What if it isn't enough? Pygame is a good stop on the ladder up. But it's icon based throughout, so you shouldn't have too many problems jumping right in.
Available free for Windows XP - 10, and the Xbox 360 at a low cost.ĭo I need prior experience? A bit possibly. The types of games you can make include adventure, first-person shooters, platform, puzzle, racing, role-playing games, and strategy among others. Why Kodu? If you're looking to create games with a game controller, you've found your calling. Microsoft says it teaches creativity, problem solving, storytelling, as well as programming. Share Games." So that naturally tells you what it's for, and it's been actively updated since release in 2009 to support just that. What's it about? Created by Microsoft's Fuse Labs, Kodu Game Lab has a simply motto: "Build Games. What if it isn't enough? Try Blockly, which is similar, or move on higher to Etoys. See it this way - as you get better, it keeps up with you. Scratch is meant to introduce kids to the world of programming, but at the same time, it does have complexity and features for the more experienced ones as well.
Also, since the software is flexible enough to design simple animation, it should appeal to visual storytellers too, who aren't really interested in programming per se.ĭo I need prior experience? Not at all. And it's available in more than 40 languages. Why Scratch? For one, it works on any computer since it's online. It uses a simple yet powerful building-block approach to development which puts the focus on solving problems rather than on the syntax itself. What's it about? Developed by the folks over at MIT Media Lab, Scratch is a completely free visual programming that helps kids aged 8 and above to create interactive stories, video games, animations, music and art. Without further ado, here are five options you should consider: Some popular picks that didn't make the cut either due to being similar, outdated or being paid include Greenfoot, RoboMind and Gamestar Mechanic.
Once we had a shortlist of different picks, we tried to narrow the list down to the ones that are are the most up to date, unique, and free.
To narrow it down to five languages that provide an option for children on different stages - be it beginner or advanced - we looked at different resources such as Science Buddies, Kids Codecs and Wikipedia. There are a lot of programming languages to choose from, but not all of them are updated on a routine basis.
If you're looking for a summer project for your kids, why not teach them how to code? It's something that anyone would benefit from, and could lead to projects such as creating your own mobile apps or interactive stories. Summer is upon us, which means the vacations and your kids are looking at a good stretch of free time.