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Is there something like this but for code? I can imagine having some visual blocks and wires to get a wanted output image, and then gradually it could use symb

Is there something like this but for code? I can imagine having some visual blocks and wires to get a wanted output image, and then gradually it could use symbols or function names instead of the pictures, or you could even go deeper into the blocks to get down to more lower level instructions... Like Blueprints in UE4 : https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Engine/Blueprints/GettingStarted/index.html https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Engine/Blueprints/G...

j_s 11y ago
Check out the following all based on the 'connect the puzzle pieces' UI of App Inventor: http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/designer-blocks.html http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/designer-blocks.html https://blockly-games.appspot.com/ https://blockly-games.appspot.com/ (transitions to JavaScript) http://pencilcode.net/ http://pencilcode.net/ https://www.makewonder.com/ https://www.makewonder.com/ (physical robots)
rkda 11y ago
That would be awesome. I like CodeCombat but it's still direct coding. It'd be nice to learn variables, control flow structures etc but visually. The same way that DragonBox doesn't make it explicit that you're actually learning algebra.
tptacek 11y ago
You mean like Scratch?
outsidetheparty 11y ago
scratch.mit.edu is not far from what you're describing.
Steuard 11y ago
A friend of mine created the board game Robot Turtles ("programming for preschoolers"), which has a bit of that goal. It's a parent-child(ren) thing rather than a solo activity, mind you. http://www.robotturtles.com/ http://www.robotturtles.com/
Ollinson 11y ago
Spacechem http://www.zachtronics.com/spacechem/ http://www.zachtronics.com/spacechem/ It's not intended at all as a programming education product but I think that's what's so great about it.
- falcolas 11y ago
  Plus one to spacechem. Not only does it teach the basic programming elements, it goes really deep into handling concurrent operations. I can't recommend it enough to help explain programming concepts, and as a brain teaser for my colleagues.
wslh 11y ago
ScratchJr for tablets (iOS, Android). It is much better than Scratch for young kids (the mouse and keyboard are from the 20th century): http://www.scratchjr.org/ http://www.scratchjr.org/
- mathgeek 11y ago
  > It is much better than Scratch for young kids (the mouse and keyboard are from the 20th century) As a father of two young boys, I don't think that "tools are from the 20th century" is the reason that it's easier for young kids. It's more about touching and pointing being more intuitive than typing and using a mouse. Kids will adapt to whatever tools they are given. The fact that most of us these days will put kids in front of a touch-enabled device before a keyboard doesn't mean that the keyboard is any less useful or important. It's still going to be a while before touch-and-gesture will be a better tool than typing for writing code.
  - wslh 11y ago
    Please take it with a pinch of salt. The keyboard and mouse are not obsolete but when you see a young kid putting so much energy in learning how to drag and drop objects in Alice ( http://www.alice.org/index.php http://www.alice.org/index.php ) instead of creating things the multitouch devices bring a solution.
opiex 11y ago
http://www.playcodemonkey.com/ http://www.playcodemonkey.com/
boothead 11y ago
I just got my 7 year old daughter started on the http://code.org/ http://code.org/ exercises. She completed the hour of code, got her certificate, and is now always saying to me "Daddy can we do some more code"?
- toxicFork 11y ago
  That's awesome!
groundCode 11y ago
For Doctor Who fans, there's always this one from the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/doctor-who-game http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/doctor-who-game
sergiotapia 11y ago
None of the apps suggested actually help learn to think logically like you do when programming. There is ONE app I found that does just that and nothing more. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kodable/id577673067?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kodable/id577673067?mt=8 Kodable. It's free but more importantly, it teaches kids about loops and sequencing commands - things you do on a day to day basis while programming (unless you're a functional programmer haha).
- hayd 11y ago
  I guess it comes down to what it means to "think logically"? If you can solve previously unseen algebra problems, and improve your understanding you're having to "think logically" - you're not just randomly button pressing, you're seeing the pattern.
rajatrocks 11y ago
I really like Cargo-Bot for the iPad: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669821/cargo-bot-an-addictive-ipad-game-that-teaches-programming-concepts http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669821/cargo-bot-an-addictive-i... Got Robot Turtles for the kids (4 and 7) and they got bored pretty quickly since there's only so much you can do (move, turn, shoot).

