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A year of literacy-inspired making, building, and programming.

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I stood in the middle of the room and listened to the sound of more than 20,000 pennies clinking and jingling around me. To my left, a fourth grade student helped her first grade buddy to count the nickels held in her sweaty palm (they had to start over after losing count at 12). To my right, a math teacher modeled pinching shut a full roll of 40 quarters. Somewhere on the other side of the room, a cheer erupted. "A thousand!" A nine year old shouted with glee. "We have more than a thousand dollars! How many kids do you think that will help?"

More than a thousand dollars. And it all started with a book.

Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper, to be specific. This award-winning student-favorite was a natural choice for our first ever Family Book Club. Over the month of January 5th graders and their families shared Melody's story, following her life with Cerebral Palsy and her struggle to be seen as smart, worthy, and human. Then, we gathered on a chilly evening in February to share our experiences with the story. After discussion, activities, and dinner, we gathered to hear from a guest speaker: Kara McClurken, of Charlottesville nonprofit Bennett's Village. Kara spoke to student readers and their families about her son Bennett, who loved to play but couldn't fully enjoy traditional playgrounds in his motorized wheelchair. When Bennett passed away last year, his family and friends came together and pledged to create an all-abilities playground so that all Charlottesville kids could learn and play together. We laughed, cried, and cheered with Kara, and I thanked her for creating a deep, real-world connection for my readers. The event had gone well, I was happy, and I figured that was that.

But when I arrived at school the next day, there was a group of 5th grade boys waiting at my desk. They couldn't stop thinking about Bennett, Melody, and Kara. They asked if they could create a fundraiser for Bennett's Village in our school community. They organized lunch meetings, invited an administrator, and, over sandwiches, explained the vision of Bennett's Village. Within 15 minutes, they had a stamp of approval for their fundraiser.

They had the drive, but needed a little help. So one of the 5th graders brought his Bennett's Village excitement home, and recruited the big guns: his 8th grade brother. The 8th grader loved what he had learned, and had an even bigger dream: What if a group of middle schoolers worked to create reading, learning, and playing experiences for real kids in Charlottesville? He wanted to run fundraisers and raise awareness, as well as build Little Free Libraries, and collect books to fill them. Would I be his faculty mentor?

Twelve middle schoolers signed on to the team. They launched a fundraiser they called the Change Challenge, speaking to a packed community meeting about where their money would go. Over the next few weeks, as middle school students collected their quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, our group learned and learned. We met with Kara again to learn more about Bennett's life, the things he loved, and the things that had frustrated and limited him. We explored common barriers to play, learning from a short film called 'Ian' and stepping out of our comfort zones to experience what it's like to try and enjoy playground equipment that doesn't fit a variety physical needs. We began planning our Little Free Libraries, dreaming of where they might go, and launched a community-wide book drive to collect literature to fill them.

The impact grew and grew. Little brothers and sisters heard about the middle school Change Challenge and begged us to bring it to the lower school community, as well. So our group brought a special, adapted version of the fundraiser to K-4 classrooms, too. I watched, amazed, as middle schoolers volunteered outside of school hours and worked through their lunches and study halls. They hand-built their two community Little Free Libraries, one with special dimensions and details created specifically to accommodate readers that use wheelchairs (and we all cried a little as we painted it Bennett's favorite colors and added some extra heart), and collected almost 600 books to fill them. And then they delivered the first to the Virginia Discovery Museum, along with boxes and boxes of books to keep it stocked once little hands emptied it out.

The group was so passionate, our school community couldn't help but jump in. And so they got to watch, amazed, as elementary students and their families emptied their piggy banks for Bennett's Village. Before long, it was all anyone could talk about. Students asked so many great questions, we dedicated a whole week in library class to learning more about Bennett, and other people who use special tools to move, breathe, eat, and live their lives. Together we learned new words, considered new perspectives, and looked at familiar sights and experiences in new ways.

When our K-4 fundraiser finally wrapped up, we were left wondering what to do with more than 150 pounds of change. Our amazing math team turned it into a community activity, where older students coached younger buddies as they sorted, rolled, and counted every last coin. With more than 200 Lower School students participating, all 150 pounds of change were prepped and ready to go to the bank within one school day. And that little fundraiser that started as an idea from a group of ten year olds? It raised more than $1,450.

The money is exciting and impressive, but even more impactful has been the shift in our community's mindset. Words like 'accessible' and 'inclusive', which I'd never heard in the hallways before, filled conversations. First graders started studying and designing playgrounds in their homerooms, and brought me drawings of the special equipment they created to fit wheelchairs and oxygen tanks. Fourth graders 3D-printed Braille signage for the nonfiction section of our library. Parents asked how they could donate and get involved. Students began thinking more carefully about their language and their community, and started asking questions that may shape and change our school in wonderful ways.

The experience has changed my teaching, too. It showed me that if we want to see buy-in an engagement from our learners, we need to give them real tasks that matter, and that make a difference in their world. Connecting with the greater Charlottesville community sparked astonishing passion in my students, who are capable of so much more than I give them credit for. And it brought me back to the realization that lead me to librarianship in the first place: stories can change everything. Our year working with Out of My Mind and Bennett's Village changed the collective heart and mindset of our school, and brought out the leadership and empathy in each one of our students.

And it all started with a book.

I've had many parents reach out and ask - what will our Family Book Club read next year? I'm not sure yet. But whatever we choose... I can't wait to see where that story will take us.

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20,000 Pennies: How a Book Club Transformed our School Community

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This article was published on Nerdy Book Club on June 24, 2019. You can read in its original format here. I stood in the middle of the room and listened to the sound of more than 20,000 pennies clinking and jingling around me. To my left, a fourth grade student helped her first grade buddy to...

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What is a literature-based makerspace?

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Hi! I just read your post on the Nerdy Book Club blog. You mention a "literature based makerspace." What is that?? That sounds so cool!

