Even during the times of AI, coding is an important aspect to learn because it fundamentally teaches you a way of problem-solving, critical-thinking, approaching problems in a technological way in your core-thinking, and builds inherent confidence and knowledge around building and creating things. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently said that despite AI’s growing role in coding, the ability to break down problems logically and design systematic solutions remains essential.
Coding for kids is therefore a crucial part of their growing up in the technological world. Typically, kids learn a range of aspects involving problem-solving through coding using block-based, text-based, core languages such as C, Java, Python, app development, web development, game development, cybersecurity, robotics, computer mathematics, and more. As a unified set of knowledge areas they provide a significant base of foundation in the areas of technology. At UnicMinds, we ensure that we cover the entire range of areas for kids to gain strong foundational knowledge and skills and the curriculum is built to ensure cross-application of these areas.
Today, there are multiple fantastic platforms that enable children to learn technologies and their fundamental mechanics in an easily understandable way. Discover some of the best online coding platforms for kids and teens to learn how to code.
- Scratch
Scratch is a block-based visual programming language and website for kids to learn the logical building blocks of programming without taking the burden of the syntactical correctness and memorization required in text based programming. Undoubtedly, Scratch is one of the most popular platforms for kids to learn coding, even now.
- Code.org
Code.org is a non-profit organization with a mission that every K-12 student from everywhere should learn to code. They also organize the global Hour of Code campaign.
- Khan Academy
This non-profit by Salman Khan has changed the education space forever. My favorite quote of his is when he said something like “two cars in the garage are more than enough, it is time to do things for others”. You can learn a range of courses from graphics and dynamic programming to web development and deep learning.
- Unity
This is a platform to develop real time 3D games in C# – a comprehensive suite of solutions to create, run and monetize interactive, real-time 2D and 3D content. If you have basic programming skills, then you can start on learning and programming games in Unity using the C# programming language. You will pick the programming skills and techniques on the go, however a basic understanding and programming knowledge is a must to venture into Unity game development.
- Swift Playground
Swift Playground is an educational tool and development environment for iPad and Mac computers. Swift Fiddles are small programs in Swift programming language that run directly on the browser. Swift Playgrounds is suitable for beginners and very friendly to children because it requires no coding knowledge.
- Roblox Studio
The world’s largest platform that offers an opportunity for kids to design and build their own games. Roblox Studio is a perfect place for kids who have some basic programming skills in Lua to develop their creativity and coding skills. Kids can make use of a wide variety of reusable assets and tools in the studio to build their own games.
- Thunkable
A block-based drag-and-drop platform for learners to build their own apps with no detailed coding required. It helps to create your own mobile apps for iOS, Android, and the mobile web. Thunkable was used earlier by UnicMinds, but we stopped using Thunkable in our curriculum – however, this is a great platform for learners to develop apps.
- W3Schools
Provides tutorials, programming questions, and explanations in programming languages. I remember growing up on w3schools.com and howstuffworks.com during the early 2004-5s. These tutorials are exhaustive and full-stack. W3schools also works as a quick reference point if you are in the middle of coding and want some clarification about a function or anything else.
- Google Colab
Google Colab is a free cloud-based platform provided by Google that allows users to write and execute Python code. Colab is now enabled with Google AI – Colab AI acts as a pair programmer to help you prototype ideas, generate boilerplate code, and understand new libraries.
- Replit
A platform designed for programmers to develop various applications from simple scripts to full stack programs. Replit provides a browser based cloud IDE that helps programmers to collaborate and work on the same project at the same time. It has also incorporated AI features like Replit Agent to assist with coding tasks.
There are multiple other platforms such as Codecademy, Tynker, and many more. We chose to list these to cover various types of platforms and for all types of young learners.
Hope this is useful, thank you for reading.
You may also like to read: Understanding Object Movements in Unity, Events in Scratch Programming, Robotics for Kids, & How are Kids learning Coding?
