Ask HN: Good programming language for kids

I'd recommend Scratch. It's approachable and intuitive - and cross platform. It bundles loads of sprites, images, sounds, music loops, and sample projects. It also imports photos straight from your webcam.

Lot's of people will rail against a language like Scratch because it doesn't have any "real world" uses. However, teaching is a real world use, and that's why Scratch was developed. Programming concepts transcend languages.

Most people focus on Scratch's drag-and-drop interface, which does prevent syntax errors. Not fighting syntax errors means kids can spend more time learning programming concepts and experimenting with things that matter, such as arrays, variables, and stuff.

The under-talked about feature in Scratch that makes a good teaching tool is the "single stepping" mode. This mode steps through the scripts, one block at a time, allowing you to see the code "execute" as the game/story plays out. Great for debugging or learning.

Lot's of great places to find tutorials online. Try: http://scratch.mit.edu http://www.scratchguide.com