A literature based makerspace is, quite simply, a makerspace that's inspired by a piece of literature! Do you remember that feeling you used to get when you were a kid, when you'd be so excited after reading a book you loved, that it felt like you had glitter running through your veins? Most of us never really grow out of that feeling - we're just taught that if we're real readers, we must celebrate the books that we love in serious, scholarly ways like annotated essays and lengthy discussions. But a great story can light up amazingly creative and whimsical parts of the brain, and providing an avenue that empowers a reader to turn that joy and creativity into something concrete can make a lasting impact on their relationship with reading.

I love creating surprising and engaging experiences inspired by books, because they help learners with all different strengths to connect to literature and see themselves as readers. Traditional book clubs can be engaging and exciting for readers who love discussion, but some students share their ideas and expertise best through art, writing, or movement. Literature based or themed makerspaces remind students that books are more than just text on a page - they are their own worlds, and they can unlock worlds within us. When we provide the time, space, and materials, books can inspire amazing things from the readers that love them.

Like all great library programs, creating a makerspace inspired by literature starts with finding the perfect book. In my experience, it's all about finding a quirky and unique book that pushes and inspires readers to think outside of the box, and leaves them itching to make something. When a text leaves a reader feeling creative, all a librarian or teacher needs to do is make space and time for that creativity to shine. To see some of the books that have inspired us, check out the literature based makerspace examples below.

Running a book club or makerspace by yourself is tricky, and finding support in your community to bring your vision to life can really help. I'm lucky enough to work with our amazing K-8 Computer Science Coordinator, Kim Wilkens, on most of my wacky makerspace ideas. Ms. Wilkens' knowledge in making and integrating artistic computer science is unparalleled - from LED circuits to creating songs with Python, she has a bottomless toolbox for kids to create with. If you have an Educational or Instructional Technology specialist or Computer Science expert in your school, make a connection - it's a relationship that can add so much student engagement and empowerment to your activities. ( No ET/IT/CS expert in your school? Become the expert yourself! Integrating computer science principles and activities into your curriculum is much easier than it sounds, and well worth your time.)

From there, creating a literature themed makerspace is similar to creating regular library programming, with a bit of a creative twist. With your book in mind, choose your audience and make your plans. Are you an elementary school librarian whose story inspires students to create with paint, clay, or Legos? A middle school teacher looking to build off of the enthusiasm of a text with cardboard and duct tape? Have a group of high schoolers inspired by a book to create art or music with digital tools? The possibilities are endless. If you're in need of supplies, consider asking your school community to help you collect (this works great with cardboard, Legos, and other easy-to-find materials). Set the stage for a certain type of making, or leave doors completely open for students to create. Open your space for makers to work, or choose a date in the future and act as a gallery for their projects. Invite other students or families to be an authentic audience, or put them on display in a community space. No matter what direction you take, a makerspace inspired by a book can change the way your students see both reading and computer science (win-win!).

(This makerspace model inspires students to work outside of school, and then celebrates their creations during class or book club time.)
6th grade students read the graphic novel Cardboard, by Doug TenNapel. After reading this quirky tale of bewitched cardboard bringing creatures and structures to life, Ms. Wilkens and I challenged sixth graders to make their own unique creations out of cardboard. We kept a giant pile of cardboard on the display in the library for students to use and offered storage and workspace in the library, but most of the students' work took place at home. The week before our meeting, we offered two specific makerspace meeting times for students to work on their creations, including cool computer science add-ons with hands-on help from us. At our actual book club meeting, we had a gallery of student work to look through, touch, and play with as we discussed the book and all of the exciting things it inspired us to make.

(This makerspace model gives students time to create during school with help from teachers, and then invites family and friends to share their creations in an evening event.)
5th graders read The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. The creepy and wonderful text inspired Ms. Wilkens and I to offer students a challenge: Can we transform the library into a haunted cemetery and throw a Halloween party for our community? To pull this off, we took advantage of creative and student-lead time built into our school schedule, called FABLab. Students had one hour per week for the entire fall semester to make pieces of their haunted cemetery, with myself, Ms. Wilkens, and two fabulous art teachers leading the way. Some projects took shape in the art room, like a life-size cardboard coffin complete with real hinges, and a giant spiderweb decorated with splattered black-light paint. Others came to life in the CS lab, like a floor piano that screamed when activated, or a drumset made of tombstones that played ghoulish groans and sounds (both made with Makey-Makey). Students also created activities like a Musical Scares game and a mini-haunted house in our library's treehouse, while teachers also lead stations during the evening event, like a spooky readaloud and a costume photobooth. Our Haunted Library event was the perfect way to show off all of the amazing work that students created, and it drew more than 200 guests (most in costume!) the night before Halloween.

(This makerspace model puts students in charge of creating a book club makerspace experience for another audience. Students create both in and outside of school, with an event that can take place any time.)
5th grade students read A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle, and used the classic novel as a jumping-off point to create an out-of-this-world book club experience for 4th grade readers. Brainstorming and planning for their book club took place during library time, while most of the making happened at home. Students worked in groups according to the projects they wanted to complete - including a tesseract tunnel, craft stations, and an It-inspired Escape Room - and it was their responsibility to bring their visions to life. Preparation for our book club took us about three weeks, meeting once or twice per week. The book club event took place over about an hour during the school day.

(This makerspace model invites students to take the spark ignited by a book and use it to carefully plan and create something amazing. Students create during school over the course of a semester or unit.)
The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown, also inspired a makerspace last year. After middle school students ran a Wild Robot makerspace and computer science event for families (see more here), they still wanted more - so we invited students to participate in a FABLab experiment called Robots in the Wild. Our group met once per week over the course of a trimester to create a variety of Wild Robot- inspired projects. On our final meeting day, students presented their projects to each other and to the camera, and we were able to share our video with families and friends.

Hopefully that helps answer your question! Have another question for me? Shoot me an email, and I might feature it in an upcoming Behind the Shelves post.

