Coding has now become increasingly popular among kids and grown-ups for all the good reasons. Knowing how to code isn’t just for the supergeeks anymore, getting a little code has grown over the years from just a hobby to a profession. Schools are also emphasizing learning programming among kids as young as in primary schools learning coding through various mediums. Gone are the days where learning a programming language was restricted to limited persons, or cost quite a substantial amount of money. Nowadays, several online coding platforms can be accessed for free that are beneficial for beginners looking to pick up a few new professional skills. We’ve rounded up ten free online coding classes below that will help the beginners to upskill their passion for coding.
Code Monster
Code Monster is an online learning platform that uses interactive approaches for teaching beginners the basics of computer programming. The platform implements a direct, straightforward approach to teach languages like Python, Java, and C++ for beginners. Their interactive high-quality on-demand videos explain the fundamentals of programming for kids using immediate action and a friendly animated monster as the guide. Code Monster classes are interesting enough to keep a beginner programmer hooked, but simplified enough so that kids can understand what’s being talked about. To enroll in the courses, you don’t need to sign up for an account, either. Just open the site, click on Code Monster, and you’re good to go!
Udemy
Started by Eren Bali, Oktay Caglar, Gagan Biyani in 2009, Udemy offers more than 800 on-demand courses, all dedicated to making you a pro at programming languages. The platform offers some of the best free courses in this domain such as Python, JavaScript, WordPress, HTML, CSS, Android Development, Bootstrap, PHP, Swift, and lots more. Apart from free courses, there are a lot of paid courses on the platform for all age groups. Moreover, there are always coupons and specials where you can find discounts and even free versions of paid coding courses. Visit Udemy without a second thought, to pursue one of the best free coding courses available online.
Coursera
Founded in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera offers dozens of free coding-based courses, on-demand videos, and resources taught by professors at leading universities. With more than 250 courses on programming languages for beginners of all age groups, you will not return empty-handed once you make up your mind to take up a course in Coding. The platform offers free courses on languages like Python, Java, HTML, and CSS, IoT programming, etc. Moreover, users can pay for certain courses to receive a certificate, there are a number of free introductory programming courses in various specializations from universities such as the University of Washington, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and the University of Toronto.
Codewars
Founded in 2012 by Nathan Doctor and Jake Hoffner, Codewars offers free learning of various programming languages such as Javascript, C#, Ruby, Python, SQL, Java via a series of challenges. The code challenges are designed for all age groups and draw from martial arts as each challenge is referred to as a kata. Each challenge aims to help sharpen your coding skills with a certain programming language or to learn a new one from scratch. As the user progresses through each kata, the challenges get more difficult and once a challenge is complete, you’re able to see how your solution stacks up to others. The platform eventually helps beginners learn different techniques that will be beneficial in solving tricky coding challenges.
Coding Blocks Junior
Coding Blocks, one of the leading learning platforms in programming, is offering free coding classes to school kids in Grade 2 – 12 and beginners through the Coding Blocks Junior channel. Founded by Mr. Manmohan Gupta, Coding Blocks Junior offers interactive sessions on Block programming, App development, Python, Robotics, and Web development. All of their free coding classes are conducted through their Youtube channel. The aim is to develop logical thinking and problem solving from an earlier stage. Moreover, there would be doubt sessions, assignments, and certificates of completion. So get trained by the Geek level coders and be a pro coder.
ICode
ICode offers free coding classes to equip beginners with a strong foundation in coding skills while enriching their overall academic strength. Founded by Abid Abedi, ICode enables kids ages 5-18 years to learn both Block Coding and Python, one of the world’s most popular coding languages. Developed as a self-learning platform, even students without any background knowledge in coding, progress through a series of self-paced development programs. The platform is committed to helping kids acquire critical 21st-century skills such as Problem-Solving and logical Thinking. All of their courses can be accessed through laptops and their mobile app is set to be released around the end of the year.
MIT Open Courseware
Massachusetts Institute of Technology through its open courseware is offering several free coding courses on Computer Programming for beginners. You can visit their website to choose the course as per your requirements, you can go through the degree program, or take individual courses. Users can take advantage of MIT’s free courseware site, which includes on-demand courses such as Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python, and language-specific courses like Java, MatLab and C++ and C, and lots more. Even without getting into MIT, you can get an MIT-level education, provided you have the motivation to complete the task. MIT, one of the top private universities in the world has opened its doors for talented learners and you should definitely not miss out on this money-minting opportunity.
Free Code Camp
Free Code Camp is a free online platform that helps beginners learn to code, build pro bono projects for nonprofits, and get a job as a coder. Founded in 2014 by Quincy Larson, Free Code Camp offers free verified certifications for all age groups in Full Stack Development and Front End Development. Their self-paced courses start with HTML and CSS and progress through JavaScript and cover both front end and back end development. The platform has a combination of learn-by-doing challenges as well as practical projects to implement what you’ve acquired. Best of all, learners work together on their coding skills so that they can build apps for nonprofits.
Code.org
Founded in 2012 by Hadi Partovi and Ali Partovi, Code.org is an excellent starting point for coding beginners and is dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools. The platform offers plenty of useful online resources, on-demand videos, apps, and even local schools that teach free coding. Their course curriculum is the most popular in K-12 computer science, with courses for every class. Their one-hour high-quality tutorial is designed for beginners of all ages in over 45 languages. Moreover, the platform often invites some of the biggest names in the tech industry to talk about how they got started in the coding world.
Codeacadmy
Code Academy is one of the most famous online learning platforms where beginners learn to code for free. More than 45 million people have learned to code using this platform’s engaging experience. Through Code Academy, you can dive right in and take courses that teach you everything from HTML & CSS and SQL to the most popular technologies like JavaScript, Linux, Java. Code Academy offers courses ranging from introductory programming to more advanced programming languages. The interactive learning procedure lets you immediately apply what you’ve learned. The platform offers over 300 million hours of free coding content to take you from a complete beginner to a professional developer.
Conclusion
Learning to code used to require access to expensive books and classes, but not anymore. Coding at home has now become more accessible with the free online coding platforms offering a range of courses and programs for beginners. The platforms are helping beginners and professionals to sharpen their skills during the pandemic crisis. When applicants are aiming to reinforce their skillset to be ready for the tough competition. Not only the government, but even parents are realising the potential of adding coding to kids’ education. So just give them a shot!
