Coding
Scratch or Python: where should young coders start?
Both are good first languages. The better question is what your child wants to make — a game, a story, or a robot that moves.
This is the question we hear most at enrolment. A parent has read that Python is a "real" language and Scratch is "for little kids", and wants to know which one their child should learn first. Our answer is almost always: it depends on what your child wants to make.
What Scratch does well
Scratch uses blocks that snap together. There are no typing mistakes, no missing brackets and no error messages in red. A seven-year-old can make a cat walk across the screen in the first ten minutes.
That early win matters. It shows children that code makes things happen. In our Scratch Coding class, students finish a small game of their own by week ten and explain how it works to their families.
Best for ages 7 to 9
Good for children who like stories, drawing and games
Teaches loops, conditions and events without any typing
What Python does well
Python is typed, line by line. It is slower at the start, but it can do much more. Students write scripts that draw patterns, roll dice, sort files and later control real hardware.
Python suits children who read and type comfortably and who enjoy puzzles. Most of our Python for Kids students are between ten and twelve.
A child who finishes a Scratch game has already learned how to think like a programmer. Python just changes how they write it down.
How to choose
Ask what they want to make. Games and animations point to Scratch. Tools, puzzles and robots point to Python.
Look at their typing. If typing a sentence takes a minute, start with blocks.
Don't worry about "wasting time". The ideas carry over. Students who start with Scratch usually move through Python faster.
If you're still unsure, book a trial class in either one. Teachers will tell you honestly which one fits after an hour together.
Thanks for reading