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Behind the Shelves: What is a Literature Based Makerspace?

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Hi! I just read your post on the Nerdy Book Club blog. You mention a "literature based makerspace." What is that?? That sounds so cool! -Emily A literature based makerspace is, quite simply, a makerspace that's inspired by a piece of literature! Do you remember that feeling you used to get when you were a kid,...

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12 Days of Tech-Mas 2017

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Those few short weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas... does Luckily, there is one sure-fire way to increase student engagement while providing students with worthwhile educational experiences: computer science. So K-8 Computer Science Coordinator Kim Wilkens and I came together again this year to offer The Twelve Days of Tech-Mas, a mini-computer science intensive for students in grades K-6 (click anyone do their best work at this time? If my own distraction and forgetfulness are any indication, we are all struggling to hold it together under the twinkly lights. With our six-day rotation cycle at St. Anne's, I only get to see students in the library three or four times between breaks - and with sugarplums and candy canes dancing in their heads, that short hour or two that we get together can feel like a waste of time. here to check out last year's Tech-Mas fun!).

There are many engaging Hour of Code resources for the Computer Science Education week happening December 4-10. However, this year, we found ourselves with students that were beyond what the Hour of Code could offer. Through our integrated computer science program, summer programs, and many computer science options for electives and school clubs, our students needed a bigger challenge. So we decided to go with a theme that would be new and exciting for them: robotics.

The idea was born from a book. When I finished Peter Brown's illustrated novel The Wild Robot last year, I put it in a safe place until I found the perfect group of students to share it with. And this year's smart, computer-savvy, literature-loving fifth graders turned out to be the perfect group. So to mix two of their favorite things, Ms. Wilkens and I teamed up to offer a book club with a twist: a robotics-themed Makerspace, open to the entire school, designed and run by 5th grade book club members. To get other students on board and drum up interest, we linked the Twelve Days of Tech-Mas' robotics theme with the upcoming Makerspace. From signage to lessons to games and activities, our library became all robots, all the time!

Instead of creating lesson plans, we approached most of the activities with the kids as engineer explorers, helping us all learn more about robotics. We often kicked things off with something Kim likes to call the "hole in the wall learning". Inspired by Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the wall" project, the idea is to get students hands-on with the robotics as soon as possible and let them figure out how to test it through trial and error activity. It means the library is loud, messy, and full of empowered students making excellent mistakes.

Here's how it worked: Fifth grade students read The Wild Robot outside of school and attended robotics workshops during their library time, spending hands-on time with each robot. Eventually, they chose the platform that they would most like to master and help younger engineers learn. Meanwhile, students in grades K-4 and grade 6 would experience robotics activities and challenges during their library time. Each grade had opportunities to try different platforms with different challenges. Kindergarteners used the Fisher Price Code-a-Pillar to bring Eric Carle's classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, to life. After reading The Giant Jam Sandwich, first graders used BeeBots to complete a course of challenges related to the book. Both K and 1 also got the chance to use LittleBits to create circuits that light up, move, buzz, and more. Second graders wrote original hero stories and then animated and narrated them using Scratch Jr. Third and fourth grade explored with Spheros and Ozobots, worked with Lego Mindstorms, and got a peek behind the scenes remixing digital holiday cards with Mozilla's awesome online tool, Thimble. Finally, fifth graders were asked to don their engineer hats and explore it all - Code-a-pillar, BeeBot, Spheros, Ozobots and Lego Mindstorm Robotics - in preparation for their Makerspace.

Along with hands-on robotics practice, fifth grade students had other challenges to consider when planning the Makerspace. We asked them to consider: who will be attending? What kind of directions and assistance will they need? What kinds of challenges will kindergarten guests need, versus 8th graders? What will you do if the technology fails? If students don't listen to directions? Makerspace planners had to step outside of their typical role as students and think as teachers and engineers ( and marketers! ). Their hard work paid off. Bright and early the morning of the Makerspace (and we mean early - we had to send students away for arriving before 7:30!), nearly 100 students gathered in the library to share their excitement as 5th graders used their expertise to teach and mentor the rest of the school. They lead classmates of all ages through a wide range of challenges and activities. As guests moved from station to station, the fifth graders patiently repeated directions and guided users to try new things, make big mistakes, and never give up.

The Twelve Days of Tech-mas has become a treasured tradition that our students look forward to each year. For Kim and myself, it is a fun and invigorating time of collaboration, and a reminder of how much joy there is in teaching computer science and letting students explore. Providing technology activities this way allows students to test out new skills in a fun, low pressure way. It provides great opportunities to talk about growth mindset and perseverance in an environment with no competitions and no grades. Students get to relax, enjoy themselves, and learn without judgement; a true luxury in the fast-paced and often high-stakes world of education. This year's "grand finale", our robotics themed Makerspace, brought the joy and excitement to a whole new level. Additionally, it provided an authentic and meaningful opportunity for fifth graders to act as experts, empowering them to work hard and share their knowledge to help challenge and mentor younger learners. Teaching technology alone is worthwhile, but the real magic happens when students use their skills and creations to help inspire and lift others.

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Those few short weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas... does anyone do their best work at this time? If my own distraction and forgetfulness are any indication, we are all struggling to hold it together under the twinkly lights. With our six-day rotation cycle at St.

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12 Days of Tech-Mas 2018

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Each year, our 12 Days of Tech-Mas tradition has a theme (last year, we went wild for robots!) and for our third annual celebration, we decided on a Winter Wonderland theme. That meant that our computer-science filled December featured challenges, crafts, and activities all about snowflakes, snowmen, and icy excitement (and, of course, cozying up next to the digital fireplace!).

