As the world of technology continues to progress, schools and parents have started incorporating digital learning into their kids’ curriculums. This has become essential as they want their kids to become more digitally literate and help them gain knowledge of the latest trends in technology.
One of the essential skills that is important to learn is programming for kids. Understanding the fundamentals of programming is a valuable skill and there are now fun ways to introduce it to help get kids started with it. In this blog, we will be exploring five different languages that help to make coding accessible and easy to learn for young kids.
What are the Best Programming Languages for Kids?
There are several coding and programming languages for kids out there to help them get started. We will be discussing a few of them in this blog as these seem to be the best coding & programming languages for kids to start with.
1. Scratch
Scratch is a programming language used to teach coding to kids. It has been developed by MIT and has a block-based interface which is quite interactive helping young kids to create interactive stories, animations and games without text-based code.
Scratch offers drag and drop system helps to make programming concepts simple and easy to learn. This includes learning about sequencing, loops as well as conditionals. Furthermore, scratch also equips kids with a wide array of skills such as boosting their creative minds when they create animations and stories by choosing their desired characters and colorful backgrounds.
2. Python
Another very popular coding language for kids to learn is Python. Python is a beginner-friendly language for kids to start with. It is a programming language that is used worldwide by millions of developers for multiple purposes such as web development and data science.
Moreover, python such as machine learning is a versatile and flexible language that can be good for kids who want to dive deeper into coding.
Kids can build simple games or develop web applications with Python. Even though python is a text-based language, it has a brief and straight-forward syntax which makes it beginner-friendly for children. Moving further, python empowers kids to learn meaningful code which helps them to develop problem-solving skills which are quite valuable for any field.
3. Blockly
Google developed Blockly which is a visual programming language that also offers block-based coding. Blockly uses drag and drop blocks to create code which is a similar concept to Scratch.
However, it offers unique features such as being able to generate JavaScript, Python and other languages which helps kids to advance to different levels of coding further.
Blockly is suitable for all ages because it is versatile to use and kids can create their desired animations, simulations as well as animate characters. This makes it fun for kids to learn and promotes a better, clearer understanding of programming concepts.
4. Swift Playgrounds
Swift playgrounds are a programming language that has been developed by Apple Inc. It helps kids to build apps and learn to code using swift.
Swift Playgrounds is available for iPad and Mac currently and offers engaging lessons as well as walkthroughs which promote interactive learning for kids about coding concepts.
Swift playgrounds offer a helpful feature where kids can see the real code and get instant results which motivates kids to learn more. Moreover, the 3D graphics and interactive puzzles help to hold a child’s attention span which is the most crucial point when trying to help kids learn.
5. JavaScript
Finally, we have JavaScript, the language of the internet, and it is a great way for kids to understand how websites and interactive web applications work. JavaScript may seem difficult for kids at first, but many platforms have made it easier to learn the language by making it accessible and enjoyable.
Khan Academy is an example that offers interactive tutorials and games making it easy and exciting for kids to start learning how to code.
Moreover, JavaScript is an excellent programming language to learn because it is used in real-world applications helping kids to gain hands-on experience. They can further expand on what they have learned and move on to advanced coding using JavaScript which enriches their digital learning further.
6. Lua
Lua is an open-source language that has great value as it can be applied on multiple platforms such as large servers to small mobile applications. Moreover, it can be integrated with code that is written in C as well as other languages which makes it versatile.
Lua is also the language used in Roblox, and it is recommended for kids to learn because it is the easiest language. Lua language can be used in game development which is a fun and effective way for kids to get started in learning.
Conclusion
To sum it up, there are many programming languages out there that help kids to learn how to code. The way to decide which is the best depends on what suits your child and keeps them engaged to learn more.
As a parent and teacher, you might have to explore several mediums before deciding on which one is the best for your child. This blog includes the five best coding and languages, it is meant to help you decide which language you can start with for your child whether it’s Scratch or JavaScript.
The important part is that your kids are comfortable and are excited to learn to develop skills needed for the digital world.
Another way to help your kids start learning programming languages is to enroll them in coding schools, Khired Kids is an example of an online and on-campus-based coding school that aims to motivate kids to get started on their coding journey.
Check them out to understand what teaching methodologies they use that could be suitable for your child and push them toward starting their coding journey.
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