Ask HN: Best tools for 4/5 year old to learn programming?

5 points by cacois 2 years ago | 10 comments

I'm looking for the best systems to help a 4/5 year old get the basics of programming. My daughter has shown interest in what I do, and loves puzzles and building things. Looking for something visual and fun that can start her down the path of logic and creating with computers.

I have a passing familiarity with Scratch [1], which I'm now looking into more, but am hoping others can share their knowledge and experience in this area.

[1] https://scratch.mit.edu/

loloquwowndueo 2 years ago |

Scratch is probably the gold standard for a kid with enough motor skills and abstract thinking to transfer what she’s thinking to the computer.

Scratch works reasonably well on a tablet though it limits the kinds of inputs you can use a bit - keyboard/mouse events require a bit of extra hoop jumping.

Physical programming toys may be better for some kids since they are more tangible. Things like Botley and other programmable robots, and physical logic engines like Turing tumble have great illustrative value.

cacois 2 years ago | |

These are some great ideas, thanks! I've seen a few intuitive programmable robots (things like a car that does different things depending on the color it drives over), but these are some I hadn't found yet.

brudgers 2 years ago |

The best tools for your child are the tools you use together.

Your child can learn programming when they are fourteen or fifty-four.

They can only spend their childhood with you right now.

And you with them.

They are interested in what you do because they are interested in you. Put them on your lap and pair program...

OK so there's a tool, pair programming.

Good luck.

cacois 2 years ago | |

Ya that's exactly what we've done a bit of. She's interested in what I do, and its something I enjoy so she enjoys doing it with me. However, she's just learning to read so the page full of text and syntax is too much for her to really grok. This is why I was looking at other systems so maybe we can play together and create computer programs in a more visual arena.

brudgers 2 years ago | | |

Randy Pausch's Alice: http://www.alice.org/

Randy Paush's Last Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&vl=en

uf00lme 2 years ago |

Maybe try paper and pen? Some simple fun exercises. Documenting cooking or making simple food, like the logic behind making a sandwich and then make it. As a bonus, you get to eat some food, and the kid learns some life skills. I guess that is not really programming, but the process, organisation and problem-solving skill set isn't that different for a kid.

cacois 2 years ago | |

Its a good set of exercises, and we do it some already (we bake together). Right now she really wants to "make things on the computer". Of course there's always paint apps and the like, but I was doing advent of code problems the other night and she asked what it was, and she got excited when I said it was "programming puzzles".

sn9 2 years ago |

At that age, board games can be more effective: http://www.robotturtles.com/

bencelaszlo 2 years ago |

Rust