Kids & Code

Since I have two young boys who love video games and computers, I’ve been getting more acquainted with the “fun” ways to teach them code and computer skills.

Gift Ideas

STEM Toys – Amazon has a great list of STEM toys for boys and girls, can sort by age group as well!

Robotics

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 31313 – This is the full robot kit.
The Art of LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Programming (Full Color)
The LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Discovery Book (Full Color): A Beginner’s Guide to Building and Programming Robots
The LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Idea Book: 181 Simple Machines and Clever Contraptions

Learn to Code Games

Cargo-Bot
RoboLogicLE
Move the Turtle (6+)
Kodable (5+)
Lightbot
Hopscotch
Tynker
Scratch (6+)
Code Combat
Daisy the Dinosaur (5-8)
Codea (8-12)

Training/Resources

Google’s CS First – Start a computer science club at your school with help from Google!
Code.org – Many resources including a free online 20 hour intro to CS course.
Codeacademy – Free training online
Learn Java with Minecraft – Online tutorials/training for kids

Programming Books for Kids

DK Workbooks: Computer Coding
Help Your Kids with Computer Coding Brilliant, easy to follow &  fun
Minecraft Mastery: Build Your Own Redstone Contraptions and Mods – Haven’t bought this yet but it looks interesting!
Learn to Program with Minecraft: Transform Your World with the Power of Python