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6 of the Best Free Coding Courses for Kids

There are lots of great skills that kids can learn to get ahead – but few are as fun and future-proof as coding.

This blog explores free online coding courses for children and teens, paving the way for a brighter, digitally fluent future.

It’s in high demand; over 80% of all jobs advertised in the UK now require digital skills, according to a government report. Another study shows almost a third of students see coding as a core life skill. But the UK’s tech sector is being hampered by a serious skills gap that today’s young prodigies could help fill if they have good access to learning.

Thankfully, there’s a wide range of engaging resources out there to help put them on the right path. That includes free online coding courses for kids of different ages, from primary school students to those approaching college, university and professional careers.

Whether you’re looking to kickstart their passion or you're a teacher hunting for extra learning support, we’ve rounded up six of the best options on the market below.

6 free online coding courses for children and teens

Blockly

Blocky

Ages: 8+

Free for all

Blockly by Google, as the name gives away, teaches programming principles through highly visual block-based games. It’s the ideal kids’ coding course for complete beginners, helping prepare young minds for the more traditional text-based applications they might later encounter.

The basic premise of Blockly is much like a jigsaw puzzle, tasking kids with connecting pieces in the correct order to complete a story. The difference is each piece is a block of code, and you can drag and drop them into place quickly. No more searching on hands and knees around a jigsaw board!

Blocky Programming

Photo credit: Wikipedia

There are eight games to work through in total, each with simple graphics and instructions that any child able to read and write should grasp comfortably. Some games do demand an understanding of degrees of direction, however – so basic mathematics knowledge is helpful, too.

Learn more about how to get started with Blockly on GitHub.

Scratch

Scratch

Ages: 8-16

Free for all

The Scratch platform offers another free collection of online programming courses for kids. Like Blockly, it too uses block-based visuals to instil core programming principles through a series of engaging lessons. Discover these insightful resources for educators, including tutorials, step-by-step instructions and more.

Scratch Programming

Photo credit: Scratch Wiki

Learn how to get started with Scratch and swiftly introduce it to the classroom.

Codecademy

Codecademy

Ages: 13+

Free, with paid subscription available

One of the more well-known coding resources out there, Codecademy is geared towards slightly older kids who might be starting to think about potential career paths. It offers courses on coding languages including HTML, Python, JavaScript and more.

Codeacademy offers a wide range of resources and also a broad catalogue of courses for different coding languages and various trending tech subjects.

Codecademy Programming

Photo credit: GitHub/shanoysinc

Codewars

Codewars

Ages: 14+

Free for all

Does your child or class enjoy some friendly competition? With its battle-ready name, Codewars challenges teens to pursue coding mastery by levelling up alongside other coders.

Codewars Programming

Photo credit: Codewars

Unity Learn

Unity Learn

Ages: 16+

Free for students, premium options available

Unity Learn offers a variety of training to take beginners to professional ability, helping learners see what it takes to make it in their chosen field.

Unity Learn Programming

Photo credit: Unity Learn

MakeCode

MakeCode

Ages: 6-14+

Free for all

Microsoft MakeCode is a free online learn-to-code platform where anyone can build games, code devices, and mod Minecraft!

MakeCode Programming

Photo credit: micro:bit

Give them the STEM tools they need to thrive - online coding courses for kids are powerful tools for inspiring the next generation of tech geniuses.

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