CODING

The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event. One-hour tutorials are available in over 40 languages. No experience needed. Ages 4 to 104.

• DK Coding Videos (8 videos)

  1. • A) What is Computer Coding? 

     • B) How Computer Programs Work

     • C) Think Like a Computer

• What is Coding? (4th-5th)

• What is Programming? - from Kahn Academy (2min)

• PROGRAMMING for kids 👦 Basic concepts 💻 Part 1 (5min)

• PROGRAMMING for kids 👦 Basic concepts 💻 Part 2  (6min)

• History of Computer Science for Kids - Bedtime History (8min)

• History of Computers - From 1930 to Present - from Blaster Technology (7min)

Code.org - Launched in 2013, Code.org® is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science.  Their vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science.  They believe computer science should be part of core curriculum, alongside other courses such as biology, chemistry or algebra.  Code.org increases diversity in computer science by reaching students of all backgrounds where they are — at their skill-level, in their schools, and in ways that inspire them to keep learning.

1. Code.org Activities (Hour of Code) - coding activities from a variety of creators for all age levels

   • Infinity Play Lab (3rd-5th grade)

   • Ice Age - (3rd-5th grade)

   • Gumball (3rd-5th grade)

   • Make a Sports Game  (3rd-5th grade)

   • Mine Craft  (3rd-5th grade)

   • Star Wars  (3rd-5th grade)

2. Be Kids Coding - excellent site for step by step coding directions to help kids code a fun, animated world!

3. Codable  - free activities at bottom of page; Intro to Engineering; Grades 2+ / Robots and Puppies; Grades K-5 / Make Shapes with Code; Grades K-1 (Pre-Reader) / Build Your Own Kodable Fuzz / Intro to Programming; Grades K-5 (Pre-readers welcome) / Beach Cleanup; Grades K-5

   • Make Shapes with Code - (K-1) - click on arrows to create shapes in a maze; self-guided

   • Intro to Programming - (K-1) - continue coding in the Fuzzball world; self-guided

4. Tynker (Hour of Code) - Tynker is a creative computing platform where millions of kids have learned to program and built games, apps and more. As of 2025, Tynker allows 5 free levels of some of their activities before requiring registration.

   • Puppy Adventure - Grades 2 and up (requires account after 5 levels)

   • Candy Quest - Grades 2 and up (requires account after 5 levels)

5. Code Club World - (Grades 1 & up) create your own avatar, then make it dance to music you design yourself!

6. Code Monster -  Particularly good for kids, Code Monster features two adjacent boxes. One displays code, and another shows what the code does. As you play around with the code with some help from a prompt, you learn what each command does.

7. Blockly Games - Great for teaching kids to use the least number of coding blocks to complete a task! Includes Puzzle; Maze; Bird; Turtle; Movie; Music; Pond Tutor

8. Scratch - Scratch is the world’s largest coding community for children.  Scratch promotes computational thinking and problem solving skills; creative teaching and learning; self-expression and collaboration; and equity in computing.  Scratch is always free and is available in more than 70 languages.

9. Dr. Andrea Wallace's STEAM & Coding page

10. 13 Free Coding Activities

Coding workshop

Coding Explained

1. Coding for Kids Explained | What is Coding | Why is Coding Important - Code Monkey

2. PROGRAMMING for kids 👦 Basic concepts 💻 Part 1 (5min)

3. PROGRAMMING for kids 👦 Basic concepts 💻 Part 2  (6min)

4. What is Programming? - Kahn Academy (2min)

Coding Languages

5. Python Vs C++ Vs Java! - advanced explanation

6. 16 Popular Programming Languages and Their Uses Explained

7. Coding Languages - Purdue University

8. Coding Languages Infographic - King University

9. Kids Coding Languages - Essential Coding Concepts for Kids: A Guide to Programming Languages, Tools, and Online Communities (for educators)

Coding Read Alouds

1. Rox's Secret Code - A coding adventure about a brilliant inventor and her runaway robot, Rox's Secret Code aims to inspire the next generation of female leaders in STEM!

2. How to Code a Sandcastle (2018)- The main character is Pearl, and she's on a mission to create a sandcastle at the beach on her last day of summer vacation. She's brought along a robot, Pascal, to help her, and she has to use computer code to give instructions to Pascal, in order for him to help her.  Pearl explains basic computer coding concepts such as a sequence, a loop, and if-then-else in a way that's easy to grasp and fun to learn along.

3. How to Code a Rollercoaster (2019) -  Pearl and her trusty rust-proof robot, Pascal, are enjoying a day out at the amusement park. Spinning teacups, ice cream, and of course: rollercoasters! Through the use of code, Pearl and Pascal can keep track of their ride tokens and calculate when the line is short enough to get a spot on the biggest ride of them all--the Python Coaster. Variables, if-then-else sequences, and a hunt for a secret hidden code make this a humorous, code-tastic day at the amusement park!

Activities

1. Music Lab Jam Session - Make music and learn to code with Music Lab: Jam Session! Students remix tracks from artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, and Shakira while mastering coding basics such as sequencing, functions, and exploring AI-driven beat creation.

2. Create a 3D T-Rex Game - Build a T-rex dino game in 3D, while learning about the basic of game development and motion in 3D space.  Learn fundamental programming concepts like loops, conditionals, variables, and keyboard events.

3. RodoCodo Kitty Cat - Rodocodo teaches the fundamentals of coding such as sequencing, debugging, loops and functions. It also teaches techniques for solving problems.

4. Blockly Games - Blockly Games is a series of educational games that teach programming. It is designed for children who have not had much or any prior experience with computer programming. By the end of these games, kids are ready to use conventional text-based languages.

   • Puzzle is a quick introduction to Blockly's shapes and how the pieces snap together.

   • Maze is an introduction to loops and conditionals. It starts simply, but every level is more challenging!

   • Bird is a deep-dive into conditionals. Control-flow is explored with increasingly complex conditions.

   • Turtle is a deep-dive into loops. Use nested loops to paint a picture.

   • Movie is an introduction to mathematical equations. Use math to animate a movie.

   • Music is an introduction to functions. Use functions to compose music.

   • Pond Tutor introduces text-based programming. Levels switch back and forth between blocks and actual JavaScript in a text editor.

   • Pond is an open-ended contest to program the smartest duck. Use either blocks or JavaScript.

5. Code Monster -  Particularly good for kids, Code Monster features two adjacent boxes. One displays code, and another shows what the code does. As you play around with the code with some help from a prompt, you learn what each command does.

6. Microsoft "Make Code" Activities - can login w/ Montville's "Google" account.

   • "Hour of Code w/ Microsoft" (2022)

7. Design Your Name Activity - Pick a name and bring the letters of the word to life using code. Choose a nickname, a pet's name, an animal, a sport, a place or a hobby.

8. Artist - Draw cool pictures and designs with the Artist!

9. Stormy Science - learn how to code an incoming storm