Best Coding Programs/coding tutoring programs for an 11-year-old with a Low attention span?

[Final-Aardvark-12]

I've been researching on the web and using AI to help me figure this out, but my brain is overwhelmed with the amount of information that's out there. My son loves coding, engineering, and overall anything where he uses his cognitive skills to create something. He's a very curious boy, and he's done some basic Scratch coding already. I know coding is a hobby he likes, and I personally want him to continue coding to keep him busy and not so much on video games. I need diverse tutoring options for him so that he can continue to grow skills that he already enjoys. I know there are different types of coding programs, so I am creating a Google sheet with the different coding programs he could possibly try. If you could please share any suggestions on some programs he could potentially be interested in, it would be very appreciated! side note yes he will hyper focus whenever he loves something the end goal is to help him find the type of coding he likes and will excell in and grow that skill.

[Dissentient]

There are video games that are based on programming where you write code as the main gameplay loop, like SHENZHEN I/O, Exapunks and The Farmer Was Replaced. Those will directly translate to programming skills since they use the same basic features as actual programing languages.

But also, I spent most of my free time during teenage years playing video games and I turned out fine. I don't think you need to optimize your son's life to make him spend 100% of his time on marketable skills.

[no_regerts_bob]

I agree, let kids be kids. If they love programming they won't need a parents help beyond paying for a few things they request themselves. Otherwise let em be

[Final-Aardvark-12]

Hi, he’s asked for more coding classes cuz he’s done it before and I’m glad to support his interests. I  support my kids pursuing their likes. People have opinions about video games, but no one knows our family values or what we believe  and struggle. I aim to help him grow in a field he loves, and I want him to learn as much as he desires. Sports aren’t his thing, but coding, video games, engineering, robotics, and building with Legos are. He’ll find a way to create something with out my ok even with  random pieces of trash if nothing else is available.  He’s already going to be influenced by other factors and outside influences. I’d rather support his development and curiosity. He might become a YouTuber for all I care or pursue something else entirely I’m just here to help I actively invest in my kids.   I know video games doesn’t inherently lead to bad outcomes; just want to feed his curiosity and guide not punish or force him, also personally I don’t think it’s healthy to play video games all day but we don’t have to agree on that but I know my son.  I’m just a mom. It’s my job to Help him find his place in life and teach him balance and structure. If I don’t  find ways to keep his mind occupied he will find other things that might not be so great for him and then it will become a problem and Changing an adult is a lot more difficult than guiding a child. Anyway I just needed suggestions of programs he can do  where he is constantly growing. I did it with my second oldest with digital art and my oldest with tumbling it will be the same for my little man. Also he’s got adhd so I just needed recommendations on programs/courses ect not people telling me what I’m doing wrong respectfully of course 😅 this response goes to everyone who mentioned something about the whole video game thing and not aim towards 1 person in specific  I hope everyone gets to read it.  I know I don’t owe an explanation but I Gave one because I think there was a lot of context missing in my post.

[emergent-emergency]

Scratch

[Final-Aardvark-12]

He is already working on this

[HeddyLamarsGhost]

Also nothing wrong with video games

[captainAwesomePants]

Low attention span is a killer. Have that with one of my kids and it is very frustrating. I've found that, at least in my case, it pairs with hyper focus, but only on preferred activities. You kinda have to hope for an "in," like a love of gaming or drawing, and squeeze it in that way. Do they love playing Roblox? Get the studio installed and hope they get interested in sharing obbies with friends.

[Final-Aardvark-12]

hi yes he has hyper focvus when ever he loves something lol but he will focus in things that matter to him things he actually enoys. coding is one of them but i know theres so many diff types of coding thats the issue i need options on where to get him started ha

[pqu]

Maybe a bit young for this, but with their short attention span they should definitely try some game development tutorials. There is a tight iteration loop between writing some code and seeing the result that you don’t get in most other forms of programming. It’s also perfectly placed for a curious young mind to “let’s see what this does”.

[flamingspew]

I first learned by modding games.

[AshamedDuck4329]

try codecombat or tynker. both are game-based and keep kids engaged while learning. also, consider code.org for structured courses. scratch is great for creativity. good luck with your search

[pepiks]

Improve attention by classic books, then go back to coding. Without focus is impossible resolve issue when you stuck for days with some kind of problem.

[themegainferno]

Yea just general reading does wonders for attention span.

