Kids Can Program Computers Too! Check Out Some Cool Kids Tools..

Here are links to some free programming environments & tools geared towards elementary & middle school kids.  I  introduced them in the order listed:

Elementary School Age (4^th & 5^th graders) & Early Middle School (6^th grade):

• Scratch

Note: My 3^rd grade daughter plays with Scratch,  so younger kids can do it.  It just depends on the kid.   My experience at a local elementary school was that 5^th graders seem to pick it up easier than 4^th graders, but the 4^th graders got it with a little more help.   For the best way to learn Scratch using free web resources, see my Scratch Tutorial.

Middle School (6^th – 8^th grade)

• GameMaker 8.1 Lite :  Stay tuned for a GameMaker tutorial on the best way to learn GameMaker using free web resources,  but, in the meantime, here is a good book for learning GameMaker:  The Game Maker’s Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners (Book & CD)
• Alice :  Stay tuned for an Alice tutorial on the best way to learn Alice using free web resources, as well as a list of recommended book(s) for those who want to learn the old fashioned way .

Once your child has a good grasp on programming with these tools, you could introduce them to Arduino which is, basically, a programmable microprocessor/circuit board.    It’s not free ($85), but it is way COOL!  My geek momness is coming out….  We purchased ARDX – v1.3 Experimentation Kit for Arduino for my 11 year old son.  Ben had a lot of fun building and coding the blinking LED.   Coming soon…  an Arduino tutorial on the best way of learning to use and program the Arduino utilizing free web resources.