New to Tech-Mas? Here's some info from celebrations past:

Those few short weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas... does anyone do their best work at this time? If my own distraction and forgetfulness are any indication, we are all struggling to hold it together under the twinkly lights. With our six-day rotation cycle at St. Anne's, I only get to see students in the library three or four times between breaks - and with sugarplums and candy canes dancing in their heads, that short hour or two that we get together can feel like a waste of time. Luckily, there is one sure-fire way to increase student engagement while providing students with worthwhile educational experiences: computer science. So K-8 Computer Science Coordinator Kim Wilkens and I came together again this year to offer The Twelve Days of Tech-Mas, a mini-computer science intensive for students in grades K-6. Instead of creating lesson plans, we approached most of the activities with the kids as engineer explorers, helping us all learn more about robotics. We often kicked things off with something Kim likes to call the "hole in the wall learning". Inspired by Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the wall" project, the idea is to get students hands-on with the robotics as soon as possible and let them figure out how to test it through trial and error activity. It means the library is loud, messy, and full of empowered students making excellent mistakes. The Twelve Days of Tech-mas has become a treasured tradition that our students look forward to each year. For Kim and myself, it is a fun and invigorating time of collaboration, and a reminder of how much joy there is in teaching computer science and letting students explore. Providing technology activities this way allows students to test out new skills in a fun, low pressure way. It provides great opportunities to talk about growth mindset and perseverance in an environment with no competitions and no grades. Students get to relax, enjoy themselves, and learn without judgement; a true luxury in the fast-paced and often high-stakes world of education. Teaching technology alone is worthwhile, but the real magic happens when students use their skills and creations to help inspire and lift others.

We had so much fun at last year's "grand finale" Wild Robot makerspace, we had to plan another party to celebrate this year's Tech-Mas hijinks! So we invited families to join us for a Winter Wonderland Showcase before school to give engineers a chance to share their skills with family and friends. With stations for LED circuit holiday cards, Dash and Dot robots, snowflake-making sequences, BeeBot snowmen, Code-a-Pillar Hanukkah adventures, and Hour of Code challenges, computer scientists of all ages spent the morning exploring and learning together. Ms. Wilkens and I love watching empowered learners step into the drivers' seat and use their skills to teach others, so it was wonderful to see students lead their parents through crafts and activities. Thank you to all of our K-6 students and families for attending! Gathering together to try new things, make lots of mistakes, and learn from each other was the perfect way to bring our third annual Tech-Mas celebration to a close.

Check out the photos from our 12 Days of Tech-Mas Winter Wonderland Family Showcase, below. Thanks for all of your hard work, and happy holidays, engineers!

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More Tech-Mas photos, including family snapshots from our Winter Wonderland Family Showcase, below. It's the most wonderful time of the year... Tech-Mas time! Each year, our 12 Days of Tech-Mas tradition has a theme (last year, we went wild for robots!) and for our third annual celebration, we decided on a Winter Wonderland theme.

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Coding websites for kids

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Top 21 Free & Paid Coding Websites for Kids

Teaching kids to code can be a difficult job for parents and educators, especially if they don't know how to code themselves. There are various options out there and it is wise to explore a bit before making a decision on the best coding language to start with and the suitable curriculum for your child.

It's very important to hook kids' interest from the very beginning. Otherwise, they might get the wrong impression about coding and perceive it as boring.

Luckily for non-techy parents, there are many free kids coding websites that specialize in teaching kids the ABCs of computer programming. After a week or two of working through these programs, your kids can be taught how to build functioning apps, games, and websites and have a lot of fun in the process.

With today's resources, basic computer programming is now fairly easy to master. Even five-year-olds can pick up the fundamentals of code through visual block interfaces.

Programming is nothing more than telling your computer what to do in a language that the machine understands. Most children understand that and that's why it's so easy for them to pick up the skill and start writing functional code in no time.

All you have to do is guide your kids in the right direction. If money's an issue, you don't have to sweat it. There are many decent online resources that give away basic programming knowledge for free.

In this article Top 5 Free Kids Coding Websites of All Time, we list some of the very best free resources for teaching youngsters to code.

As a special bonus, we are also including a free CodaKid Roblox coding tutorial that will teach your child Lua programming while creating an amazing custom game for Roblox Studio.

Without further ado, here we go:

1. Scratch (Recommended for Ages 6 to 12)

Apart from being a simple and great solution for newbies to pick up the fundamentals of coding, the thing that really makes Scratch so great for up-and-coming coders is its community. Kids learn to code in Scratch by building projects and sharing them with other players online.

Scratch has a huge and extremely active community, with over 15 million registered users. Anyone can join in and participate, as long as they play by the rules and communicate in a friendly and respectful manner with other community members.

For those who are just starting, Scratch has a rich Wiki segment and an active forum on the site that contains a lot of information about the programing language itself, the website, and history of Scratch. These make great and powerful sources of information for scripts and tutorials. They are mainly edited and maintained by the users, a.k.a. "Scratchers", who frequently update it with useful content.

Another great thing about the Scratch platform is the fact that it makes it mandatory for users to store their creations and code sequences on the Scratch server. This makes it easy for beginners to see how advanced users play with Scratch and what they need to do to get to their level.

What we especially love about Scratch is that the platform has a brilliant way of allowing kids to be creative while learning important coding concepts. Kids make creative decisions about nearly aspect of the games that they create on the Scratch platform, including choice of backgrounds, user player appearance, speed, controls, sound, and more!

2.Code.org (Recommended for Ages 4 to 15)

is now one of the most popular sites that offers free coding for kids. Known for its comprehensive search engine through which you can find relevant local courses across the globe, there are also online tutorials available, wich last between 15 hours and 20 hours on average. These are suitable for children of all ages and include game-like interactive lessons and even exclusive videos brought to you by and Mark Zuckerberg .

In my personal opinion, Code.org is a great resource for newbies. Apart from making it easy for kids to get a grip on the basics, this site also has a lot of content that's perfectly suited for students who are interested in acquiring more advanced computer science and programming skills.

With materials available in dozens of different languages, the main goal of this website is to simplify the process of learning how to code and make it accessible for anyone to master computer science from the comfort of their home. Code.org wants to bring computer programming into daily life of kids from every corner of the world.

