computer programming intros/packages/tutorials for children?

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:20 pm

my friend's kid is ten years old, and has an aptitude for mathematics and chess and is interested in (eventually) making video games. i think he'd be good at programming if he put his mind to it, so what software introductory packages and/or tutorials would you suggest?

WPD · Post by **WPD** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:49 pm

I'd say start him with HTML...it is quite simple, but gets you used to having some sort of syntax to follow and gives quick, satisfiying results.

Crowley · Post by **Crowley** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:50 pm

Why bother? His future job is already secured by someone overseas.

Tim Frederick · Post by **Tim Frederick** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 10:25 pm

I would probably reccomend Karel the Robot as a first programming tool. We actually used that in my first high school programming course (before moving into pascal and c++).

http://www.mtsu.edu/~untch/karel/

After that he can try learning real languages. But programming a graphical game is not that easy for someone with no experience to jump into. Java and Javascripting may be the next step after something like Karel? But start with something like this and see how it goes.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 10:48 pm

I know a lot of game code has traditionally been C++. Dunno for sure that that's still true.

Sith

Default · Post by **Default** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 12:16 am

rm -rf

Edmond · Post by **Edmond** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 12:56 am

You may also be interested in MSWLogo, the multimedia-enhanced version for MS Windows based on Berkeley Logo.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:00 am

again, he's 10, so no C++ yet... but LOGO was something i had in mind, as well as this package called http://www.microworlds.com/ Microworlds Project Builder... looked neat.[/u]

Kschang77 · Post by **Kschang77** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:04 am

Give him the Lego Mindstorm robotics kit.

Or if you don't have the budget, buy mind Cognitoy's MindRover software instead.

baka_na_ichigo · Post by **baka_na_ichigo** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:04 am

When I was in middle school, my dad introduced me to programming with Smalltalk.

http://www.squeak.org/

Squeak is the nifty IDE for Smalltalk. From what I can remember of it, it was fairly easy to use and fun to learn from.

POV-Ray (http://www.povray.org/) is fun too, and you get to see your results immediately since it produces images... It taught me such nifty concepts as RGB, looping (making multiple instances of spheres to form a circle of spheres!), variables, rotation/translation/scaling, proper bracketing procedures, and the z-axis.

I believe both are free downloads.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:56 am

hitbyambulance wrote:again, he's 10, so no C++ yet... but LOGO was something i had in mind, as well as this package called http://www.microworlds.com/ Microworlds Project Builder... looked neat.[/u]

Gosh, no. I wasn't suggesting that he dive right into C++ by any means. I was just suggesting that once he gets the hang of a more basic tag-based or scripting language that he might want to head in the C++ direction if there's a good introduction out there somewhere that's not too overwhelming.

Sith

DiscoJason · Post by **DiscoJason** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:05 am

Might the game Mind Rover be considered a game that could helkp out with developing program skills? If I recall, you programmed your little robots to do things. Might be good to check out.

http://www.mindrover.com/

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:17 am

i actually did mention Mind Rover to him (i have a copy of it myself... i should go play it again) - and Lego Mindstorms may be out of the pricerange.

DiscoJason · Post by **DiscoJason** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:18 pm

hitbyambulance wrote:i actually did mention Mind Rover to him (i have a copy of it myself... i should go play it again) - and Lego Mindstorms may be out of the pricerange.

Whoops! I missed it.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:20 pm

What about DarkBASIC? There are lots of beginner's books available for that, no?

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:46 pm

MindRover would be too complex to start with. Maybe at the HS level it'd be more appropriate, but for one new to double-digit ages, it's way over the top. I started at that age on Basic (TRS-80), after a brief (and uninspiring) time with LOGO.

~Neal

Octopus Overlords

computer programming intros/packages/tutorials for children?

computer programming intros/packages/tutorials for children?

Maybe when he's older...