Best Programming Language for Kids:
What to Start With at 8, 10, 12 and 15

When parents search for the best programming language for kids, they usually find long lists: Java, C++, Swift, Python, JavaScript. Every list names a different winner, and it's hard to tell which language suits a nine-year-old and which one is meant for adults. In this article we explain which language fits which age and what matters besides age. We also show why choosing the "wrong" first language is less of a risk than it seems.

The best programming language for kids depends on their age. At 8 to 10, children usually start with Scratch, where programs are built from colourful blocks. At 10 to 12, children who love games can move on to Lua, the language used to make games in Roblox Studio. From about 12, Python is a good first language in which code is typed as text. From 15, teenagers who are interested in building websites can learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript. When choosing, one simple rule helps: a well-chosen first language lets a child make something visible on the screen, such as a moving character or a small game, in the very first lesson. That's why C++ or Java is a poor first choice for a nine-year-old. In these languages, a lot of code has to be written before anything appears on the screen, and the child loses interest.

In Scratch, programs are built from blocks that snap together, so there's nothing to misspell. Children make animations, stories and their first games. Scratch is free and was created at the MIT Media Lab for ages 8 to 16. We describe it in more detail in our article what Scratch is and when to switch to Python. Lua is the language of Roblox Studio, the program used to make Roblox games. Children build their own 3D world and write short commands that make things happen in it: a door opens when a player steps on a button, or a coin disappears when someone picks it up. For a child who already plays Roblox, making their own game is a natural next step. In Python, commands are typed as text, but they are short and easy to read. Children start with small programs and gradually move on to their own games and simple applications, for example a quiz that asks questions and counts the correct answers. HTML, CSS and JavaScript are the languages used to make websites. They are for teenagers who want to build their own site and put it online.

Not really. The basic ideas of programming are the same in every language: commands run in a certain order, some actions repeat, and some happen only under a condition. A child who has learned these ideas in Scratch will recognise them in Python. Only the way they are written changes. Researchers have also studied whether learning to program helps children in areas beyond coding itself. In 2019, Scherer, Siddiq and Sánchez Viveros reviewed 105 studies and found that it does help develop other thinking skills, especially creative thinking, maths skills and reasoning. The benefit was moderate overall and smallest for school marks and reading. Two years later, the same researchers added an important condition: these benefits appear only when teaching is well organised. A new idea has to be explained clearly, and the child needs enough time to practise it. So the order of lessons and the teacher matter more than which language comes first.

If you're not sure which language suits your child, book a free 60-minute trial lesson. The teacher will see how your child reads and types and what they enjoy, and will suggest where to start. The lesson is online and one-to-one.

At Algonova each age has its own course, and on each one children learn by making their own projects. All courses run online and have 40 lessons. On the Scratch course (8 to 10), children make an animation with their own character, a game with several levels and a chatbot that says hello and replies. On the Roblox course (10 to 12), they build their own 3D game world in Roblox Studio and finish with a multiplayer game that the whole group plays. On the Python Start course (12 to 14), children make 2D games and their first desktop applications. Python Pro (14 to 17) is for teenagers who want to go further with Python, and on the Frontend course (15 to 17) they build a website and add it to their portfolio. Lessons take place once a week: 90 minutes in a group of up to 10 children or 60 minutes one-to-one. Each lesson builds on the previous one. The course itself works like a game with levels. When something doesn't work, the teacher explains it patiently and helps your child finish the project. Our teachers go through a three-stage selection process and are assessed every three months. If your child misses a lesson, the teacher gives them a one-to-one catch-up session at no extra cost. Three times a year you receive a written report: what your child has covered, what they're good at and what to work on next. At open lessons you can watch a class and talk to the teacher. At the end of the course your child has a portfolio of their own projects and an international-style certificate in English.

The easiest way to choose a first language is to let your child try coding. Book a free 60-minute trial lesson: it's online and one-to-one. Your child completes a real task with a teacher, and afterwards you get a learning plan showing which language and course suit their age and interests.