Step-by-step thinking before any typing: kids line up commands to move a robot, use repeat loops and find the bug in a program that doesn't work. For patterns and shapes, see the math games.
Coding in the early grades isn't typing. It's putting steps in order, spotting a pattern you can repeat, and finding the one step that went wrong. Those are the same habits kids use to plan a story or check a math problem.
Robot Path teaches all three with arrows and a robot on a grid. It reads its questions aloud, so kids who can't read yet can play it from kindergarten on.
CSTA K–12 Computer Science Standards. Standards vary by state, so check with your kid’s teacher. Each standard’s page lists the games that practice it and ideas to try at home.
Each game moves up a level after a strong round and back one after a tough round. Here are the levels, easiest first.