Did You Know?
The term "computer bug" came from a real bug! In 1947, computer scientist Grace Hopper found an actual moth stuck inside the Harvard Mark II computer that was causing problems. She taped it into her logbook with the note "First actual case of bug being found."
How to Get Started
Getting started in a career in software development begins with learning to code and building projects. Unlike many careers, software development has an incredibly low barrier to entry: you can start learning for free right now with just a computer and an internet connection. The most successful developers are lifelong learners who build things they care about and are not afraid to make mistakes. Starting early with coding basics, building real projects, and connecting with the developer community can set you on a path to becoming a software developer.
Explore the Basics
Start with visual, block-based coding tools like Scratch (scratch.mit.edu), which lets you create games and animations by snapping colorful blocks together instead of typing code. Code.org offers free courses designed specifically for kids. These tools teach you programming concepts like loops, conditions, and variables through play.
Try It Out
Create your own games, stories, or animations in Scratch and share them with friends and family. Participate in Hour of Code activities during Computer Science Education Week. Try coding toys and games like Osmo, Sphero robots, or LEGO Mindstorms that combine physical play with programming.
Join the Community
Share your Scratch projects in the Scratch online community, where millions of young creators share and remix each other's work. Ask family members or teachers who know about coding to show you what they do. Watch age-appropriate coding videos on YouTube Kids to see what is possible.
How to Become a Software Dev
Explore more resources for a future Software Dev
Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding
Linda Liukas
Why We Picked It
Ruby's whimsical quest to find gems introduces decomposition, patterns, and algorithmic thinking through craft activities and storytelling — no screen required.
Career Connection
Software developers break complex problems into smaller, solvable steps — a process called decomposition — and Hello Ruby teaches that same foundational computational thinking before kids ever touch a keyboard.
Learning Resources Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set - Robotics Kit For Kids, Pet Coding, STEM Games, Screen Free Activities, Engineering Science Kit, Toddler Interactive Games, Gifts For Boys
Why We Picked It
This expanded coding mouse set with maze walls, tunnels, and cheese targets challenges kids to program increasingly complex paths using step-by-step sequential logic.
Career Connection
Software developers solve progressively harder problems by building on fundamentals, and this expanded maze set mirrors the same skill-progression approach that professional coding bootcamps and CS curricula follow.
Playz My First Coding & Computer Science Kit - Learn About Binary Codes, Encryption, Algorithms & Pixelation Through Fun Puzzling Activities Without Using a Computer for Boys, Girls, Teenagers, Kids
Why We Picked It
This screen-free kit teaches binary codes, encryption, algorithms, and pixel art through tactile puzzles and experiments that make abstract computer science concepts physical and visible.
Career Connection
Software developers work with binary data, encryption protocols, and algorithmic logic every day, and this kit introduces those same foundational computer science concepts through hands-on experimentation.