TOP PICKS | 34 TOOLS
Best Coding Tools for High School Students
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Block-Based Programming
Code.org
Popular games, big names get kids and teachers pumped to program
Bottom line: A well-planned, -produced, and -curated set of free resources bound to get kids hooked on learning to code.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Scratch
Jump-start future programmers with adaptive sandbox tool
Bottom line: With plenty of time and support, Scratch can help kids of all ages learn essential programming concepts.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Itch
Full-featured tool makes teaching with Scratch easier than ever
Bottom line: Here you'll find resources for teaching with Scratch and a complete management tool to support student learning.
Grades: 1–12
Price: Free to try, Paid Free to try for two weeks. For .edu or nonprofit, $39 per year for individual teachers and 100 students. Request a quote for multiple teachers.
Cozmo
A little robot with big personality brings code to life
Bottom line: From Cozmo's engaging personality to endless programming possibilities, this little robot will capture your heart and spark imagination.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free, Paid Requires Cozmo robot, sold separately for $179.99.
SAM Edu
Wireless blocks promote design, engineering, and programming skills
Bottom line: With some perseverance, SAM is a great fit for PBL and STEAM, helping students learn programming skills through invention.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free, Paid The app is free, but the SAM Labs kits, blocks, and accessories must be purchased. Kits cost $139-$599, blocks cost $31-$45, and accessories cost $17-$71.
Kodu Game Lab
Open-ended game design and programming tool for visual thinkers
Bottom line: The 3D game-making environment and fun, visual logic will definitely grab some students, but others will need support the game just doesn't provide.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free
Microsoft MakeCode
Bring code to life with circuits, robots, Minecraft, and more
Bottom line: Once you purchase the hardware, MakeCode opens doors to an incredible diversity of coding applications.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free Users can find links to purchase various hardware and kits that are featured in MakeCode's projects.
Human Resource Machine EDU
Challenging puzzles will grab the imagination of any coding enthusiast
Bottom line: For teachers with some coding background, this is a great game-based tool for learning to code.
Grades: 4–10
Price: Paid Requires a Filament Learning account for $5.99.
Made with Code
Enticing projects and inspiring videos offer anyone an intro to coding
Bottom line: Solid intro to coding with diverse projects geared toward tween/teen girls; sets foundation to explore deeper level coding and logic activities.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
LearnToMod
Effective springboard to coding for dedicated Minecraft fans
Bottom line: For students who already know and love Minecraft, this is a valuable way to hook students into coding.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free, Paid LearnToMod is free for teachers; $29.99 per year for everyone else.
Cargo-Bot
Challenging game helps kids learn to think like programmers
Bottom line: Cargo-Bot is a simple concept that packs a challenging punch and teaches valuable programming skills.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
Algo Bot
Simple coding game a fun intro to algorithms
Bottom line: This coding game is a fun and helpful introduction to basic algorithm development, but other resources will be needed for more depth.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Paid $9.99
Lightbot : Programming Puzzles
Simple design, but challenging fun for budding programmers
Bottom line: Challenging programming game best for motivated learners.
Grades: 6–12
Price: $2.99
Thunkable
Build a working iOS or Android app, even without coding experience
Bottom line: A great way to help motivated students create real apps, though others will need more support.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free Thunkable is free for now, but they note on their site that they may charge for some features in the future.
GameSalad
Great interface, flexible publishing options make game-making a snap
Bottom line: Engaging interface and tutorials will empower budding game designers, but the price tag could be a deal-breaker for tight school budgets.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Paid Single Education license (teacher or student) is $149 per year; Classroom license for 30 students and 1 teacher is $1699 per year. Custom quotes are available for schools and districts.
Text-Based Programming
CodeCombat
Dungeon-crawling adventure where code is king
Bottom line: While not everyone loves fighting ogres, CodeCombat offers a classroom-ready platform and an authentic learning experience.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free, Paid Intro course is free. Contact the developer to get set up with purchasing a group license for the classroom version.