From app development, to game creation and web design - Code.org covers it all. The site has courses that feature characters from popular coding games like Star Wars and Minecraft. This motivates students to pay more attention to the lessons. The site even has resources dedicated to helping youngsters learn how to programme using robots (e.g. LEGO Mindstorm).

The thing I really like about Code.org is that it has both tech and non-tech content for learning the fundamentals of programming. The courses on the site are arranged by grades, so that students don't end up choosing tutorials that are either too hard or too easy for them. Every achieved milestone is rewarded with a certificate, which is quite neat because it provides encouragement. Also, they can show those certificates to their parents and get additional support and praise for their achievements.

Code.org is a solid site for teaching youngsters to code. If your kid is interested in learning coding, Code.org has a great series of courses that teach 6-year-olds the basics of computer science. Each course is made up of a number of puzzles, videos, and activities. At the end of each course, your kid will be able to build games and interactive stories.

3. CodeCombat (Recommended for Ages 10+)

CodeCombat provides kids with an immersive combination of RPG gameplay and text-based coding drills. The free version provides a fun intro to computer science covering basic sytax, arguments, strings and more.

CodeCombat is used in many schools, and allows teachers without coding experience to teach text-based coding.

Similar to the approach used by Code.org and Swift Playgrounds, most CodeCombat missions involve giving your character the proper commands to guide the user's character through a variety of puzzles, mazes, and other challenges.

CodeCombat has a paid version that unlocks game development, web development, and more advanced computer science modules. The website uses a proprietary text editor that allows students to learn the foundations of languages such as Python, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS.

What I like most about CodeCombat are the beautiful RPG maps, styled art assets, and immersive sound effects.

What I inherently don't like about closed platform courses like these are that students are forced down very rigid paths, hampering their creativity.

Still there is much to like about CodeCombat, and the community of developers who have contributed to the platform have made something very special.

4. Codecademy (Recommended for Ages 14+)

This website offers separate courses on a number of topics. You can start anywhere you like and work your way up or down the list. For example, you can start with learning the basics of web development in HTML & CSS, and then, once your skills progress, work your way up to JavaScript, SQL, and other more complex coding languages.

Access to Codeacademy's courses is free, but as I've already mentioned above - the free ride has its limits. If you want to get more than just the basics, you need to upgrade to the paid version. The paid PRO track adds a personalized learning plan where users can put their knowledge to the test through interactive projects and quizzes.

Codeacademy teaches the syntax of programming, but it doesn't teach kids how to apply it. Once your kids learn something new and complete a challenge - they'll never really revisit the topic or get another challenge where that particular knowledge can be applied to solve a problem.

For kids who are just learning the basics of coding, Codeacademy has a lot of helpful features on the site. It has a great forum community, huge programming language glossary, and an active blog. It can be a great start, but you need to provide your kids will additional content if you want them to become top coders.

5. Khan Academy (Recommended for Ages 14+)

Khan Academy is an extremely popular education website and app that allows users to learn almost anything for free. It has a giant library of more than 3000 educational videos that cover topics from math, biology, chemistry, physics, finance and history, to computer science and engineering.

The website promotes hands-on knowledge on JavaScript, HTML/CSS and SQL with a great number of lessons and exercises. The videos are usually short and to the point. They are generally helpful and full of practical tips that will get students from point A to point B.

The content itself is presented in a nonchalant, yet engaging manner, so that students don't get bored while watching the videos. Students can download videos or specific lists and watch them at their own pace. Videos also include subtitles which users can adjust to their liking.

To use Khan Academy, you don't even need an account. The Academy is available to everyone in the world with a decent Internet connection.

The only downsides:

video markup tends to be a little awkward at times

some catalogs have gaps

the mobile app is limited to just playing videos

But all in all - Khan Academy has a lot of things to offer. With its ever-growing repository of free video tutorials and exercises, users can improve their existing knowledge of specific topics and explore new categories of interest.

If you're trying to teach your older kids the bare essentials of coding, Khan Academy is probably one of the best resources for that!

Once they log in, kids can easily choose courses that best suit their preferences and track their progress on their own dashboards. Students can rate videos, leave comments, and communicate with other people who are attending the same course.

6. Code Monster

Code Monster will help you introduce your kids to Javascript programming through a fun and interactive session with a friendly monster graphic who will walk them through the entire process step by step.

The structure is simply two boxes, one which is where the code will go and the other which will display the result.

The great thing about the simple program is that it is instantly gratifying and shows the potential results of coding immediately, spiking the interest of young coders and making it much easier for them to understand the purpose.

Really the only downside to Code Monster is that it is a very simple program and will likely need to be used in addition to some of the other great options on this list rather than standing on its own.

7. Blockly (Ages 8+)

Blockly is made up of a series of games geared towards teaching programming. These educational games are mostly designed for kids without prior experience in the world of computer programming.

The goal is for kids to solve fun and tricky puzzles through a drag-and-drop function in order to create a story to solve a problem.

By the end of the games, students will be prepared and ready to use conventional text-based languages in future coding endeavors.

Much like with programs like Code Monster, kids will be able to see the results of their programming solutions immediately, helping them to fully understand the wonders of coding in a real and rewarding way.

8. Tynker

is a popular program that we have had the pleasure of exploring in depth before , so this is a great option when looking for new educational resources in the world of coding.

This is a flexible website that allows kids to move at their own pace, so it's great for students of any coding level or learning ability. It also consists of many tutorials and lessons that help kids learn understand pretty much any area of coding, including things like applications, games or website pages.

Mainly, Tynker works with interlocking blocks of code like many other educational coding resources. This is one of the reasons it is perfect for so many different ability levels and can be understood easily by beginners.

The courses are well designed and broken up by age group so that you will have no issues knowing where to start with the kids in your life (and it will grow along with them as they develop and are ready for more complicated material).

