Learning how to code can be intimidating. For example, where do you start? With a book? Online documentation? An emulator?

If you have time this summer, a number of websites let you mix play with learning how to code. Erase for All Kittens, for example, teaches coding basics while you play a game saving kittens and the world. And while many of these websites are free, some include paid options if you want more structured coursework. Check out these sites and learn a few languages.

We also have a list of kid-friendly languages at https://kidscodecs.com/Coding-languages-kids.

Scratch

Probably the easiest way to learn coding is by dragging and dropping blocks on a screen and then defining what those blocks do and in what order. Scratch is the first and still ideal way to do block programming. Once you understand conditions and how to define what a block does, it can be easy to transition to script coding like JavaScript or Python.
https://scratch.Mit.edu

Code Guppy

This website teaches JavaScript with a bunch of easy-to-learn tutorials that range from simple to complex. Start as a knownothing beginner and evolve into more complicated projects.
https://codeguppy.com

microStudio

This website is a free game development engine that lets you create and play games and then share a game if you create something special.
https://microstudio.dev

MIT App Inventor

This website lets you build apps that you can run on your phone and tablets. It’s from the people that created Scratch but a little more complicated. Includes an emulator if you don’t have a phone.
https://appinventor.mit.edu

MakeCodeArcade

This Microsoft website looks a little like the Scratch website with tutorials, games you can play, and a block coding interface that lets you graduate to coding with JavaScript and Python. Also lets you code for micro:bit and Minecraft.
https://makecode.com

Erase All Kittens

Probably the most fun and immersive website to learn how to code by playing a game. This British website also is unusual in teaching HTML and CSS, the languages of website pages. Solve puzzles to work through game levels to save the world and kittens.
https://eraseallkittens.com