07 Jul Coding Resources for Children
Summer is a wonderful time for kids to delve into the world of computer coding. Here is a roundup of some of our favorite coding resources for children, available either at the library or online.
Books available at PGTPL
How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk
Josh Funk walks younger readers through the process of coding in his humorous picture book as Pearl and her robot, Pascal, build a sandcastle at the beach.
Coding in Scratch for Beginners by Rachel Ziter
Rachel Ziter provides nine clear step-by-step projects that give kids a good overview of Scratch.
Online Safety for Coders by Heather Lyons
It’s fun to be online, but kids and parents should talk about online safety. This book provides a good basis for a discussion about sharing personal information online.
Online Resources
Scratch: This block-coding language designed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab is among the easiest ways to learn programming. Kids can create stories, animations, and games by exploring on their own or following the tutorials provided.
CSFirst: Google designed this extensive curriculum for educators, but anyone can access a large number of one-hour to multi-day activities that provide video explanations for creating projects in Scratch.
Code.org: Code.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding students’ understanding of computer science. Through their website, kids can access full courses in coding fundamentals for pre-readers through high school. They also provide lessons in app design, and shorter Hour of Code™ projects for kids of all ages.
We hope you check out some of these great resources soon!