CodeMonkey
Puzzler's use of real code fills niche in crowded learn-to-code genre
Bottom line: A great intro to coding, with solid teacher support, gets kids using a real programming language and digging into some meatier concepts than other early coding tools.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free to try, Paid Free to try up through level 30; individual accounts start at $39 per year. Home School subscriptions run $129 per year and allow for up to 5 students, along with opening up the teacher account, dashboard, and lesson plans. Contact CodeMonkey for classroom and school/district rates.
CoSpaces Edu
VR design tool sparks creativity for those with the coding chops
Bottom line: This is a well-designed VR playground for experienced coders.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Paid $75 per year for 50 licenses; other license packages available for more students.
Mozilla Thimble
Inspiring platform teaches coding through remixing
Bottom line: Thimble is an excellent, free resource for teaching students to code through experimentation.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
Swift Playgrounds
Brilliantly designed iOS coding app great for newbies or pros
Bottom line: If iPad devices are available, this is an inspired choice for learning how to create and tweak code.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
Mozilla X-Ray Goggles
Remix tool reveals code, can strengthen kids' understanding of the web
Bottom line: It's a blast to use and an easy way to get experimentation and prototyping going with plenty of student choice -- kids are really in the driver's seat!
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
Code Avengers
Challenging puzzles teach with real code; best for more advanced kids
Bottom line: A superb programming tutor, well worth the effort to keep students going.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free to try, Paid Free 30-day trial; $25 per student per year. Contact for class and school-wide license deals.
CodeHS
Computer science curriculum offers great feedback, fun challenges
Bottom line: Effective tools and clear lessons teach real programming, but you'll have to spend some cash to help kids master it.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free to try, Paid Pricing is from $1,500–$3,000 per section, depending on the plan; individual plans are $25 per month and up. For more information, visit https://codehs.com/info/plans.
Construct 3
Ideal 2D game builder supports students to create, innovate
Bottom line: Limitless game options, reasonable cost, and extensive support make this programming environment perfect for an educational setting.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free to try, Paid There's a free edition to try. Educational licenses are $12.99 per month or $39.99 per year.
Grasshopper: Learn to Code
First-class free app for learning to code with JavaScript
Bottom line: This app will no doubt help individual, motivated learners see how coding works using real code.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Hack 'n' Slash
Zelda-inspired puzzler lets players peek behind the code curtain
Bottom line: A great intro to variables and how algorithms work, this game would shine as a supplement to a larger unit on programming.
Grades: 6–12
Price: $13.37
micro:bit
Code games or fun displays with mini piece of hardware
Bottom line: This versatile tool for learning how to program with blocks or text is a nice fit for STEM classes and clubs.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free, Paid The website and apps are free. A micro:bit is required, which costs around $14.99; accessories are also available for purchase.
Codecademy
Terrific hands-on coding practice with live feedback
Bottom line: In this excellent coding application, in-game practice and real-time guidance crack open the world of programming and turn your students into whiz kids.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid Codecademy Pro accounts include all content from free account plus access to real-world scenarios to solve, online assessments, and advisors who will answer questions and guide your progress.
Codea
Well-thought-out coding platform for real game programming
Bottom line: Codea is a professional tool that has enough help features that kids can learn programming hands-on.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Paid $14.99
TapCoding
No games, just clear tasks for learning to code in Swift
Bottom line: Like an interactive textbook, TapCoding wastes no time to get older students programming.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free, Paid The first three levels are free. The Builder's Curriculum ($5.99) and Master's Curriculum ($9.99) are available as in-app purchases.
Vidcode
Cool coding tool tuned to teen girls' passions aids creativity
Bottom line: Learn-to-code programs for youths often too narrowly define what can be done with code; Vidcode expands the options, helping girls see code's value in culture and express themselves.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free, Paid Free introductory projects; contact for pricing for intermediate and advanced projects/lessons as well as training and support resources.
Code School
Awesome interactive coding lessons can make anyone a programmer
Bottom line: These lessons will keep learners engaged as they grow from novice to beginning programmer, ready to tackle small projects in only a few days.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free, Paid Some courses have free levels; full access requires a monthly fee.
Treehouse
Fun, self-paced web development and coding lessons offer high value
Bottom line: A solid learning solution for self-starting students who want to grasp the wide array of programming topics.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free to try, Paid Seven-day free trial; Basic plan ($25/month); Pro plan ($49/month)
