Coding skills are crucial to the technology we love: apps, games and web pages are all built from computer code. But while computer programming has a reputation for being tricky, anybody can get to grips with the basics – and there’s a whole host of fun, free tools to help you on your way.
By all accounts, schools are somewhat behind the times when it comes to teaching kids to code. But with digital technology playing an ever-greater role in our lives, it’s never been more important to learn.
And the good news is, it’s never too late to do so! While most of these introductory tools are aimed at school-age kids, they’re a great introduction to the principles of coding at any age.
So, whether you’re looking for an educational way to keep your kids entertained this summer or a new skill to add to your own CV, check out the resources we’ve put together. They’re free, simple to get to grips with, and – most importantly – fun!
Minecraft Hour of Code
Code.org
Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of recent years, with gamers of all ages using its colourful blocks to construct all manner of weird and wonderful structures. Think of it as Lego for your computer, and you’ve got the basic gist!
Minecraft Hour of Code takes this popular setting and uses it as the backdrop to an excellent and extremely accessible course in basic computer programming.
The app runs straight in your browser window, and you won’t even have to create an account to get started – although we recommend you do so to save your progress! Visit the site, and you’ll find a short introduction video that explains the basics, and offers some words of inspiration from the original Minecraft developers.
The course itself is presented as 14 puzzles of gradually increasing complexity. In each, the aim is to control a small Minecraft character by dragging and dropping ‘blocks’ of instructions: “move forward”, “turn left”, “destroy block” and the like. Essentially, you’ll be stringing together generic instructions in order to complete a specific task – and at its core, that’s all computer programming really is. As the name suggests, the whole course should only take about an hour or so to complete.
It’s a remarkably intuitive process – so much so that you might not even realise you’re programming a computer! But a touch of a button replaces the plain-English instruction blocks with real JavaScript code – one of the most popular and widespread programming languages used on the internet.
As such, Minecraft Hour of Code works on two levels: first, it introduces you to the principle of problem-solving through programming, and second, it demystifies the confusing appearance of standard computer code.
This alone would make it the perfect introduction to coding for young and old alike – but it’s also enhanced by some very slick presentation. You’re able to watch your little avatar acting out the instructions you provide whether they’re right or wrong, which offers very intuitive visual feedback with bold colours and an unmistakable Minecraft look. To top it all off, it’s also accompanied by the same style of drifting, ambient piano music that so soothingly soundtracks the original game – a little touch that adds tons of character.
All told, this is a fantastic way to get to grips with the basics of coding: thorough without being confusing, and exceptionally well presented.
Codecademy
Codecademy
Once you’ve got the basic principles under your belt, you’ll probably want something a little more advanced – and at that point, Codecademy should be your next port of call.
Here, your options really open up. While Minecraft Hour of Code will guide you through the basic principles and introduce you to some basic syntax through dragging and dropping, Codecademy will have you typing all the code yourself directly into a professional-style editor – a major step up for new coders.
With that in mind, it might not be appropriate for very young children – but teenagers and adults with a serious interest in coding will find perhaps the most thorough and accessible free resource there is.
Codecademy offers extensive courses in many of the major programming languages used today, from the JavaScript introduced in Minecraft Hour of Code to the HTML and CSS languages used for building modern web pages. With so much on offer, it might be daunting to know where to start – but we reckon the JavaScript lessons are a logical and not-too-tricky starting point.
All of the courses are focused on practical results, though: so if you’re interested in building a web page, for example, there are lessons that’ll show you how to get the basics up and running before delving into the really complex stuff. This is a really encouraging approach that gives you a sense of accomplishment and achievement at every stage
Make a game with no experience
Tom Francis
This is a little different to the other courses we’ve covered today – but if gaming is your thing, then this 25-part series of video tutorials from affable game developer Tom Francis will show you how to get a simple prototype up and running in the space of an afternoon! Tom’s an experienced indie developer, most notably responsible for Geek Squad favourite Gunpoint.
His tutorials focus on GameMaker: a powerful tool (with a full-featured free version) that combines old-fashioned coding with more visual drag-and-drop elements to make professional-standard game development easy and accessible. But in truth, it’s not that easy or accessible – and that’s where Tom’s tutorials come in.
Starting from the very basics, Tom shows you how to create a room and player character, and have that character respond to mouse and keyboard input – all within the first half-hour lesson. Just follow along with a copy of GameMaker open, and you’ll have a functional (if primitive) game in no time.
Subsequent lessons introduce more complex systems: you’ll learn about collision detection, basic artificial intelligence and time-saving scripts and shortcuts. Along the way, you can follow Tom’s instructions closely – but I personally had a lot of fun going off the beaten track a bit and experimenting with some alternate versions after each lesson.
That said, things have the potential to get rather complicated. I made it about as far as lesson nine – on the concept of ‘arrays’ – before I admitted I was in way over my head and called it a day. Your mileage may vary depending on your skill level and willingness to commit the time to learn – but in any case, I’d suggest mastering the basic principles with the other courses on this list before jumping in at the deep end here.
As a series of videos rather than a properly interactive training course, this series lacks the useful structure and feedback available elsewhere – but if your interest in coding is driven by your love of gaming, then Tom’s videos are probably the fastest way to get something playable up and running.
This selection should have you bashing out real code before you know it – why not let us know how you get on in the comments below?