The website is free but also has a subscription option that can take the experience to the next level, so you are able to test it out and see how much you are willing to commit after knowing how well it fits you and your child. You can choose monthly, yearly or lifetime subscriptions, too, so it really is up to your personal situation and desire for commitment.

9. CodeMoji (Ages 6-14)

CodeMoji's computer science curriculum is marketed towards schools and parents alike and gives students in grades 1-8 fantastic resources for learning the basics of coding and web development (HTML, CSS, Javascript).

The program is fun and comprehensive, making it easy to encourage students to keep up with it and make the most out of the educational experience. Kids will be able to do things like create their own websites, animations and more, giving room for fun and dynamic project assignments they could tackle.

The unique and adaptable learning platform consists of interactive lessons that helps them appreciate the same emojis they are very familiar with on a personal and educated level by using them to substitute for HTML or CSS codes.

When education is structured in a fun and aesthetic manner such as this, kids will often forget that they are doing something educational and productive altogether and just enjoy themselves instead.

10. Thimble

Simply put, it is an online code editor that makes it simple and easy to create and publish unique web pages all while learning the most common languages like HTML, CSS and Javascript.

The whole idea behind Thimble is to allow kids to learn by doing. It is a project-based learning module that will allow kids to choose between starting brand new projects or updating existing ones. This hands-on approach makes it a great tool and resource for kids who already have exposure to coding and are ready to practice it and see what they can do.

Once students begin their projects, they will see a split screen that shows both the raw coding they are completing and a draft of the output. Once they complete their projects, they can proudly share them online.

11. Code Wars (Ages 14+)

This website gives students a platform for coding competition to give an exciting and competitive edge to an otherwise solitary learning experience. There are a variety of coding languages to choose from, giving students the ability to either practice one they feel a little less confident in or really stretch their coding muscles with their favorites.

Challenges are available for CoffeeScript, JavaScript, Python, Java, Ruby, Clojure, C# (C Sharp) and Haskell. The first step in a war is to choose one of these languages and prove your skill. This allows the program to provide a ranking for the coder and assign an opponent of equal skill level. Once a challenge is completed, the student can access other various solutions by different coders who have attempted the same challenge. The fun part about coding is just how much these solutions might vary with specifics!

By competing, students have a new fun element introduced into their coding education. By being able to analyze the different solutions that other coders find to challenges, they are able to expand upon their own knowledge and diversify their approach to future challenges both within this program and in the real world of computer science.

12. Code Avengers (Ages 5-15+)

Code Avengers offers a series of no-cost intro classes surrounding topics such as building web pages, creating apps and developing games. The curriculum is self-paced and text-based and prompts kids to work through lessons, debug code and complete challenges.

Another great feature is that if kids hit a snag in their coding process and can't figure out the solution they are looking for, there is access to limited online support and an option to e-mail technical support if they still have problems.

There is a seven-day free trial that grants a student access to the first five lessons in each course, giving plenty to work with if you are just looking to try things out for free.

If you like what you see and want access to the rest of the lessons, you can register for a no-commitment monthly plan for $29/month or a six-month plan for $150.

Regardless of what you do, Code Avengers is great for covering the basics for younger and older students alike. The younger students can focus on learning while the older students can focus on creating, giving a range of opportunity no matter where a student is in their computer science journey.

13. Kodable (Ages 4-11)

For a program that has a dedicated focus on younger students, Kodable is a fantastic, full-fledged curriculum to help them build a strong foundation.

For students as young as kindergarteners, there are lessons on basic programming logic that they will then be able to build upon all the way through around fifth grade. By the end of the program, they can be expected to confidently write using JavaScript code.

Kodable is organized as a classroom curriculum and is often used in schools for this reason, but there are also personal plans available if you are parent looking to boost your child's exposure to coding education or simply want to get them a little more help to advance the progress they are already making in more strictly academic settings.

For the sake of classroom environments, each unit includes a teacher's script along with an unplugged activity and an independent activity to place part of the learning experience solely in the student's hands. Finally, they also include some form of assessment or quiz so that you can keep track of the student's progress and see where they may need additional attention.

All plans come with a 7-day free trial and are available on iOS devices, so you can feel free to try it out and see if it works for you before making any sort of financial commitment. If you do decide that you want to take that leap, though, this is absolutely one of the more affordable options as well.

14. LightBot (All Ages)

The low-cost programming apps provided by LightBot are available for all ages, so it can benefit a range of different students at different levels in their coding journey.

To get an idea of how it works, LightBot is a puzzle game that is completely based on coding, promoting the problem-solving side of it in a fun and exciting way. Since it's a fun logic game, it is almost secretly teaching you since it can be really easy to forget that it's an educational program in the first place!

LightBot teaches a range of things, including sequencing, overloading, procedures, recursive loops and conditionals.

The game was designed by full-time coders, so they personally know which aspects of coding are most important to learn at which stage in the process. Plus, they will know better than anyone how to make it a fun experience for kids to really tinker with and enjoy.

It's played by millions of kids worldwide and is even used in many classrooms by teachers who have discovered it, so it's definitely worth checking out and becoming a part of the community!

15. Stencyl

Stencyl is inspired by the same snapping blocks system introduced by Scratch, so it's safe to say that it follows a pretty popular path in terms of teaching strategy. This software allows students to create simple and fun games for iOS, Android, Mac, Linux, Flash and Windows systems.

Though the basis of Stencyl is the snapping block structure, there is also the ability to type code for additional practice in text-based areas. Ultimately, there is a range of educational material available so that students of varying skill levels can benefit from it.

If you are looking to add Stencyl to a classroom curriculum, you aren't alone! This is a very common tool that used by teachers nowadays to the point where you can even download a free Educator's Kit to really make the most out of it.

While there are free options for people who are simply curious or are on a budget, there are also paid pro plans for students who may be a little more serious or who want to extend their education beyond the initial offerings.

16. Code Monkey (Ages 9+)

Code Monkey is another great source to teach coding to kids through online games. It is typically most appropriate for students who are in fourth grade or higher, but it is still definitely appropriate for beginners in general.

