Curious how to learn Python for kids ages 10 to 18 (grades 5-12)? Discover some of the best free Python resources for kids, including free classes, tutorials, and worksheets you can use with your student to help them master this approachable yet powerful coding language favored by industry leaders such as Netflix and Google. Once students have mastered foundation of Python programming, they can expand to explore Artificial Intelligence for kids.

Middle and high school students can have fun learning Python programming with the support of an engaging, expert instructor in our award-winning live online free Python class, designed by experts from Google, Stanford, and MIT. We recommend elementary school students start with Scratch coding.

Learn Python With These Great Python Free Resources for Kids & Teens

Programming requires strong problem-solving skills and logical thinking—much like solving a fun puzzle. Python makes coding easy to learn and use, thanks to its simple and readable syntax. Unlike Java or C++, Python is very powerful, yet still beginner-friendly. Plus, it has tons of cool modules and libraries that let you do everything from analyzing data to building games, or even exploring computational biology.

If your student is new to Python or would like to enhance their skills, get started with free Python course, interactive tutorials, and free Python coding games.

Free Beginner Python Online Courses For Kids

Live online Python classes offer the benefits of structured learning from the comfort of home. Real-time interaction with experienced instructors allows students to ask questions, receive immediate feedback, and engage in discussions that deepen their understanding of the material. This interactive environment mimics a traditional classroom experience, fostering motivation and accountability. For students that prefer to learn at their own pace, there are also on-demand classes. Let's explore a few options.

1. Free Beginners' Python Class (Live Online)

This award-winning online course, designed by professionals from Google, Stanford, and MIT, guides students through beginning to learn one of the most popular and versatile languages. Led live by an expert, students get introduced to Python by creating an animate and drawing and building their own story with Python coding. Once you've completed this course, continue learning with the full Python course for kids and teens. Required: creativity and a passion for learning to code!

Ages: 10-18

Class type: Live online, small group

Class length: 55 minutes for one free session, 70 minutes for the complete course's sessions

2. Introduction to Python Programming (Video)

Offered through Udemy, this free Python course introduces Python to anyone with little-to-no experience or those who are refreshing their skills. Topics covered include variable assignments, data structures like lists and dictionaries, loops, conditional statements and built-in functions (that don’t require importing modules). Access through a free account is required.

Ages: 10+

Class type: Free access to pre-recorded coding sessions with instructor narration

Class length: Self-paced. <10 minute, each video. Total: 1.5 hrs.

3. Python for Data Science (Video)

Python is a powerful language in data science for its capability to develop artificial intelligence (AI). This Udemy course is designed especially for beginners with an interest in learning and applying basic python in the context of data science. The course highlights practical skills by using the IDE Jupyter Notebook, leading you through its installation to its use for coding basic python data structures, functions, if/else statements and loops.

Ages: 10+

Class type: Free access to pre-recorded coding sessions with instructor narration

Class length: Self-paced. <10 minute, each video. Total: 4 hrs.

4. Harvard University’s CS50 Intro to Programming with Python

Harvard CS50P (Harvard University’s CS50 Introduction to Programming with Python) is widely cited as a gold standard for free education.1 The course is self-paced and covers advanced topics such as regular expressions, unit testing, and file I/O—subjects often omitted from "kid-focused" resources. The pedagogical style of instructor David Malan is energetic and engaging, but the content is academically demanding, making it suitable for motivated teens.

Best for: Motivated teens who want a rigorous, college-level foundation.

Ages: 12+    

Class length: Self-paced with prompted guidance

Format: High-production video lectures + "Check50" auto-graded problem sets.

5. IBM’s Python for Data Science, AI & Development

On Coursera, IBM offers an introduction to python that requires only interest in the language. The curriculum involves data types, variables, data structures and core python libraries such as Pandas and NumPy. Registration requires choosing a certification you are interested in earning related to AI, data science, or software engineering. Interest in the aforementioned fields is recommended.

Ages: 14+.

Class type: Free access to pre-recorded lectures and discussion forums for a 7-day trial period.

Class length: Total: ~21 hrs.

Note: Once the trial has ended, the course will cost $39 USD per month to continue.

Free Python Exercises And Worksheets For Kids

For additional learning and answers to specific Python questions, explore any of the following websites for fun challenges and activities.

6. Your First Python Project

Get started learning Python with Create & Learn's AI Coach powered by ChatGPT in this simple interactive experience. Learn basic Python syntax challenge before moving onto a fun animation project. Ask questions and get immediate answers from your AI Coach if you get stuck. This is a web activity version of the essential content covered in our Free Python Class, which you can enroll and join online to learn with an experienced teacher live.

7. Python Practices with Interactive AI Assistance

Instead of following a fixed set of questions, this innovative Python practice adapts to learn's skill level and dynamically generates questions to help you focus on concepts that could benefits you the most. You can also get help from the built-in AI to answer any questions you might have.

The first 50 questions are completely free for everyone. Students who are taking Create & Learn's Intro to Python Class for kids and teens get the entire practice book for free as well.

