Code Kingdoms Teaches Kids JavaScript With an Adventure Puzzle
Internet / iOS. Now more and more applications are focused on teaching children to program, because it is a valuable skill. Code Kingdoms is another such app, but it’s wrapped in a game that kids are likely to want to play anyway (programming lessons or not).
Code Kingdoms is aimed at kids ages six to 13 and is very similar to your everyday puzzle adventure game. Choose an animal, walk around the kingdom rescuing animals through puzzles. The difference is that children must use code points to solve most of the puzzles. This is done at first by dragging and dropping code snippets, but as you go along, the children will enter the code themselves.
Code Kingdoms not only teaches real JavaScript as they play, but it helps kids develop problem-solving skills and encourages them to keep acting when they run into problems in the game – just as programmers often have to overcome obstacles.
The UK has a school-specific version that may appear in the US and other countries in the future. But for home use, the app can be played online for free or downloaded for iOS.