Programming Basics: External Links

Scratch

Scratch is a great system from MIT that allows you to program small games and animations with a minimal amount of typing.

Khan Academy

The Khan Academy has videos that teach topics such as how to use JavaScript to make animation and games or how to make a web page.

Code.org Lessons

Code.org has several kids-focused programming lessons available in multiple languages. Younger kids should start with the Angry Birds lesson instead of the Frozen lesson. These lessons are useful for younger coders who cannot run Scratch.

Pencil Code

A tool for doing writing small programs using code or blocks. The website doesn't really have any tutorials or lessons, preferring to show you some examples and expecting you to figure things out on your own or to have a teacher guide you through the content.

MakeCode

Microsoft has created a programming tool that is similar to Scratch and Blockly but is customized for specific coding scenarios.

App Inventor

A block-based system for making mobile apps for Android devices. It is similar to Scratch, but it allows you to build apps using normal user interface elements like buttons and text fields.

Kodu

An educational tool from Microsoft for making simple 3d games for Windows.

Alice

Alice teaches kids how to make simple 3d animations and 3d games using a system similar to Scratch.

Linotte

A beginner programming language for French programmers.

Computer Science Circles

Computer Science Circles is an interactive website for learning Python that is available in English, French, and German.

PyGame

Python is a popular language for beginner programmers. PyGame is a Python framework for making games using Python.

W3 Schools

Contains various tutorials teaching how to create websites and use JavaScript on web pages.