My class will have kids at ages from 6 to 8. I assume coding on Python would be quite challenging for them, so I’ll stick with visual coding.

What options I have:

• Online paid platforms, like tinker.com.
• Offline and free, like Scratch or Snap.

Tinker?

First, I thought tinker.com is a perfect choice. They provide complete educational courses and extended coding applications.

I made one lesson with my son, and I decided to leave that platform. That’s the reasons:

• Students must log in each time to the platform. It consumes time.
• After logging in, the student every time sees the announcements splash screen. I haven’t found how it can be disabled.
• The app starts slowing on Raspberry PI 400 after adding some sprites.
• I am against using gamification mechanics on kids. In my opinion, the kids must develop intrinsic motivation and don’t rely on external motivation.

Scratch. Simple, but works.

We already made some projects with my son from scratch earlier. It´s simple, works fine on Raspberry 400, and can work without an internet connection.

So, I decided to use Scratch for classes.