Your child could design and create the best software or application someday! By using free coding websites and games, your child can develop talents, acquire advanced skills, and secure a financially-attractive future.

Custom software development is central to operations in many industries. Bespoke software automates processes, centralizes data, enhances productivity, and reduces costs. With all these advantages of using custom software, there is no reason not to encourage your child to choose this career path.

Why Free Coding Websites and Games?

Many coding websites and games are designed for kids: some are free software versions, others are paid ones. We recommend first signing your kids up for a free software version so you can discover how well the website works for your kids.

Some coding sites and games have both a free version and a paid subscription. Parents can try the free service before paying for a premium version. This way you don’t spend so much on coding websites and games to motivate your kids.

The Best Free Coding Websites for Young Children

These free coding websites are classified according to age.

For Ages 8 to 10

Blockly

Blockly is free software that prepares future software programmers with basic principles. The core of this software is JavaScript.  The website introduces this language through a block-based system. Blockly is similar to completing a puzzle but you connect code pieces, not intricate puzzle pieces.

Blockly’s puzzle pieces randomly appear on your screen and your child needs to complete the puzzle story. Every piece is a block of code and is just like different paragraphs from a storybook. Kids drag and drop the pieces to form a code sequence.

This free programming and gaming software is for kids who can already read or recognize words. However, some games in Blockly are more complicated for small kids. Parents should guide their children to select the ideal activity for their level.

Code.org Studio

Code.org is a group that organizes the Hour of Code and provides coding courses for schools. They also have a coding site for young children featuring courses for computer science basics. After every course, kids should be able to develop simple interactive games that they share with the community.

Every course comes with puzzles, activities, and videos. The first course teaches the basics while later courses focus on programming tasks. These courses align with the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and are available for free.

Code Combat

Another fun and free coding game developed for kids is CodeCombat. This game focuses on JavaScript and Python programming languages through text-based programming. Your children can play different levels of role-playing games. As they play, they learn how to code in these languages. Code Combat keeps your children playing with exciting graphics. Players can also connect by creating a community that shares ideas and experiences.

The first few levels of Code Combat introduce the basics of programming. As your child completes each level, more complex coding tasks are added. Meanwhile, teachers can use Code Combat’s wikis and course guides to teach coding in classrooms.

Scratch

Scratch is a free block coding site created by the MIT Media Lab. The game is a unique programming language that comes with graphical programming blocks that players connect. Aside from being a game, Scratch is also an online community where players develop gaming programs and share stories, animation, and games all over the world.

Scratch is for kids 8 to 16 and Scratch Jr is for 5 to 7-year-olds. These games enhance communication skills, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. Teachers use this to teach different coding languages and introduce computer programming.

For Ages 11 to 13

App Inventor

App Inventor is a free coding software for children. It offers block language and visual tools to help kids learn how to build Android applications. App Inventor was started by Google and the program was about moving different objects around the screen.

The App Inventor course is block-based and starts with setting the app and moving through the different steps to build Android apps. After building their apps, kids can share their masterpieces with the community. This free software is hosted by MIT online. Tutorials featured in the App Inventor site are developed and refined by teachers and instructors. 

Code Monster

One of the most exciting free coding games for kids is Code Monster. This is an interactive game that teaches JavaScript programming language. Kids need to follow the instructions on how to perform different tasks. If they have questions or want to ask for help, they can always visit the Code Monster How to Play page.

For Ages 14 to 18

Glitch

Glitch is a free tool to develop website applications.  This tool evolves to meet the needs of more advanced users who are already into coding. Glitch is like using Google Docs in that different people can work on one project. Glitch does not need setting up and the changes are easy to see from the web. Users can take advantage of different tools to create websites or use different projects. 

Codecademy

Codecademy provides a complete set of courses that focuses on web development and different programming languages. Your child can select the programming languages they want to study and move through different lessons as they develop their codes. Codeacademy is for children who wish to pursue a career in coding. Classes are all about building websites using Python, SQL, JavaScript, HTML & CSS, jQuery, Ruby on Rails, and many more.

Codewars

Codewars is a free coding website for young users who want to compete with other users. This site improves coding skills while training with other people through languages like Python, CoffeeScript, Java, JavaScript, Clojure, Ruby, C#, Haskell, and so on. Codewars help users who would like to master a programming language or who want to expand their knowledge of other languages.

Final Words

Free coding sites and games help kids explore coding and harness their skills and talents. Your child can use these games and activities as a foundation for a colorful and fulfilling career as a software developer or app developer. Take time to select the best website or games to suit your child’s needs, skill level, and interest.

Author Bio

Pranjal Bora works as Head of Product Development at Digital Authority Partners. 

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