Move the Turtle. Learn to code

What it is: an app for teaching children the basics of programming based on the LOGO programming language.

What you do with it: program the turtle to draw lines, shapes, play sounds by using simple commands (draw, turn, play sound) and basic programming language elements (loops, variables etc). There are 3 main modes of play: learning mode (follow the instructions and try to solve the task using a given set of commands, there are 3 levels of difficulty, 9 tasks each), composition mode (make your own graphical compositions using all available commands) and projects mode where you can review and modify 30 ready-made projects.

What we liked: the excellent (and very well implemented) concept, easy to use visual interface (but please see below), very good help system with instructions, the option to set up multiple student accounts.

What we didn't like: we found the 'game like' interface in the learning mode a bit confusing (we would prefer a text-based menu). We would like to see more basic tasks with simple instructions (for younger kids). More complex levels lack detailed instructions ('what do you use loops or variables for'). No option to share your projects with other users.

Bottom line: an excellent app for teaching planning complex tasks, sequential and algorithmic thinking and basic concepts of programming.

Appysmarts