8. Python Skill Builder - Create Projects with an AI Coach

Whey you learn a new programming language like Python, it is very important to practice by creating projects. This Python Skill Builder has been created to help students accomplish exactly that!

The first 2 projects are completely free for everyone. Similar to the Python Practices, the entire workbook is free if you are taking Create & Learn's Python class. The projects are mapped to the Python classes so you can use the Python Skill Builder as a companion tool when learning Python.

9. W3Schools

W3Schools is one of the earliest programs that offers beginner-friendly tutorials that cover fundamental concepts and practical applications of Python. The site includes interactive examples and exercises, allowing students to practice coding directly in their browser and see immediate results. Additionally, W3Schools provides comprehensive reference materials, quizzes, and projects to reinforce learning and build confidence in programming skills.

10. Practice Python - CodeChef

CodeChef’s "Practice Python" includes over 195 bite-size exercises covering a a wide range of foundational Python concepts, from basic syntax and output to data structures like tuples and dictionaries. It encourages "learning by doing." Students write code directly in the browser and get immediate feedback from CodeChef’s compiler, making it a great resource for building confidence and preparing for more advanced Python programming.

Ages: 12+

Class type: Free self-paced online practice problems

Format: Multiple choice question (first section is free)

11. GeeksforGeeks

GeeksforGeeks organizes a range of lessons from basic coding in Python (e.g. using print()) to coding more specialized tasks (importing the Pandas library and creating a Pandas dataframe). This can also serve as a helpful reference for any questions related to python.

Pandas + Python is a powerful combination that will help your child understand the foundation of Data Science and explore an exciting field. Join our live online class to learn the basics of Pandas.

Self-guided Python Curriculum For Middle and Highschool Students

12. Intro to Python - Visual Studio Code for Education

The Visual Studio Code for Education is a free IDE specifically designed for education use. The site includes free coding courses, including Python. Designed by Dr. Cory Bart for high school and college learners, this free Python course offers a deep dive into Python. The curriculum covers a wide range of essential topics, from core concepts and control flow (loops and conditionals) to functions, data structures, and debugging strategies. Students will learn to write interactive code and solve problems within a browser-based environment that mirrors the professional Visual Studio Code editor, making it an excellent bridge to real-world development tools.

Ages: 14+ (Grades 9-12 and College)

Class type: Free self-paced online course

Class length: 19 hours

13. Google's Python Course

Google’s Python class has many, lengthy tutorials that go through extremely detailed examples of various Python concepts. This class has lots of good information, great mini projects, and does a good job correcting common misconceptions that beginner coders often have. Also, software downloads are required.

14. Raspberry Pi Python

Raspberry Pi Code Club takes your students through multiple modules that drill down on specific Python skills. Python. Through six interactive projects, students will learn the fundamentals of syntax and logic by creating text art, building a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" game, racing virtual turtles, and designing an encryption program for secure messages. It is an excellent starting point for beginners to build real-world coding skills. . You don't need a physical Raspberry Pi computer to learn from their incredible library of free projects.

Ages: 10-18, Creative kids who like "making" projects

Class type: Free self-paced online projects

Class length: ~1 hour per project (6 projects total)

Explore Free Python Tutorials For Kids

Python tutorials can help students practice, problem solve, and build critical thinking skills. Here are a few of our favorites to challenge your student's new skills.

15. Write A Message Python Game Tutorial

Simplicity wins! So, no matter how confident of a programmer you may be, always start off by making a simple game in Python. To help you get started, we have put together a step-by-step tutorial for a simple Python game we call Write a Message.

16. Build Your First Animation

See the simple steps it takes to build a stick figure and animate it in Python. Try the extra challenge of adding eyes and hair!

17. Make a Harry Potter Hat Game

Learn how to make a Hogwarts Sorting Hat-inspired game! Use basic concepts in Python starting from importing packages, interacting with the user using input(), and ending with taking decisions using if-elif-else structures. Simply use this template and follow along!

18. Make a Chatbot with Python

This tutorial has all the steps and libraries needed to code a cool chatbot in Python!

19. Make Python Turtle Art

Learn how to make awesome animal art and fonts such as bubble letters in Python with this beginner-friendly project!

Free Python Resources For Kids

Now that you know some of the best free resources to learn Python, it’s time to take your skills further! There is a lot more to Python than just learning Python programming language. Python for Kids is also about applying it to popular real world applications such as AI, Data Science, and Computational Biology. By exploring these areas, you can solve real-world problems while continuing to practice and refine your Python skills.

Looking for even more free resources? The Python website has a beginner's guide for non-programmers that is very helpful. There is also plenty of Python documentation which can help you along the way.

We wish you luck on your journey! We look forward to seeing you in our Python for AI - An Intro to Python class and Advanced Python class soon.

Written by Nicole Maeser, a PhD student in the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology program at the University of Minnesota, developing and deploying artificial intelligence-based solutions to understand and treat cancer. Along her academic and professional journey, Nicole has been teaching since 2013, and recently held a 4-hour workshop in May 2021 entitled "Introduction to Deep Learning and Creating Neural Networks in Python and R." She hopes to inspire a growth of technical skill and confidence in the field of artificial intelligence.