Planning Guide
With Tynker’s game-based approach to learning, it's easy to engage students of all ages, interests, and experience levels.
Tynker uses structured, open-ended activities that allow children to learn and create.
New to Tynker? Create a free account
Add all your students to a class. Students will be able to access the Hour of Code activities from their dashboard.
Tynker teachers – No prep needed
If you already have a Tynker account, you're all set! The Hour of Code activities will automatically show up in your students' dashboards during the event. Encourage your students to log in to their accounts during the Hour of Code week to participate, and spread the word to your fellow teachers!
Sample Sequences
Grade K-2 | Grade 3-5 | Grade 6+ | |
---|---|---|---|
Beginner Level First-time coders |
Barbie™ Pet Vet Space Quest Peep: Dance with Friends | Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™ Dragon Blast Spin Draw | Dragon Dash Undersea Arcade Bird Mayhem |
Intermediate Level |
Candy Quest Peep: Dance with Friends Spin Draw | Dragon Dash Pattern Maker | Crystal Clash Physics Cannon Game |
Advanced Level |
Dragon Blast Spin Draw | Code Monsters Pattern Maker Physics Cannon Game | Code Commander Physics Cannon Game Counter Hack |
What Students Do
- Solve game-based coding puzzles to learn the basics
- Follow step-by-step tutorials to create drawing, music, animation, storytelling, physics, and arcade game projects
- Save and publish their creations
- Download the free Tynker App to create and run projects on tablets
What Students Learn
- Use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to complete puzzles
- Learn programming concepts such as sequencing, repetition, and conditional logic
- Apply programming concepts to create games, stories, and art
- Build projects they're proud to share with family and friends
- Learn that programming is neither difficult nor boring – it's a powerful tool they can use to bring their imagination to life!
Tips for Coding Success
- Pick a sequence of activities based on interests, grade level, and experience
- Create a portfolio of games, art, music, comics, greetings, and more
- Explore other students' creation and discover what they can do
- Don't stop! Continue solving puzzles and building apps from home
Fun Ideas for an Exciting Event
- Plan a Family Hour of Code Showcase! Invite parents, community leaders, and school administrators to see your students' great work.
- Post printouts of kids’ custom characters on a bulletin board
- Have a classroom challenge! Showcase your students' best creations.
- For experienced students – pick a theme and ask students to create lessons for each other using Tutorial Designer.
Beyond the Hour of Code
Tynker makes it easy to teach computer programming! Grade-specific and self-paced, the interactive curriculum lets students learn by creatively applying coding concepts to core subjects. Tynker includes everything you need to teach programming in a fun, engaging way, including lesson plans, teacher guides, answer keys, and standards alignment.
STEM Project Library
Our ready-to-use project templates integrate coding into the subjects you already teach.
Refer a Teacher
Help spread the word! Recruit five fellow educators to host an Hour of Code with Tynker, and you and your five invitees will each receive a FREE Tynker lesson.
Refer other Educators