The dependence on technology that we live in today is far from disappearing. Every day we use applications of all kinds, both on the computer and on the mobile, which help us to solve our doubts, find information, get in touch with other people, play games… Bearing in mind this dependency, if our children like technology, it never hurts to see if you are interested in learning a programming language designed especially for children.
If not, learning to program expands the capabilities of the little ones and, even if they do not plan to look for a job in this environment, it can be ideal for other careers.
It is not very soon?
Children at very young ages are sponges , although it may not seem like it. When they like something, they make an effort to do everything possible to memorize all the related data, and, in the case of programming, it is data that can later be extrapolated to other programming languages, since most share bases.
However, not all languages are child-friendly. In recent years, a series of programming languages have come onto the market that are not based exclusively on hacking code, but on visual environments that, without realizing it, allow them to learn the basic concepts.
Best programming languages for kids
Next, we show you the best programming languages so that the little ones can satisfy their curiosity in this lucrative field of programming, a field that has a large number of opportunities and is therefore an excellent option to guide their professional future. as long as they start with the simplest and most basic, with these programming languages designed for children.
Minecraft
Ok, Minecraft is not a programming language, however, we have decided to include it in this list of programming languages for children for the reasons that we explain below. Minecraft is a very popular game in the community, one of the games that, despite its longevity, is still one of the most viewed on both Twtich and YouTube.
The reason? Minecraft is not a game that has rules . Each user can create worlds of all kinds alone or with friends, worlds where they can carry out their activity, explore, build, manufacture, mine according to their needs.
Minecraft encourages problem solving and logic among the little ones, improves visual and spatial skills, improves hand-eye coordination, allows them to reinforce teamwork (something that many children lack) among many other features.
Additionally, it allows players to create map plugins to further customize their gaming experience. These plugins are only compatible with the Java version of Minecraft. Here is the reason why we have decided to include it as a programming language for the little ones.
Although Java is one of the most hated languages by many developers, through Minecraft it is an ideal platform for the little ones to enter the field of programming since Microsoft allows access to the source code of Minecraft and make the modifications in the code to create your custom mods.
Just the motivation of being able to see their own creations reflected in Minecraft is more than enough to encourage them to delve into this complicated language, although the knowledge to make these modifications is not very extensive.
Advantage
- Children are encouraged without help
Disadvantages
- Java is not a very friendly language
- It is necessary to have the Java version of Minecraft
Roblox
While Minecraft uses Java in the process of creating modifications for games, Roblox relies on Lua, a free programming language that is very easy to learn by users without previous programming knowledge, since it introduces concepts in a very simple way and easy to understand.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. Lua, like Python, is based on entering lines of code and includes a syntax checker that analyzes the lines as they are entered in order to prevent the little ones from getting frustrated at the first change .
Lua is used by the wide community of Roblox users to create the minigames available through the application, it has a wide community behind it, so any problem or doubt will have a quick solution from the experienced community. On the Roblox website you will find all the necessary information to learn to program in Lua through this link.
pros
- Large community of users
- Similar, in part, to Python
Cons
- It requires a lot of patience
Swift Playgrounds
While Swift is the programming language designed by Apple for the entire developer community to create their applications, Swift Playgrounds is the version for the little ones , an excellent tool that allows the little ones to take their first steps in the world of programming in general.
It has a very simple and clean interface that shows in real time the changes that are made in the code, allowing the little ones to check in real time if the changes that they are introducing in the code work or how they affect the general operation of the application. play.
Apple makes a series of lessons available to all children that will allow them to take their first steps in the world of programming, but without much freedom. If it quickly becomes too small for the little ones, the next step is to expand knowledge with the Switch language. While Swift Playground is only available for iOS/iPadOS and macOS, the full version of Swift is available for Windows, Linux and macOS through its official website .
Advantage
- Very simple and intuitive interface
- Lessons included in the app.
Disadvantages
- Limited in features
Blockly
For a programming language to be attractive to children, it must include visual elements that help them understand how it works . Blockly is a programming language for the little ones that is based on visual programming, being ideal to enter this world.
Blockly uses lines of code divided into blocks along with a drag and drop system that helps children understand how programming languages work, eliminating the risk of making mistakes by entering only lines of code and, therefore, the frustration that this supposes.
Blockly’s interface separates the different elements into blocks with different shapes, so that it is very easy for the little ones to quickly identify the different elements that make it up. On the one hand, there is the toolbox with the blocks that are needed and a blank space where we must place them, blocks that can later be changed to order them, create conditionals, loops, and so on.
This programming language uses the Apache 2.0 license and is a mixture of Javascript, PHP and Python and is ideal for children 8 years and older to create programs, games or simply animations from any web browser. You can access this programming platform through its website .
We like
- Ideal programming language for the little ones
- More than a tool for children.
We do not like it
- To get the most out of it, you need to know other programming languages.
Scratch
Behind Scratch, we find the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). This programming language was designed for children between the ages of 8 and 16 who want to enter the world of programming. And, like Blockly, it is also based on blocks so that the little ones can easily take their first steps in programming without studying languages.
With Scratch you can create everything from animations, to games, through applications, interactive stories or anything else that comes to mind for the little ones, reducing the frustration of making mistakes, over and over again, in a simple line of code or the having entered a semicolon where it shouldn’t be, to give a fairly common example.
Scratch eliminates that kind of jargon by using blocks that help you understand the basics of any programming language. Currently, this platform has more than 100 million registered users around the world with a large community where we will find the solution to any problem or doubt that the little ones have, since by having to store the code on the platform, any The user can help us solve doubts or solve the problem we are facing directly by consulting the code. To take the first steps in Scratch, we must visit its website .
Advantage
- Easy-to-learn block programming
- Extensive support community
Disadvantages
- It is mandatory to store the code on the platform
Which is the best option?
It all depends on the needs and tastes of the little one. If you like the world of Minecraft, you can start taking your first steps by creating your own mods, mods that you can also share with the community. The same thing happens if it’s more than Roblox.
To get started in the world of programming from a young age, the best option is the one offered by Scratch . While it is true that Blockly is also based on object programming, Scratch has a large community of users behind it, so solving any problem is very fast.
The worst option, although not the least bad, is found in Swift Playgrounds , a platform that limits learning to a series of very basic but sufficient lessons for the first steps in a programming language.