as web design, and app development. Kids work through simple tutorials that give them the skills and confidence to want to learn more and there’s always a new and exciting project to work on.
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Roblox
Inside Roblox, kids immerse themselves in games and chat environments for a unique social experience that allows them to discover the possibilities that manifest from programming. Inside, they experience real, interactive, and highly fun social gaming worlds. Roblox is used by 52 million people daily, and a huge portion of those users are under 13, making this a perfect intermediate coding activity.
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Advanced Coding Activities for Kids
At the advanced stage, kids are capable of programming apps, games, and other software programs, and are ready to expand their horizons, exploring the true depths of coding activities.
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Star Wars: Building a Galaxy with Code
If you’re looking for something familiar, Star Wars is already popular amongst many kids. In this fun coding activity, your child will program droids, learn about coding, and even create a Star Wars video game. The best part? It’s online and it’s free! Plus, there are options for younger and older kids alike. For instance, older children can work with Javascript as they move up to advanced stages. Although it starts at introductory levels, this one quickly advances based on the individual’s needs.
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Swift Playgrounds
This unconventional iPad app leverages unique puzzle games where players must create the appropriate code to advance to the next level. This develops reasoning and problem-solving skills while also helping advanced users learn the right way to write code. The gamification combined with a simple reward system makes for an amazing advanced coding activity for kids and teens alike.
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Khan Academy
The final advanced coding activity for kids comes from a website/app where kids work through advanced coding challenges. Khan Academy specializes in providing a free, world-class education that includes coding training. Khan Academy is similar to taking an online course, except it’s interactive and coders will actually work through coding problems and even build fully functional apps and programs.
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Why Are Coding Activities Important?
Coding lessons and activities help children develop a variety of useful skills and unique ways of approaching the world.
When a child begins to code, they start to see and experience how logic and analysis must be paired with creativity to bring software to life.
Furthermore, the need for coders in the employment sector is growing. Companies around the globe are more focused on technological development than ever before.
In other words, coders are in-demand, and the career outlook continues to glow brighter by the day. By learning to code, your child can enter the world prepared with useful skills that can completely transform their life.
For these reasons, coding is one of the most valuable activities any child can get involved in.
How to Choose the Best Coding Activity for Your Child
Now that you understand the different categories of coding activities for kids and why coding is so important, it’s time to figure out which activities are right for your child.
Many free resources exist to help children get started. Some of those resources are quite good as shown above.
What many free programs lack is engagement and structure.
When learning a new skill, children need structural systems to help them learn within a framework for results. This boosts confidence and helps ensure they learn at a level that is appropriate for their development.
Engagement with instructors and peers in addition to getting hands-on experience are incredibly valuable ways to help promote rapid learning.
One of the best places to find structure and engagement like this for coding activities is to enroll your child in a coding class.
iCode’s coding school offers classes for kids that fit these exact criteria, as well as immersive coding camps.
The classes are taught in small peer groups by qualified instructors.
Children learn at a pace that makes sense for their personal development.
Plus, iCode has classes and coding activities from introductory levels to advanced. Students move through a structured system to help ensure each child achieves certain milestones and grows in confidence before moving up to the next level.
If that sounds like the right solution for your child, then contact iCode today to learn more.