I'm looking for some online resources to help my 11-year-old son get started with coding. We live in a rural area where the schools don't prioritize computer skills, viewing them more as gaming distractions. My son is a bright student, but he's not particularly interested in coding right now. I'm not looking to overwhelm him; I just want him to have some exposure to programming beyond the basic Scratch that he's tried. I've seen CodeMonkey but it seems a bit too juvenile for him. The Odin Project looks interesting but might be too focused on web development and overwhelming. Any suggestions for beginner-friendly resources?
5 Answers
If he's not super into coding, maybe find ways to show him how programming can make things easier. I used batch files and Excel to automate tasks for my gaming back then, which made it interesting for me! Maybe find projects that relate to his interests to keep him engaged.
Exactly! Making a Minecraft mod could be a fun way to mix gaming with learning to code. It's a project he might actually enjoy.
Khan Academy has some solid coding lessons! I just started using it myself, and the content seems really engaging for kids.
I'd suggest starting with Pico 8. It's fun because it allows your son to create games while learning Lua, which is a capable programming language.
Python is a fantastic language for beginners! There are tons of resources online tailored specifically for kids. Have you checked out any Python courses yet?
Scratch is actually a great place to start, even if it seems basic. It teaches important programming concepts that will be useful later when moving on to actual coding languages.
Great point! Finding practical applications can make a big difference in how engaged he feels.