Does your child want to show off their coding skills? Coding competitions for kids and teens are a great way to put their coding skills to the test, and win prizes and awards. They're also a great way to stand out for internships and college applications. So today we'll share some of the best contests to enter, hosted by prestigious organizations from The National Science Foundation to US Congress.
Discover Coding Contests For Kids And Teens
Whether your child just starting or already experienced, these competitions offer exciting opportunities to explore game design, robotics, app development, and more. Create & Learn’s award-winning free online coding classes, developed by experts from Google, Stanford, and MIT, are the perfect way to prepare your child for these challenges.
Coding Contests For Beginners And All Ages
Here are some of the top coding contests for beginners and students of all ages to get involved in!
1. NSF Game Maker Awards Competition
NSF (National Science Foundation) is one of the largest government agencies supporting fundamental research at universities and research institutes in the US. To commemorate its 75th anniversary, NSF is hosting the NSF Game Maker Awards Competition to encourage students in grades K-12 to imagine life in the year 2100, and the role science and technology will play in shaping the future. Enroll your child in NSF Competition mentorship classes for help brainstorming game ideas, exploring game design, and help resolving issues you might have.
Grades: K-12, elementary, middle, high school
2. American Computer Science League
The American Computer Science League (ACSL) is an international coding competition among over 300 schools. Competitions occur online throughout the year and consist of four contests. Each contest consists of a written section to analyze code and a programming section.
Grades: K-12, elementary, middle, high school
3. Bebras Computing Challenge
The Bebras Computing Challenge consists of problems in various topics related to informatics and computational thinking. Kids have 45 minutes to complete as many of the 15 problems as they can in the online competition.
Ages: 6-18 years old, elementary, middle, high school
Scratch Coding Competitions
Scratch coding competitions provide a fun and creative way for kids to showcase their coding skills by making games, animations, and interactive stories. These contests help young learners strengthen their understanding of essential coding concepts while expressing their imagination. Enrolling your child in live online Scratch coding classes is a great way to prepare them for these exciting competitions. Here are some popular Scratch coding contests that your child can participate in!
4. Scratch Olympiad
The Scratch Olympiad is a coding contest for kids all around the world. Kids can participate individually or in teams and submit a Scratch project they create to the contest.
Ages: 7 years old and up
5. International Kids Coding Competition
The International Kids Coding Competition (IKCC) is a Scratch coding competition. Kids from all around the world participate in the competition by submitting projects they create in Scratch. The IKCC hosts competitions throughout the year and in different topics.
Ages: 7-14 years old
Coding Contests For Girls
Coding contests for girls provide an empowering opportunity for young girls to dive into the world of technology and computer science. These competitions are designed to inspire creativity, problem-solving, and innovation while challenging the traditional view of what a coder looks like. By participating in these contests, girls can develop important coding skills, collaborate with peers, and showcase their talents on a global stage. Here are some exciting coding competitions specifically for girls!
6. Technovation Challenge
The Technovation Challenge invites teams of girls to solve real-world problems. Teams around the world create apps to solve problems. Technovation also hosts events in local chapters.
Ages: 8-18 years old
7. Code/Art Code Yourself Competition
The Code/Art Code Yourself competition combines creativity, art, and coding to inspire girls to pursue computer science while also challenging societal views of what a coder looks like. Beginner and experienced coders are encouraged to participate.
Grades: 3-12
8. Code Girls United NW Regional App Challenge
The Code Girls United NW Regional App Challenge gives young girls the opportunity to create a coding project and present it to a panel of judges. Girls compete in teams of 2-5 and present an app they develop and business plan for an opportunity to show off their skills and win prizes.
Grades: Grades 4-8
Computer Science Competitions
Computer science competitions offer students the chance to tackle challenging problems, showcase their coding skills, and push the boundaries of what they can create. These contests allow students to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios, often focusing on solving complex issues or developing innovative solutions. Whether they're building apps, creating algorithms, or contributing to scientific research, participating in computer science competitions can open doors to new learning opportunities and future careers. Here are some fascinating computer science competitions for students to explore.
9. International Olympiad in Informatics
The International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) is an annual international coding competition for secondary students. Students are chosen to represent their country after participating in national competitions to participate in the IOI.
Grades: 6-12
10. Congressional App Challenge
The Congressional App Challenge is a prestigious competition designed to encourage creativity. Students create and submit an app using any programming language and about any theme or topic they choose.
To get ready for the challenge, we recommend your child completes Mobile Coding for Apps and Games to learn about Thunkable or Build Your Web to master HTML/CSS/Javascript.
They can also join our Congressional App Challenge Mentoring Classes to build their project for the challenge from end to end, guided by our experienced teachers.
Grades: 6-12
11. MIT THINK Scholars Program
The MIT THINK Scholars Program awards high school students with mentoring and funding for research projects. This program aims to support students who are looking for additional guidance on a project they are interested in. Students submit a proposal for a project in any field that can be completed within a semester.
Grades: 9-12
12. NASA App Development Challenge
The NASA App Development Challenge (ADC) is a coding challenge in which NASA presents technical problems to middle and high school students seeking student contributions to deep space exploration missions. By responding to the ADC, students take a part directly in the Artemis Generation endeavors to land American astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.
Grades: 9-12
Robotics Competition
Explore some of the most prestigious robotics competitions for kids. Create & Learn's robotics classes and robotics camps are a great way to get ready for these fun robotics competitions.
13. First LEGO League
The First LEGO League gives kids real-world problems through a guided, global robotics program and consists of three divisions based on age groups. Kids from all around the world have the opportunity to show off their coding, creativity, and critical thinking skills to solve problems. Events and competitions occur all year.
Ages: 4 and up
14. World Robot Olympiad
The World Robot Olympiad allows students to compete in various categories, including Robo Mission, Robo Sports, and Future Innovators. The competition uses LEGO Mindstorms to have kids solve problems and compete against kids from all over the world.
Grades/ages: 8-19 years old
15. National Robotics Challenge
The National Robotics Challenge helps students improve their understanding of automation and robotics. Kids work with simple materials and kits to design robots that solve problems, such as navigating mazes or search and rescue tasks.
Grades: K-12
Enter Coding Contests And Competitions For Kids And Teens
There are many coding contests for kids and teens to show off your coding skills, and win prizes and awards. Help your child practice their coding skills in an award-winning live online Scratch coding class, Python class, or mobile app development class.
Written by Jamila Cocchiola who has always been fascinated with technology and its impact on the world. The technologies that emerged while she was in high school showed her all the ways software could be used to connect people, so she learned how to code so she could make her own! She went on to make a career out of developing software and apps before deciding to become a teacher to help students see the importance, benefits, and fun of computer science.
