Kodable
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Free to try
- Education
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Kodable is a game that introduces kids to key concepts and logic for computer programming. There are simple games for younger kids and more complex levels on JavaScript and Swift for older students, and kids can also build games, design new characters, and create new levels. In addition to great content for kids, there are tons of materials for parents and teachers to support kids as they use the app, including lots of background information about coding and ideas for off-screen games to play to develop logic skills. There's a seven-day free trial so you can see if it's a good fit for your kid, and then there are paid monthly and annual subscriptions available. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Complicates things by a lot.
Kodable free levels are good starter for toddlers.
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What's it about?
KODABLE follows the adventures of the Fuzz family as they adventure through space, navigating mazes, dodging asteroids, and collecting coins. To help the heroes complete their journey, kids play through levels where they solve problems with sequential steps, conditional statements, loop commands, and more. To help them get through each level and collect coins, kids use programming logic to drag and drop commands. Kids play through one level at a time, unlocking the next as they go.
Is it any good?
Gamified learning is a great approach for teaching the logic of programming here; the story and characters are fun and colorful and will appeal to both boys and girls. What really sets Kodable apart from other early programming apps for little ones is the materials for parents. Parents with programming experience may not need the resources, but for parents who need some help understanding loops and conditional clauses, the curriculum is a welcome bonus. The ideas on how to build programmer-thinking off-screen are nice, too. The seven-day free trial is a great way to check out whether this app is a good fit for your kids; check it out and see if it inspires them (or their parents) to dive into the language and logic of programming.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how to use Kodable together. Take advantage of the rich resources included for parents to understand what kids are doing and learning and look for ways to play through the games together.
Talk to your kids about how coding works and how people wrote the code behind the games we play and the apps we use. Who are the people working behind the scenes to make computer programs and games? How is building a game different from playing one?
Once kids have mastered Kodable, they can move on to Hopscotch and MIT's online application development tool, Scratch.
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Math: patterns, sequences
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, logic, problem solving, strategy, thinking critically
Tech Skills: using and applying technology - Price: Free to try
- Pricing structure: Free to try (seven-day trial, then $6.99/mo., $49.99/year)
- Release date: April 30, 2020
- Category: Education
- Size: 292.10 MB
- Publisher: SurfScore
- Version: 11.3.17
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 9.0 or later
- Last updated: May 13, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love learning about engineering
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.