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Prepare for the Hour of Code

Hour of Code is a global movement celebrating coding and computer programming for all ages. The official Hour of Code is December 12, 2021, but the celebration lasts the entire week of December 6. Students from all around the world take an hour (or longer) and learn basic coding. Discover many tools and resources you can use to introduce your students to coding.

Grades K-12

TeachersFirst's Coding in the Classroom

Peruse this curated collection to nurture problem-solving skills, logic, and creativity by using the ideas in the In the Classroom portions of these reviews. Find resources for the Hour of Code or use them as ongoing technology lessons.

Grades K-12

Code

Sign your students up so they can join the 60 million students already registered for Hour of Code. This home site for Hour of Code offers a place to register your class, resources for educators, and many coding activities for all ages.

Grades K-12

Pencil Code Gym

Code your own art, music, and interactive fiction using Coffescript, HTML, Javascript, or CSS. Follow instructions to code using drag-and-drop blocks or text. Click the pencil in the upper left corner to see several resources for teachers and students.

Grades K-12

Flappy Code

Create a Flappy Bird game using drag-and-drop code, then save it to your phone to play over and over! Follow the 10-step directions to add code to make your bird fly toward a target and give directions for the end-of-game results, then share the URL.

Grades 2-12

Minecraft Hour of Code Tutorials

Use code to make your own Minecraft game or learn the basics of computer coding by moving characters through a Minecraft world in these Hour of Code activities. Free resources include a lesson plan, videos, teacher training, and a science curriculum.

Grades 4-12

MakeCode Arcade

Modify or create retro games. Resources on the site include coding tutorials, game design concepts, learning outcomes, and courses in coding. Follow the prompts within the tutorials to create unique games using drag-and-drop code blocks.

Grades K-12

Blockly Games

Learn computer programming using a resource developed for students who don't have any prior coding experience. Games progress in difficulty, starting with a simple puzzle and ending with creating a pond game with text-based programming.

Coding Resources for Young Students

In this section, we are sharing coding tools designed specifically for your youngest students. Use these resources to get your students involved in the Hour of Code. 

Grades 2-6

Disney Hour of Code Digital Toolkit - Moana: Wayfinding with Code

Discover ways for your elementary students to participate in the Hour of Code using the videos, printable toolkit, and hands-on coding adventure available on this site, which offers students ages 8–12 an introduction to computer science.

Grades K-6

Learning with Santa Tracker

Engage your students in coding with elves, reindeer, and other seasonal fun. When you arrive at the page, scroll down to explore the Code Lab and discover 14 levels of coding activities to help young students learn basic coding skills.

Grades 1-6

E.A.K. (Erase All Kittens)

Share this site with your students so they can learn how to build ledges, add boxes, and more as their friend Arka endeavors to save the missing kittens. Short demos and tips throughout the activity guide players on how to add and edit code.

This Week at TeachersFirst

Engage in some professional learning this week with an upcoming Twitter chat and our featured blog post. If you are attending the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) conference, stop by and say hello. And finally, we kindly ask for your input in our weekly poll!