Skip to the content
Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Computer science for kids

Also called coding for kids, K-12 computer science, block coding, CS Unplugged, computational thinking.

Ages Ages 4 to 18, from unplugged games to AP coursesGrades Pre-K–12Planning A plan you adaptScreens Screens fit wellShelf Science, history and other subjectsUpdated November 2026

Computer science for kids is more than learning to code. It covers algorithms, programming, data, how computers and networks work, and what computing does to the world. Young children start with unplugged games and block coding such as ScratchJr, older ones make projects in Scratch, and teenagers can take courses such as AP Computer Science Principles. The 2026 CSTA standards set out what to learn at each stage, and Code.org's courses are free. It suits nearly every child; the question is mostly how much screen time you want, and unplugged lessons keep it low.

1 Where it came from

Children's programming goes back to Papert's idea of constructionism, learning by building things you care about. Mitchel Resnick's Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab built Scratch on that idea, and in 2014 ScratchJr followed for ages 5 to 7, made by Bers's DevTech group at Tufts, Resnick's group and the Playful Invention Company. CS Unplugged, from Tim Bell at the University of Canterbury, teaches the ideas without computers. The Computer Science Teachers Association published K-12 standards in 2017 and revised PK-12 standards in 2026.

2 The big ideas

  • Computer science is a subject, not only a skill. The 2026 CSTA standards name five concepts: algorithms and design; programming; data and analysis; systems and security; and computing and society.
  • Learn by making. Resnick's Four P's of creative learning, Projects, Passion, Peers and Play, shape Scratch: children build things they care about and share them.
  • Ideas before machines. Algorithms, sorting and binary numbers can be taught with cards, string and games, no computer needed.
  • Everyone, early. Standards start at pre-K, and 12 states now require computer science to graduate from high school.

3 What a lesson looks like

In a kindergarten room, the lesson starts with no screens at all. One child is the "robot" and stands on a grid of squares taped to the floor. The others write a program with arrow cards, forward, forward, turn right, forward, to get the robot to a stuffed bear. The robot follows the cards exactly, walks into a chair, and the class laughs and finds the bug. Next week the same idea moves to tablets: in ScratchJr, children snap picture blocks together to make a cat walk across the screen and jump. In 4th grade a Code.org CS Fundamentals lesson might mix one online puzzle set with one unplugged activity. In middle school, students make a game in Scratch: a sprite that moves with the arrow keys, a score variable, a loop that drops falling apples. They share it with a partner, who plays it and reports what breaks. In high school the work turns to text languages, data and the impact of computing on society, and some students take an AP course.

4 The adult's job

The adult does not need to be a programmer for the early years. Courses such as Code.org's are laid out lesson by lesson, and unplugged activities come with full instructions. The adult's real job is to ask "What did you expect to happen? What happened instead?" when something breaks, and to let the child find the bug. For older students, a teacher or mentor who can read code matters more.

5 How progress is checked

Mostly by what children make: does the program do what they meant, can they explain how, and can they find and fix a bug? Teachers often use a project rubric. In high school, AP Computer Science Principles is assessed with multiple choice plus written responses about a Create performance task, and AP Computer Science A is an introductory college programming course in four units.

6 Strengths and criticisms

Strengths

  • Excellent free material exists at every age: Code.org's courses, Scratch, ScratchJr and CS Unplugged are all free.
  • Debugging asks for persistence and careful thinking: the computer does exactly what you said, not what you meant.
  • Unplugged lessons let even very young children learn real ideas with no screen time.
  • Projects give children something to show and share, which keeps many of them going.

Criticisms and watch-outs

  • Access is uneven. About 60% of US public high schools offer foundational computer science, and in 2024 only 6.4% of high school students were enrolled in it.
  • "Coding" apps vary a great deal; some are mostly tapping through puzzles with little making.
  • Screen time adds up, so balance online lessons with unplugged ones for young children.
  • CS Unplugged is widely used, but its own authors note there has been little systematic evaluation of it.

7 What the research says

Most of what is known here is about standards and access rather than which teaching works best. Bell and Vahrenhold (2018) note that CS Unplugged is widely used but little studied in a systematic way. Scratch and ScratchJr rest on a long line of constructionist thinking from Papert and Resnick rather than on head-to-head trials. On access, Code.org's 2025 report finds about 60% of US public high schools offer foundational computer science, and by Education Week's count West Virginia's 2025 rule made 12 states that require it for graduation. This guide found no strong evidence for a best age to start or a best first language.

8 How to try it

  1. Play "be the robot": tape a grid on the floor, write a program with arrow cards, and let the child walk it. Then swap roles.
  2. For ages 5 to 7, try ScratchJr on a tablet: make one character move, then add a second that talks back.
  3. For ages 8 and up, open Scratch and make one tiny game in a week, then let someone else play it and say what broke.
  4. When something does not work, ask "What did you expect? What happened?" before giving any help.
  5. Try one Code.org course lesson a week; it is free and ordered by grade.

9 Using Peabody with it

  • Peabody BlocksEight tap-the-blocks coding lessons, from one step to a small game, with nothing typed and progress kept on the device.
  • TypingA typing tutor that adds keys two at a time, which helps once children move from blocks to typed code.
  • Free coding websites for kidsOur list of free places to learn, for going beyond what Peabody offers.
  • Coding project rubricA printable rubric for judging a child's program or game.

Peabody is free and has no ads. Pages on peabody.kids are for children; pages here are for the adults teaching them.

10 Programs that follow it

Programs and materials often named with this approach: Code.org CS Fundamentals, CS Discoveries and CS Principles, Scratch, ScratchJr, CS Unplugged, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A.

Questions people ask

What age should kids start coding?
Standards now start at pre-K, but early lessons need no screen: sequencing games and "be the robot" teach the idea of an algorithm. ScratchJr is made for ages 5 to 7, and Scratch for older children. This guide found no study that settles a best starting age.
Is Code.org free?
Yes. CS Fundamentals (six courses for K-5, mixing online and unplugged lessons), CS Discoveries (grades 6 to 10: web, apps, games, physical computing and AI literacy) and CS Principles for high school are all free.
What is the difference between AP CS Principles and AP CS A?
AP Computer Science Principles is the broader course: creative development, data, algorithms and programming, computing systems and networks, and the impact of computing, with a Create performance task. AP Computer Science A is an introductory college programming course in four units, from using objects and methods to data collections.
What are the 2026 CSTA standards?
The Computer Science Teachers Association's PK-12 standards, published in 2026 to replace the 2017 set. They have bands from PK/K through foundational high school, five concepts, twelve practices in four groups, and specialty areas including AI, cybersecurity, data science, game development, physical computing and software development. AI is spread across the five concepts rather than being its own.

Sources

  • Project-based learning: Students spend weeks answering a real question or solving a real problem, and finish by showing what they made to an audience.
  • Phenomena-based science: Science that starts with something puzzling to explain, so children ask questions, investigate and argue from evidence before they get the answer.
  • Mastery-based learning: Children move on when they show they've learned a skill, not when the calendar says so, with help until they get there.
  • Unschooling: No set curriculum: children choose what, when and how to learn, and adults help them follow their own questions.
  • Every approach in the curriculum guide

Written by Peabody Teach. No ads, no affiliate links, and no program pays to appear. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us.