The best apps for the youngest children are centered more on graphics and simple animations than the actual code itself. While most of these types of game-like educational apps are rated for ages 8+, if your kid is old enough to read, understand cause and effect, and motivated, you can introduce the games below to even pre-K learners.Daisy the Dinosaur (iPad, free): On a dinosaur kick, Elise discovered this app on her own and we installed it a few years ago. The app prompts kids to manipulate a character, Daisy, through challenges that involve loops, events, and other programming basics (e.g., when touched, move dinosaur forward). It's a very stripped-down, basic program, but the simplicity is a big plus for young kids. There's a free-play version in this app as well, so you can make Daisy jump in the air or walk backwards at will. (The novelty of this, however, wears off as soon as kids discover the stellar kids' animation tool Toontastic, which doesn't teach code logic, but rather storytelling basics).Move the Turtle (iPhone/iPad, $2.99): Similar to Daisy the Dinosaur, Move the Turtle teaches basic programming concepts by manipulating one graphical object through challenges. Yes, a cute turtle (like Logo back in the late '60s to '80s). This app was recommended by several Lifehacker Twitter followers, but Elise refused to try it because: the concept was the same as Daisy the Dinosaur, you could only do certain things with the turtle, and she wanted to do whatever she wanted with more characters. In other words, she had outgrown single-task-based educational apps. Still, with Move the Turtle, kids can learn a great deal of logical programming concepts, as Wired's Geek Dad asserts. (I prefer Move the Turtle's puzzles and interface over Daisy the Dinosaur, but who am I to argue with a 7-year-old?)Moving past the simple single-character-manipulation apps, you'll find apps that teach programming through drag-and-drop interfaces with coding blocks. Think LEGO, but with code. In these, your child can pull in code parts to manipulate more than one object (and access more commands, variables, and events) to create animations or games.Hopscotch (iPad, Free): From the makers of Daisy the Dinosaur, Hopscotch is a visual introduction to programming for kids ages 8-12. Kids can select preset characters or create text objects and manipulate them by dragging-and-dropping method blocks. For example, you can move an object by a set amount on the X-Y axis, change the scale, or repeat actions. The app offers just right amount of controls for kids just starting out. They're very limited in what they can do, but this means kids can play with the iPad on their own and learn how each basic method works. (So, you don't have to feel guilty saying "Find out for yourself" when your kid asks "How do I make the monkey move backwards?") In one week, Elise made eighteen animations on her own on Hopscotch, substituting text blocks for the characters she wanted to animate. Most of those animations were simple explorations of what you can to the objects, but she learned things like how to position objects with math and time events.Scratch (Web, Free): An MIT project specifically designed for kids ages 8 to 16, Scratch has been used by educators and parents around the world to help kids develop animations, interactive stories, and games through drag-and-drop code blocks. It was the first programming tool I introduced my daughter to, when I was taking a programming course a few years ago. I remember saying, "Hey, Elise, isn't this neat? By changing this block I can make this dog meow like a cat." She was hooked ever since.Scratch remains our favorite programming tool, mainly because it offers so much control. It's like Hopscotch, above, but more robust, and like App Inventor, below, but more user-friendly. In Scratch, there's a huge gallery of objects you can use or customize. (Don't underestimate the importance for a kid of coloring a character just so.) And with the vast array of methods available, you can make them do just about anything. Elise wanted to make a game called "Spider Run" (like Temple Run, but with a mechanical spider chasing you and spikes in the ground that slow you down), and the only tool we've discussed so far that could really pull this off is Scratch. Although they can't be turned into bonefide mobile apps, your kids' creations can be saved and shared on the site.Stencyl (Windows, Mac, Lunux; Free): Scratch is our favorite so far, but Stencyl, which I just learned about from our own Thorin Klosowski, is next up for us. It "pays homage" to Scratch but specifically designed to create games and can publish to every platform (iOS, Android, Flash, HTML5, Windows, and Mac). Over 12,000 games have been created using Stencyl; I can't wait to try it.Other suggestions: Robert Hirsch on Google+ had these additional iPad recommendations:DynamicArt [$2.99] is much like scratch but is more focused on making procedural drawings
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Kodable [Free] is very kiddie-ish and makes kids perform procedural programming to solve puzzles.There is a similar one called A.L.E.X [Free] which does the same thing with robots
I dont think this is for a 7 year old, but there is Codea [$9.99], a Lua interpreter for the iPad. Lots of cool things have been done with it, but its object oriented and may be tough for a kid to learn unless you happen to know Lua already to help.
The apps below are more advanced, focusing on both on the code itself and visualizing how it works.App Inventor (Web, Free): Formerly a Google project, now hosted by MIT, App Inventor is much like Scratch with its drag-and-drop coding blocks. It includes, however, every method, function, and other coding element you might use to create an Android app—and for good reason. After fiddling with App Inventor, you end up with an actual Android app.This makes the online tool really robust, but the interface isn't young-kid friendly. It's probably best for at least junior high school kids or older (e.g., adults), as there are no instructions and the features aren't all that intuitive to use.Alice (Windows, Mac, Linux; Free): Carnegie Melon's Windows, Mac, and Linux desktop app uses a unique 3D programming environment to teach kids the fundamentals of programming. It's more advanced than other kid-friendly programming tools, though great for older kids. A welcome feature: kids can see the code behind their projects in the software. Not-so-welcome: You need Java runtime to run Alice.Video Lessons from Pluralsight (Web, Free): Online training site Pluralsight offers three video courses for kids, teaching them how to program in C# using Visual Basic, use Scratch, and use App Inventor. If your kids are old enough to sit through video instructions, these could help supplement the hands-on training they get through play.Codecademy and Khan Academy (Web, Free): These interactive online tools are better suited for older kids (maybe middle grade and above) and adults. They're one of the best ways to learn to code, though, because you can see the changes as they happen in the split screen. Codecademy teaches web fundamentals, jQuery, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, and more. Khan Academy's coding environment uses JavaScript.We've had a lot of fun using the apps above, but I think that's because we've looked at them not from a "let's learn programming" mindset but from a "hey, want to make something? We can use this to do it" mentality. In Sarah Mei's presentation on teaching Ruby to Kids, she talks about setting specific goals when you set out on this adventure, such as "I want Lily to be so excited that she explores things on her own after we're done." For us, learning to program isn't the end result, but making something (through trial and error and learning basic skills in the process) is. So along the way, I've learned as a parent to bite my tongue. The hardest part is refraining from hovering over my kid's shoulder and stopping myself from saying "no, use this function, not that one." Instead, I'm learning the features in the apps she's using so I can say, "hey, look at what this does" or "what happens if we do this" and we discover together where we can go from there.Photo remixed from an original by sneaka.
You know the pair... The super cute flats that you found at Target or Nordstrom Rack for super cheap. You love them, but after an hour or so you're ready to walk around barefooted because the back of your heels are killing you. Here's a simple fix... Be aware, this isn't a 'do it right before you leave' project. The adhesive needs to set properly, or you'll wind up tossing your cute shoes in the nearest trash can!
Gather materials: - annoying shoes - craft clamps or clothespins (you can get these at the dollar store) - seam ripper - a good adhesive: Liquid Fusion, E-6000, Gorilla Glue, etc.