The overall objective of Code Monkey for the coder is to start off with helping a monkey gather bananas and working through a series of challenges that eventually grants the player the skills required to make their own game.

The program uses a text-based editor to teach the player CoffeeScript, a language that will make it much easier to learn JavaScript further down the line when they are more experienced and comfortable with the world of coding.

The ultimate goal of code monkey by the time students complete it is that they will have the skills required to start their journey with their own game development, an area that will definitely be exciting to kids.

Code Monkey does have annual subscription fee, but it also offers a free trial for anyone who wants to test it out before fully committing. For teachers, there is a special subscription that gives access to 32 lesson plans, three challenge workshops and access to an online Google group that will help immensely with their in-class curriculum.

17. CodeWizardsHQ (Ages 11+)

The 12-part curriculum introduces students to HTML and CSS, both of which will be valuable in web development and design. It also introduces them to JavaScript, WordPress, App Development, Python, Responsive Design, Git and MySQL.

Classes meet online once a week and last one hour. They offer students the flexibility to choose between independent and solitary work or group efforts on projects and assignments. The best part is that every student will have direct access to an experienced instructor whenever they need particular help.

The remote nature of the program provides additional flexibility in that classes can be attended and completed from anywhere with internet access, making it something students can complete as a part of their class or as an additional, after-school activity.

Each part of the curriculum takes around three months to complete, so the total plan can keep students busy and learning for three years by the time they reach the end!

Once they do reach the end, kids will finally learn how to code actual apps and put their creativity to use with a tangible product as the end-result.

18. GameBlox (Ages 13+)

Ultimately, GameBlox is a game editor that gives anyone the opportunity to make games. It is free and doesn't require a download, plus it allows you to make games that you can play both on the site and on your mobile device.

Most coding resources geared towards older students will be text-based, so having a blocks-based option helps students who are simultaneously older and at a beginner's level in the process.

The "Make a Game" button will take the coder straight to the editing screen where they can then click on "Help" to find five tutorials that will help them begin. Beyond this, there isn't much instruction which is why it is less helpful for younger students who may find this to be a lot more frustrating.

If students do struggle with the lack of direction, there is an online forum on the website where people can post and answer questions to help each other grow. Additionally, video aid can be found on YouTube.

This resource is available for both iOS and Android, so students need not feel limited by their devices and operating systems!

19. Pluralsight/Code School (Ages 14+)

Formerly known as Code School, Pluralsight offers access to a wide array of educational options tailored to more mature students.

On the website's homepage is a conveniently located group of four informational boxes neatly explaining the primary areas of Pluralsight's functions: Skill Assessments, Paths, Channels, and Courses.

Using the website's Pluralsight IQ software, a student can quickly and easily determine which areas need the most work, allowing for a more personalized learning experience.

The Pluralsight path system showcases a real-world "skill tree," helping to ensure that students have a clearly defined lesson plan that they can follow without having to pay the high prices of a personal tutor.

Pluralsight's channels system enables the student to gather together all of the content that they have bookmarked as important in one convenient location for easy continued access.

Each course is led by experts in their respective coding fields and contains hours of entertaining and informative material. The three primary areas of education offered on Pluralsight are software development, IT ops, and information and cyber security.

Although these functions are locked behind a monthly recurring subscription payment of $35 or an annual payment of $299, Pluralsight does allow a 10-day free trial, during which the students will have access to all of the information that Pluralsight has to offer.

20. Vidcode (Ages 10+)

is a great option for instructors teaching coding as well as for students at the tailend of elementary school and beyond.

More specifically, it is geared primarily towards teenage girls who are at the beginning of their computer science journey.

The program has coders use JavaScript to learn coding concepts and skills as they produce content like motion graphics and videos. Much like some other resources listed here, students will be able to see a thumbnail of the video they are making as they code so they can compare the text and the output side by side.

One projects are completed, they can be shared on social media or in the Vidcode online community, making it a great resource for students to use after school in their free time or as a part of their academic curriculum.

Vidcode gives options for users by offering a limited free version that includes the software, beginner tutorials and access to the online community as well as a tiered annual subscription system that gives access to additional projects, lesson plans and overall curriculum for more serious users.

21. CodaKid (Ages 7-15)

CodaKid teaches kids real coding through professional tools by assigning fun and exciting projects on platforms like Minecraft and Roblox. Projects can include things like Minecraft modding, Roblox game development, game programming with Python, app development with Javascript, web development with HTML/CSS and much more.

The way that CodaKid imparts these lessons is through fun and exciting video tutorials that students can browse at their own pace, making it ideal for any student regardless of their level or ability to commit.

Best of all, while most of these resources are only web-based, CodaKid is part web-based and part client-based, so the content will partially be downloaded onto your computer and be in your possession. Because of this, students will be able to keep the software, tools and projects forever, making it lifetime investment.

CodaKid gives kids the genuine feeling that they themselves are real software engineers and game developers, a sentiment that goes a long way and feels incredibly satisfying for kids of all ages (especially if they are particularly techy).

Though different platforms will suit some students better than others, CodaKid is ahead in terms of granting creative opportunity to kids who really like to implement their own ideas into the work that they do. Plus, it's an affordable investment for all of the support and quality education you receive!

Free Kids Coding Websites - Wrap Up

In today's world, almost everyone agrees that coding is an important skill that will give children a leg up in tomorrow's world. The free resources above provide an excellent introduction to coding.

If you have any resources that you think we've forgotten from Top 5 Free Kids Coding Websites, we'd love to hear from you! Please leave comments below!

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Top 21 Free & Paid Coding Websites For Kids

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Teaching kids to code can be a difficult job for parents and educators, especially if they don't know how to code themselves. There are various options out there and it is wise to explore a bit before making a decision on the best coding language to start with and the suitable curriculum for your child.

