10+ coding activities for kids

Coding activities for kids are a great way to get your kids into STEAM and STEM ideas in fun and engaging ways. We have searched high and low for some great ways to encourage coding with your kids, so that they love computer and all things STEM from an early age. From a codeSpark free trial to loads of great activities and ideas for fun and learning games, there is something for everyone below.

This is a collaborative post and contains affiliate links.

We have selected a few paid and free ideas so you can decide what works best for you as a school, or in the classroom, and as a parent. Some of these ideas require nothing more than a piece of paper, and a little imagination. Others you will need a screen, and a little time and money, but we have only picked the resources we think provide long term value for money for you all.

• codeSpark: This is a great resource for families, schools, and homeschoolers and we have a codeSpark TRIAL for a month for free as well. This way you can see exactly if this is the resource for you. Click the link, or use KIDDYCHARTS30 at checkout. codeSpark is a word-free app, designed to help kids, aged 4 to 10, to learn the fundamentals behind learning to code. You don’t have to be a programming genius to be taught how to code, and this app provides kids with a great way to start on a journey to making coding second nature

• Family coding activities: This is a great coding activity for kids, focused on rainbows from Our Family Code, in fact the site is brilliant for loads and loads of coding activities, so it is well worth bookmarking their home page, and coming back to it when you would like to encourage the kids,
• How to code a roller coaster: The site, Babies to Bookworms, has a great book idea for kids that like coding, so check it out, and the complementary ideas that they have. Coding a roller coaster, and the other crafting activities that they suggest will keep your little ones hands and minds busy. Do check out their other recommendations for STEM books too,
• Christmas coding: If you are looking for a seasonal coding activity for the kids, this is a great one to do at Christmas from Rainy Day Mum to code a red nose for Rudolph!
• Preschooler coding activity: It is never too soon to start coding, and this is a great screen free activity idea from Inspiration Laboratories for preschoolers based on the book Are You my Mother?
• Valentine’s Day coding activity: Another seasonal idea for coding are these bracelets from STEAMsational. The activity helps kids to learn the basics of both binary and coding; so you get two for the price of one!
• Planets coding activity: For the astronomers amongst you JDaniel’s4 Mom has a lovely printable activity to help kids work out algorithms to code the planets in order,
• Algorithm coding game: This is another printable for the kids from Little Bins for Little Hands, designed to help kids to understand a little more about coding, including what it is, and the basic skills required for it,
• Coding with LEGO: This is a slightly different activity from Mombrite; getting the kids to code the binary alphabet with LEGO!
• Moon phase coding: This is such a lovely and educational idea from Rainy Day Mum; helping kids to learn to code alongside teaching them the different phases of the moon, and
• Coding with building blocks: Our final coding activities for kids idea expands on the LEGO theme we introduced earlier, with Simple Living Creative Learning expanding on this idea by explaining how to use building blocks in general to help kids to understand the basics of coding.

Just in case you need persuading why it is important for kids to learn to code, check this out from STEAMsational, which gives you seven great reasons that its a fabulous idea!

Finally, what about some toys that encourage coding as well? Botley and Cubetto are both brilliant for kids to use and help with some of the skills they are learning within a program like codeSpark.

If you are looking for other STEM activities on the site, do take a look here:

There are also more STEM ideas that we’d recommend offsite:

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