j_s 11y ago

Check out the following all based on the 'connect the puzzle pieces' UI of App Inventor: http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/designer-blocks.html http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/designer-blocks.html https://blockly-games.appspot.com/ https://blockly-games.appspot.com/ (transitions to JavaScript) http://pencilcode.net/ http://pencilcode.net/ https://www.makewonder.com/ https://www.makewonder.com/ (physical robots)

rkda 11y ago

That would be awesome. I like CodeCombat but it's still direct coding. It'd be nice to learn variables, control flow structures etc but visually. The same way that DragonBox doesn't make it explicit that you're actually learning algebra.

tptacek 11y ago

You mean like Scratch?

outsidetheparty 11y ago

scratch.mit.edu is not far from what you're describing.

Steuard 11y ago

A friend of mine created the board game Robot Turtles ("programming for preschoolers"), which has a bit of that goal. It's a parent-child(ren) thing rather than a solo activity, mind you. http://www.robotturtles.com/ http://www.robotturtles.com/

Ollinson 11y ago

Spacechem http://www.zachtronics.com/spacechem/ http://www.zachtronics.com/spacechem/ It's not intended at all as a programming education product but I think that's what's so great about it.

falcolas 11y ago
Plus one to spacechem. Not only does it teach the basic programming elements, it goes really deep into handling concurrent operations. I can't recommend it enough to help explain programming concepts, and as a brain teaser for my colleagues.

wslh 11y ago

ScratchJr for tablets (iOS, Android). It is much better than Scratch for young kids (the mouse and keyboard are from the 20th century): http://www.scratchjr.org/ http://www.scratchjr.org/

mathgeek 11y ago
> It is much better than Scratch for young kids (the mouse and keyboard are from the 20th century) As a father of two young boys, I don't think that "tools are from the 20th century" is the reason that it's easier for young kids. It's more about touching and pointing being more intuitive than typing and using a mouse. Kids will adapt to whatever tools they are given. The fact that most of us these days will put kids in front of a touch-enabled device before a keyboard doesn't mean that the keyboard is any less useful or important. It's still going to be a while before touch-and-gesture will be a better tool than typing for writing code.
- wslh 11y ago
  Please take it with a pinch of salt. The keyboard and mouse are not obsolete but when you see a young kid putting so much energy in learning how to drag and drop objects in Alice ( http://www.alice.org/index.php http://www.alice.org/index.php ) instead of creating things the multitouch devices bring a solution.

opiex 11y ago

http://www.playcodemonkey.com/ http://www.playcodemonkey.com/

boothead 11y ago

I just got my 7 year old daughter started on the http://code.org/ http://code.org/ exercises. She completed the hour of code, got her certificate, and is now always saying to me "Daddy can we do some more code"?

toxicFork 11y ago
That's awesome!

groundCode 11y ago

For Doctor Who fans, there's always this one from the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/doctor-who-game http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/doctor-who-game

sergiotapia 11y ago

None of the apps suggested actually help learn to think logically like you do when programming. There is ONE app I found that does just that and nothing more. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kodable/id577673067?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kodable/id577673067?mt=8 Kodable. It's free but more importantly, it teaches kids about loops and sequencing commands - things you do on a day to day basis while programming (unless you're a functional programmer haha).

hayd 11y ago
I guess it comes down to what it means to "think logically"? If you can solve previously unseen algebra problems, and improve your understanding you're having to "think logically" - you're not just randomly button pressing, you're seeing the pattern.

rajatrocks 11y ago

I really like Cargo-Bot for the iPad: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669821/cargo-bot-an-addictive-ipad-game-that-teaches-programming-concepts http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669821/cargo-bot-an-addictive-i... Got Robot Turtles for the kids (4 and 7) and they got bored pretty quickly since there's only so much you can do (move, turn, shoot).