Since I first came across Scratch, the programming language / environment produced by MIT, I've recommended it to a number of friends who wanted their kids to l

Since I first came across Scratch, the programming language / environment produced by MIT, I've recommended it to a number of friends who wanted their kids to learn programming. It covers the basics of software development (conditionals, loops, etc.) using intuitive and attractive GUI elements which can be combined and manipulated to easily create interactive programs such as animations and games. It also integrates well with the web (Scratch 2 programs can be created from within the browser) so it's very easy for users to show the results of their work to others. http://scratch.mit.edu/ http://scratch.mit.edu/