A New, Free Coding Tool for Kids

Hey kids! Are you ready for some great news? The Raspberry Pi Foundation has created a new online code editor specially designed for young learners aged 7 and up. This cool tool is free and perfect for code clubs, CoderDojo, schools, and even for learning at home.

Raspberry Pi online Code Editor
Screenshot of the Raspberry Pi online Code Editor. Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation

Simple and Easy Python Coding

So, what’s the best part? You can write and run Python code directly in your browser! That’s right, there’s no setup needed. Moreover, it’s simple and easy for beginners who are learning text-based coding. Additionally, you can save your code using your Raspberry Pi Foundation account, allowing you to work on projects both at home and school.

Now, you might wonder why Python? It’s because Python is popular in schools and clubs. In fact, it’s often the first text-based language kids learn after block-based programming like Scratch. Furthermore, the Raspberry Pi Foundation plans to add support for web languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript soon.

Help Improve Code Editor

Code Editor is in its beta testing phase. The Raspberry Pi Foundation wants your help. Test it and share your thoughts. Tell them what works well, what doesn’t, and what you’d like to see next. They’re planning to add cool features like project sharing, collaboration, and making sure the editor is safe and age-appropriate.

Child using Raspberry Pi 400 computer
Getting to grips with the Raspberry Pi 400. Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Ultimately, the main goal of the Code Editor is to help millions of kids like you learn about computers and create awesome digital projects. The Raspberry Pi Foundation wants to make the editor easy for beginners, help you gain confidence as you learn, and bring project instructions and code editing together in one place. They’re also working on making the editor work well on smartphones and tablets and supporting different languages.

Lastly, Code Editor project has been funded by the Algorand Foundation and Endless. The Raspberry Pi Foundation plans to make the editor available as an open-source project, which means other organizations can use and improve it, too. So go ahead, give the Code Editor a try, and have fun learning to code!