Top 10 Block Programming Tools for Kids

With technology advancing so quickly, learning to program is no longer just a literacy need for children but a basic necessity in societies that depend on electronic gadgets and machines. Coding has proven to benefit children by developing computational thinking, creativity and reasoning. Below are the top platforms where children can hone their programming skills.

Scratch

Scratch was developed to help children aged 8 to 16 learn to program. It is a free educational programming language from MIT. It is widely known and block-based, and is aimed at children and new coders because its visual interface is intuitive.

Scratch gives kids tools to create art, animations, interactive stories and games, which are very engaging and fun to make. Scratch is our top pick for its freedom, its ease of use, and how easily it can be learned thanks to its visual method.

Scratch also has a community where children can share their programs or look at other people’s programs to learn from them.

Blockly

Blockly is another highly recommended visual block programming tool, very similar to Scratch, using the same drag-and-drop method. One major difference is that Blockly is a library from Google that turns blocks into real code in languages such as JavaScript and Python.

The Blockly interface is colorful, and its blocks come in different shapes that help kids find, select and identify the blocks they need. The workspace has two parts: a toolbox that holds blocks, and a blank space where blocks are dragged and dropped. Kids rearrange blocks to create sequences, conditionals, loops and more.

Even though Blockly is easy enough for kids, it can be a powerful tool, and many coding apps are built on it.

ScratchJr

ScratchJr is a programming language that helps younger children aged 5 to 7 create their own games and interactive stories. Children piece together visual programming blocks to make characters move, and they can also change how characters look.

ScratchJr was inspired by Scratch. Its interface and programming language were redesigned to suit younger children’s cognitive, personal, social and emotional development.

Lua and Roblox Studio

For children moving into text-based coding, Lua, the scripting language used in Roblox Studio, is a very good option. It is a free, beginner-friendly scripting language that is readable and efficient while introducing basic concepts.

Lua has been compared to Python because both are simple text-based languages that avoid many frustrating syntax issues. For example, there is no need for a semicolon at the end of each line of code.

Lua is lightweight and portable, so it is embedded in many games, devices and apps. Roblox has an active community where experienced developers are happy to guide newcomers and give feedback.

Tynker

Tynker is a well-known coding platform for kids, available for different age groups. With Tynker, children grasp coding concepts in a similar way to Scratch and Blockly.

Kids can imagine anything, like an idea for a game or an animated project, and bring it to life with animations, characters and artwork. They code visually, which avoids syntax errors, and the visual blocks introduce logic and programming concepts in a way that is easy for children to pick up.

Once a program is built, children can share it, and they can remix other people’s programs with help from the Tynker community.

Logo

Logo is a simple computer programming language. It can be used to control devices such as robots, which need a set of instructions telling them what to do, written in a language like Logo.

For example, Logo is often used with a screen “turtle”, an object on screen that moves according to a set of commands. The commands control the turtle’s movement and can be repeated.

Commands can also be used to draw shapes, such as a square.

mBlock

mBlock is a programming tool designed for kids, based on Scratch 3.0 and Arduino programming. It supports both block-based and text-based languages. With mBlock, children can not only draw animations and create games but also control robots and boards.

Because it is based on Scratch 3.0, mBlock is easy to learn, and the inclusion of Arduino makes it versatile and user-friendly. Users can switch to Python with a click once they are comfortable with blocks. Controlling a robot makes learning to code fun and rewarding, and keeps users engaged.

mBlock also supports IoT (Internet of Things) projects. Working with robots and modules, users can create interactive projects like a weather station or an automatic plant-watering robot. mBlock also includes AI features.

ArduBlock

ArduBlock is a programming environment that makes it easier to program physical hardware. It is designed to make Arduino easier for beginners: instead of writing text code, users snap together visual code blocks, so they don’t have to worry about syntax errors.

ArduBlock is an add-on to Arduino, so the Arduino IDE must be installed first. Its visual blocks contain pre-written code, which makes it a good introduction to programming hardware.

Go (Golang)

Go is a newer language that is a good option for older children who want to learn a text-based programming language.

Released in 2009, Go is statically typed and compiled, like C++. Go is often compared to Python because of its simple syntax, and it borrows much of its style from C, so someone who knows Go can move to C more easily. Go is a great language because it is accessible, simple and streamlined.

Twine

Twine is an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories, with a strong focus on creativity. Twine teaches users how code is structured as they make interactive games and stories, which makes it suitable for kids who feel overwhelmed by more technical coding.

Twine was released in 2009 and is used by people of all ages. Kids do not need to know how to write code, but they can extend their stories with variables and conditional logic, and with CSS and JavaScript. A Twine story is made of passages of text and images (like web pages) connected visually, and it can be published directly as HTML.

Twine also has a support forum, tutorials and an active community.

Key Takeaway

Children today have many tools available if they want to step into programming. The right choice depends on the child and the educator: it could be a visual, block-based tool or a text-based language. Most of these tools have active communities where learners can pick up tips from experienced users or share their work. With these tools, even young children can learn to program, and the move from basic programming to real development can be smooth.

Our Robotics & IoT program uses VEX virtual robotics in Grades 1 to 5 and Arduino kits in Grades 6 to 8, and our Bit-by-Bit books teach Scratch Jr. and Scratch from Grade 1.