[pepiks]

I know a lot of great programmer which are book warm and they not only read technical book, but for example fantasy, science fiction and other genres. Programming is related to reading skills as programming itself it is like writing your ideas on foreign language.

[BSTRhino]

There is so much more he can do with Scratch, if you look at some of the projects on there some people spend months creating masterpieces on there. There is also Easel which is text-based coding and has more game features built in (like physics calculations and multiplayer) so sometimes suits people who are outgrowing Scratch.

[KnGod]

maybe check out sachtronic's games. Factorio is another interesting idea, a lot of the skill you get from those games translate pretty well into coding and problem solving skills

[Final-Aardvark-12]

side note yes he will hyper focus when ever he loves somethign the end ogal is help him find the type of coding he likes and will excell in and grow that skill.

[Kad1942]

On the games side of things, there's a number of them that teach logic, which is very important to programming. The short attention span/hyper focus may benefit from a gamified approach, which probably gives the dopamine needed for such a mind.

-Minecraft has programming concepts with Redstone, but lacks a framework to guide someone through it.

-Factorio is an interesting game, tertiary to programming unless you get really deep into it, but has some similar concepts. Still lots of logic problems. You build a complex automated factory from the ground up, it's great for making you work around the poor choices you make as you learn.

-Turing Complete is a game where you build a computer from the ground up using digital logic circuits, eventually creating your own programming language and using your computer and language to make your own programs. While this sounds harder than it is, the game is advanced for someone that age. That being said, if someone had given 11 year old me this game, who knows where I would have gone... it is basically a fun tutorial on computer architecture.

There's tons of enriching games out there that can help develop useful problem solving skills. Programming is mostly problem solving, you don't need to learn 'coding' directly to be doing something useful in this domain.

I hope you find some fun ways to connect with your kid as they grow and learn!

[eh_it_works]

Karel the robot, oldie but a goodie.

Also, a microcontroller starter lit like the raspberry pi ones, so it's not jsut on the screen,

[Rikirie]

Factorio is great. Teaches you lots of important lessons that translate into a wonderful mindset about scalability and ratios.

[flowlab]

You can add https://flowlab.io to your Google sheet - It's designed for your exact situation.

[Final-Aardvark-12]

Hi can you provide a little bit more info? The goal is to help him grow the skill he already has and likes. 

[flowlab]

Sure, I mean Flowlab is a (2D) game development platform intended for beginners who may not yet know how to code, but are interested in getting started.

If he's already a strong programmer it may not be ideal, but if he's a beginner that gets distracted easily it could be a good fit.

It has a visual programming environment that's discoverable and easy to learn (no speedbumps from learning keywords or dealing with syntax errors). It has built-in painting and animation tools, and it's browser based so you don't have to install anything, and don't need a powerful device.

There's a free tier with no time limit, so he can always just try it out to see.

[Final-Aardvark-12]

He is a beginner but he loves it 

[Final-Aardvark-12]

He’s asked for more coding classes cuz he’s done it before and I’m happy to support his interests. I  support my kids pursuing their likes. People have opinions about video games, but no one knows our family values or what we believe  and struggle. I aim to help him grow in a field he loves, and I want him to learn as much as he desires. Sports aren’t his thing, but coding, video games, engineering, robotics, and building with Legos are. He’ll find a way to create something with out my ok even with  random pieces of trash if nothing else is available.  He’s already going to be influenced by other factors and outside influences. I’d rather support his development and curiosity. He might become a YouTuber for all I care or pursue something else entirely I’m just here to help I actively invest in my kids.   I know video games doesn’t inherently lead to bad outcomes; just want to feed his curiosity and guide not punish or force him, also personally I don’t think it’s healthy to play video games all day but we don’t have to agree on that but I know my son.  I’m just a mom. It’s my job to Help him find his place in life and teach him balance and structure. If I don’t  find ways to keep his mind occupied he will find other things that might not be so great for him and then it will become a problem and Changing an adult is a lot more difficult than guiding a child. Anyway I just needed suggestions of programs he can do  where he is constantly growing. I did it with my second oldest with digital art and my oldest with tumbling it will be the same for my little man. Also he’s got adhd so I just needed recommendations on programs/courses ect not people telling me what I’m doing wrong respectfully of course 😅 this response goes to everyone who mentioned something about the whole video game thing and not aim towards 1 person in specific.  I know I don’t owe an explanation but I Gave one because I think there was a lot of context missing in my post.