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Robotics in Elementary Classrooms

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How Robotics is Transforming STEM in Elementary Schools | Getting Smart

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Julia Dweck's classroom in Macungie, PA looks more like a production studio than your typical elementary school. Students from different grade levels are working together in small groups, scribbling angles and math formulas on the whiteboard, writing a storyboard script for a video, cutting out colorful construction paper figures, and creating code on their iPad for a robot named .

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Coding apps for kids

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ScratchJr is a free coding app for young children. With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.

Children snap together graphical programming blocks to make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. Children can modify characters in the paint editor, add their own voices and sounds, even insert photos of themselves -- then use the programming blocks to make their characters come to life.

As young children code with ScratchJr, they learn how to create and express themselves with the computer, not just to interact with it. In the process, children learn to solve problems and design projects, and they develop sequencing skills that are foundational for later academic success. They also use math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, supporting the development of early-childhood numeracy and literacy. With ScratchJr, children aren't just learning to code, they are coding to learn.

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10 Best Coding Apps for Kids (2019) - Educational App Store

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ScratchJr is a free coding app for young children. With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer. Children snap together graphical programming blocks to make characters move, jump, dance, and sing.

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TechAdvocate

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MakerEd

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Makerspaces.com

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Learn how to start and run a Makerspace | Hands on STEM Education

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We help schools and libraries start and run makerspaces. Free resources, makerspace projects, makerspace ideas & tips. Project based STEM learning

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Code.org

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We've compiled a list of all of our unplugged lessons for you to use in your classroom. Now you can teach the fundamentals of computer science, whether you have computers in your classroom or not!

We refer to lessons in which students are not working on a computer as "unplugged." Students will often work with pencil and paper or physical manipulatives. These are intentionally placed kinesthetic opportunities that help students digest complicated concepts in ways that relate to their own lives.

Unplugged lessons are particularly useful for building and maintaining a collaborative classroom environment, and they are useful touchstone experiences you can refer to when introducing more abstract concepts. Each of these activities can either be used alone or with other computer science lessons on related concepts.

Ages 4+, English only

Course

Lesson Plan

Concept

Video

Loops

Impacts of Computing

Course C

Sequencing

Loops

C.15 - Binary Bracelets
*Supplies: Markers. Optional - 18 black/18 white beads, 1 pipe cleaner per student
Binary is extremely important in the world of computers. The majority of computers today store all sorts of information in binary form. This lesson helps demonstrate how it is possible to take something from real life and translate it into a series of ons and offs.

Binary

Impacts of Computing

Digital Citizenship

Course F

Variables

For Loops

The following lessons are organized by concept and can be found in earlier versions of our CS Fundamentals courses. Additional resources you may want to consult as you plan to use these lessons include:

Digital Citizenship
Crowdsourcing

*Common Sense Education has a full Digital Citizenship Curriculum that includes many unplugged activities.

Functions

Functional Suncatchers
In this lesson, students will make a suncatcher out of string, beads, and a special charm. The students will follow a series of repetitive steps, then be asked to identify certain sets of "skills" that are duplicated several times. Once those skills are defined, they will be called from a main program and the whole beautiful process of creation will be recorded on a single sheet of paper. The final program will be geared toward the entire class, whatever their type of string, beads, and charms. To effectively allow for this, students will need to "abstract out" the details of their specific materials and create vague terms for an individual's supplies. This use of generic placeholders is a wonderful introduction to variables.

Lesson Video
See Lesson in Action
Activity Answer Key Assessment Answer Key

Algorithms

Dice Race
In this lesson, students will relate the concept of algorithms back to real-life activities by playing the Dice Race game. The goal here is to start building the skills to translate real-world situations to online scenarios and vice versa.

Computational Thinking

Computational Thinking with Monsters
With nothing but paper and markers, students will learn the four steps of computational thinking. After a brief introduction, students should be split into groups where they will have to create directions for other students to draw a specific monster (from a catalog of pre-selected monsters). The entire task must be decomposed, then teams will analyze all monsters in the catalog for patterns, abstract similar details from the monsters, then use that information to create an algorithm (directions) for another team to draw a certain monster. Teams will then switch algorithms with another group and draw the monster based on what that algorithm indicates. Is the drawing what the original team intended?

Persistence

Building a Foundation
New and unsolved problems are often pretty hard. If we want to have any chance of making something creative, useful, and clever, then we need to be willing to attack hard problems even if it means failing a few times before we succeed. In this lesson, students will be building a structure with common materials. The structure will be tested on its ability to hold a textbook for more than ten seconds. Most students will not get this right the first time, but it's important they push through and keep trying.

Abstraction

Mad Glibs
Abstraction is one of the most important skills for a computer scientist to understand. It simplifies problems and prevents unnecessary repetition. A good coder uses abstraction just about every time she creates a program. This activity will have your students analyze stories for differences so that they can abstract them away. Those abstracted stories become templates for fun and crazy new ones.

Variables ​

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We've compiled a list of all of our unplugged lessons for you to use in your classroom. Now you can teach the fundamentals of computer science, whether you have computers in your classroom or not! We refer to lessons in which students are not working on a computer as "unplugged."

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CS Unplugged.org

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CS Unplugged is a collection of free learning activities that teach Computer Science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around.

The activities introduce students to Computational Thinking through concepts such as binary numbers, algorithms and data compression, separated from the distractions and technical details of having to use computers. Importantly, no programming is required to engage with these ideas!

CS Unplugged is suitable for people of all ages, from elementary school to seniors, and from many countries and backgrounds. Unplugged has been used around the world for over twenty years, in classrooms, science centers, homes, and even for holiday events in a park!

The material is available free of charge, and is shared under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA licence, which makes it easy to copy, adapt and share it.

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Free activities for classroom or home # CS Unplugged is a collection of free learning activities that teach Computer Science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around. The activities introduce students to Computational Thinking through concepts such as binary numbers, algorithms and data compression, separated from the distractions and technical details of having to use computers.