Hour of Code Website and App Suggestions for K-8

Here are ideas of apps and websites that teachers in my PLN used successfully in the past during Hour of Code:

Kindergarten

Start kindergartners with problem solving. If they love Legos, they’ll love coding

1. BotLogic–great for Kindergarten and youngers
2. Code–learn to code, for students
3. How to train your robot–a lesson plan from Dr. Techniko
4. Kodable--great for youngers–learn to code before you can read
5. Primo–a wooden game, for ages 4-7
6. Program a human robot (unplugged)
7. Scratch Jr.

1st Grade

1. Code–learn to code, for students
2. Espresso Coding–for youngers
3. Foos–app or desktop; K-1
4. Hopscotch–programming on the iPad
5. Primo–a wooden game, for ages 4-7
6. Scratch Jr.
7. Tynker

2nd Grade

1. Code.org—learn to code; with teacher accounts, no student emails required (join with Join code)
2. Espresso Coding–for youngers
3. Google Spreadsheets–decode and fill in color coded pictures
4. Hopscotch–programming on the iPad
5. How do you program a robot–BBC’s version of this topic; includes a video, game, and more
6. Kodable--great for K-2–learn to code before you can read
7. Kodu–build and play games
8. Pivot Stickfigure Animator–free, download, powerful, with a cult following
9. Draw a Stickman–draw a stick figure and the site animates it
10. Tynker

3rd Grade

1. Blockly
2. Build with Chrome–kind of like Minecraft, more like Google Earth Warehouse; use virtual Lego blocks to build in your browser
3. Minecraft

4th Grade

1. Build with Chrome–kind of like Minecraft, more like Google Earth Warehouse; use virtual Lego blocks to build in your browser
2. Khan Academy Computer Science
3. Minecraft
4. Robotics
5. Scratch
6. Snap!—runs in your browser
7. Squeakland–build etoys with downloaded software
8. WaterBear–web-based simple programming with drag-drop; free

5th Grade

1. Build with Chrome–kind of like Minecraft, more like Google Earth Warehouse; use virtual Lego blocks to build in your browser
2. Google Spreadsheets–code the spreadsheet with color that will reveal a secret picture
3. Khan Academy Computer Science
4. Lego Digital Designer
5. Minecraft
6. Robotics
7. Scratch
8. Snap!—runs in your browser
9. Squeakland–build etoys with downloaded software
10. Tinkercad–3D modeling–fee–perfect for 3D printing
11. Windows Property menu–create a shortkey for any Windows tool through properties. Here’s a how-to for one example
12. Wolfram Alpha widgets

Middle School

1. Alice
2. Auto Hotkey–free–simple shortkey programming for students; requires download
3. Build with Chrome–kind of like Minecraft, more like Google Earth Warehouse; use virtual Lego blocks to build in your browser
4. Code Avengers
5. Code Monster
6. CodePen
7. Codesters–fun coding for middle school; students code and see the result on side-by-side screens
8. Gamestar Mechanic–design video games
9. Hakitzu–learning through games
10. Khan Academy Computer Science
11. Lego Digital Designer
12. Looking Glass—animated story–offshoot of Alice
13. Minecraft
14. Notepad–coding using the Windows Notepad
15. Python
16. RoboMind–downloaded software
17. Robotics–using NXT and Lego Mindstorm
18. Scratch–here’s a Scratch tutorial for Hour of Code. Find the facilitator’s guide here and the self-guided tutorial here.
19. Snap!—runs in your browser
20. Squeakland–build etoys with downloaded software
21. Tinkercad–3D modeling–fee–perfect for 3D printing
22. Typing.IO–typing code for practice
23. Windows Property menu–create a shortkey for any Windows tool through properties. Here’s a how-to.
24. Wolfram Alpha widgets

Apps

1. BeeBop–based on the Beebop floor robot–free
2. Cargo-Bot—logic iPad game
3. Cato’s Hike (K+)
4. Codea (Perfect for Intermediate+)
5. Daisy the Dinosaur—intro to programming
6. Foos–app or desktop; K-1
7. Hopscotch (for up to intermediate–more complicated that Kodable)
8. Kodable
9. Lego Fix the Factory (app)
10. LightBot Jr.–programming for six-year olds
11. Lightbot–solving puzzles with programming; MS
12. Move the Turtle–programming via iPad for middle school
13. Osmo Coding--a purchased game system to teach coding
14. Pyonkee–free, a little glitchy
15. ScratchJr--for ages 5-7
16. Swift Playground–from Apple, includes lessons and challenges designed to teach kids to code
17. Treehouse (K+)

Here are general ideas. See what fits best for your grade levels:

1. Activate!—create games
2. American Computer Science League–competitions for junior and senior high
3. Chrome Experiments–geeky experimentation with programming
4. Google Computer Science for High School–free workshops (with application) for K-12 teachers
5. I like programming video
6. Kodu—game programming
7. Learn to code
8. Robby Leonardi–programmer–a game played about programming in the style of Mario

More ideas? Check Cybraryman’s Programming Page and see what Kent ISD is doing that week. Or, try this series of Hour of Code lesson plans for K-8.

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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, CSG Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, CAEP reviewer, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and a weekly contributor to TeachHUB. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.