Discover thousands of inventions, take challenges, control your inventions wirelessly, connect with the global littleBits community, access step-by-step tutorials, and easily upload and share your own creations. Link – https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/littlebits-invent/id1021974711?mt=8 (FREE)
Draw a path to your next adventure with Dash! Program your robot using a single “line” of code at the racetrack, on a farm, or even an obstacle course of your own. Unlock special abilities, sounds, and animations as you go forth and explore. For ages 5 and up.
PLEASE NOTE: This app requires the Wonder Workshop robot, Dash, and a supported Bluetooth Smart/4-enabled device to play. To find out more, please visit our website: https://www.makewonder.com or an Apple Store (US, Canada). This app is FREE to play.
Link – https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/path-for-dash-robot/id928643204?mt=8
Tutorials for Scratch” brings you video tutorials to get you going making your own games in the new version of Scratch 2.0. During the videos you will be set tasks to do in scratch and hopefully you will be able to complete them on your own. These videos are targeted at primary/elementary students.
Cost – $1.39 (Canadian)
Link – https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/tutorials-for-scratch/id955314895?mt=8
With Scratch Jr, young children (ages 5-7) learn important new skills as they program their own interactive stories and games.
By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In the process, children learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer. They also use math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, supporting the development of early-childhood numeracy and literacy. With Scratch Jr, children don’t just learn to code, they code to learn.
Cost: FREE
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/scratchjr/id895485086?mt=8
Learn the basics of computer programming with Daisy the Dinosaur! This free, fun app has an easy drag and drop interface that kids of all ages can use to animate Daisy to dance across the screen. Kids will intuitively grasp the basics of objects, sequencing, loops and events by solving this app’s challenges. After playing Daisy, kids can choose to download a kit to program their own computer game.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/daisy-the-dinosaur/id490514278?mt=8
Premium School Edition of Hopscotch with all characters unlocked! Tap “related” above to find our FREE version for individuals!
Hopscotch is programming designed for everyone. Kids can use simple, intuitive building blocks to create games, animations and apps.
Program your characters to move, draw, and collide with each other, and use shaking, tilting, or even shouting at the iPad to control them.
This version of Hopscotch is made especially for schools. Teachers can create private groups allowing students to easily share and play each other’s projects. All paid characters are unlocked and there are no in-app purchases.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/hopscotch-for-schools-learn/id901455276?mt=8
Hopscotch is a drag-and-drop programming app for kids to write their own programs. Kids need to be independent readers to follow the instructions and commands and “write” their code, but there is no objectionable content.
Kids can view programs created by other kids or upload their own programs to the community, but they’re instructed not to use their real names.
Please note that you can only make games on the iPad version of Hopscotch, you can’t make games on the iPhone version.
Tutorials on website: https://www.gethopscotch.com/resources
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/hopscotch-make-games!-learn/id617098629?mt=8
Lightbot is a programming puzzle game- a game whose game mechanics require using programming logic to solve levels. Simply guiding a robot to light up tiles and solve levels using commands, Lightbot cultivates a real understanding of procedures, loops, and conditionals. Features multiple save slots and separate progress tracking for multiple players. Multiple players can advance at their own pace in their own save slot, and also compete on number of levels finished, number of stars collected and number of overall commands used to complete the game.
There are NO in-app purchases in Lightbot.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/lightbot-programming-puzzles/id657638474?mt=8
Hopscotch. 10+
Appealing interface draws in boys and girls who can share creations with online community.
Lightbot. 10+
By meeting programming goals, kids unlock new levels and learn more advanced concepts.
Mozilla Thimble. 12+
Advanced, side-by-side coder lets kids see what programming codes do as they create.
Codecademy. 13+
Interactive lessons for several programming languages offer several skill-level tracks.
CodeHS. 15+
Membership service offers instruction and examples for more advanced coders.
From Common Sense Media – https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/cool-tools-to-help-kids-learn-to-code
Younger Kids
The Foos: Code for an Hour FREE. 5+
Story-based coding game has kids play through increasingly challenging levels.
Kodable Pro. 6+
Solid beginner game that introduces coding concepts and has lots of parent resources.
ScratchJr. 6+
Kids drag and drop blocks of code, snap them together, and watch them work.
Tynker. 7+
Use either the website or app to let your kids learn coding logic through games.
Cato’s Hike. 8+
Through it’s a story-based adventure, kids learn basic coding concepts.
Scratch. 8+
After creating scripts through coding blocks, kids can share their creations online.
My Robot Friend. 9+ (not available in Canadian iTunes store)
This robot-themed coding puzzler has kids coding their way through mazes to find treasure.
