Common Sense Media Review
By Christy Matte
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Super simple story-based coding puzzles bogged down by AR.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Little Red Coding Club
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
In LITTLE RED CODING CLUB, Little Red Riding Hood and her friend The Woodcutter try to make it through the woods, collecting food without bumping into the wolf. Kids can help them along by "coding" their progress through a series of arrow buttons. The Woodcutter also has the ability to chop down logs in his way. Kids can place one instruction arrow at a time or try to code the whole thing in one try. Arrows on the ground show kids where there arrows will lead. This is an augmented reality experience meaning that kids will need to use the camera to find a flat location nearby. Once the game recognizes a good location and kids tap the screen, the game board/building screen appears. Kids can zoom into the game board and move around it by moving their device. There are 10 main levels and 8 bonus levels, but they don't need to be completed in order. Kids can also design their own levels using objects from the main game. There's a multiplayer option for players who both own the app and whose devices are on the same network.
Is It Any Good?
While the idea seems compelling, unnecessary (and unwieldy) AR and a lack of any sort of challenge make this journey to Grandmother's house fairly dull. Little Red Coding Club begins with a mistake a lot of apps do: It uses augmented reality where it simply doesn't belong and doesn't allow you to by-pass it. Kids start the game with an icon of a device moving around. There's no instruction about what to do or why. Also, trying to zoom and pan using your entire device rather than touch-based controls may make sense in some gaming environments, but not a puzzler you're likely to do while curled up on the couch. And the AR doesn't add anything to the experience. Game play is simple, but the puzzles don't offer enough depth: There are obstacles, but they aren't all that concerning or difficult to avoid. Kids will definitely use some basic coding logic, but it doesn't get any more advanced than the commands forward, right, and left -- no looping, conditionals, or functions. The elements are there to make it interesting, but it doesn't go far enough. Kids may enjoy making their own levels, but it would be more engaging with additional elements to unlock. There are roughly 20 characters and elements to use (5 of them are different ground blocks), and it's just not enough to make it fun. Ultimately, Little Red Coding Club needs less glitz (AR) and a bit more substance.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about coding. How do the puzzles in Little Red Coding Club relate to coding? What happens if you choose a wrong step along the way in the game? What might happen with a wrong step in a computer program?
Families can talk about learning with apps. Do you think this is a good app for learning? Why or why not? What can you learn?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : problem solving , Creativity : making new creations , Tech Skills : coding
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : March 2, 2019
- Genre : Kids' Games
- Topics : STEM , Adventures , Book Characters , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Publisher : Twinkl Limited
- Version : 1.3.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 12.0 or later
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
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.
See how we rate