Coding Apps for Kids
As a Software Developer and father of 2 small boys (3 and 6 at the time of writing), I often get asked about which mobile/tablet apps are good for kids to learn coding and general development.
I have spent many hours researching this and found the following to be the best out there. Please do comment and message me with any recommendations and insights!
(Links currently only there for the iOS version but they all have android and mobile versions)
Code Karts — Pre-coding logic
Free with a one-off $2.99 full game unlock.
This game is really great for 3–6-year-olds to start with basic instructions and logic.
It is fun and there are colours and cars to unlock, as well as a good set of progressions for levels.
There is also now an extension to explain binary which my son understood when he was 5 which was really great!
Think & Learn Code-a-pillar™
This is a really great and free game for basic login and instruction learning.
The kids really enjoy this and it is extremely fun.
It’s FREE!
Go Explore from CBeebies
CBeebies has a range of games which are all brilliant. They tend to have lots of little mini games to keep the kids occupied without leaving the app.
Logic puzzles, coding games, arts, maths, letters, lots of variety and I feel absolutely fine leaving my kids on this!
Plus it’s FREE!
Teach Your Monster to Read
This game is a one-off payment for £4.99 and has many different starting points depending on the level of your child.
You can customise your monster as you help teach them to read (accidentally learning yourself).
It is fun and interesting and has just a one-off payment! Highly recommend!
Some of the games are too challenging for our younger one, but he still enjoys playing them.
MarcoPolo World School
This is an incredibly deep app with many learning videos that the kids will eat up. There are also some great learning games — e.g. letters and numbers that the kids enjoy.
Aged 3–7 our kids have really enjoyed it. However, the downside is that it is a monthly subscription that is not so cheap — £6.99 a month. An annual plan is for £48.99 which is reasonable value if you compare it to the cost of a video game or such.
The kids will love it and it is great entertainment for them.
Thomas & Friends Minis
This game is free to try and then it is worth just unlocking everything if your kids like it. £8.99
Pattern matching, building, logic, spatial awareness and really fun with the augmented reality they added in.
Both my kids loved this so much, especially dropping the pieces off the table and hearing the “wooooop” noise!
HOMER Learn & Grow
Great for reading, maths and thinking skills. It's a really great app but with the monthly subscription, we turned it off after 3 months as they stopped playing.
Joy of Reading — learn to read
This is a really great game with fun progression for 3–6 year olds to read.
Again it is annoying to have a subscription of £5.99, but it was good for our kids for a few months before they got bored and I cancelled.
