Do you have a child that is interested in Game Design and Coding?

I get this question a lot from parents. What are good games to play to stimulate programming? What are good websites?

Recently a 7 year old took my Game design course and was so inspired, she wanted to learn more. Perfect! So for all the parents, kids and teachers out there, here are 4 great links that get you into Game Design.

Minecraft (of course)

Your kids are probably already playing it. Minecraft is a fantastic environment for early Game Design. In "creative mode", you can run around and build entire 3D worlds. System blocks are a feature which allow events and game mechanics to be programmed using some basic coding. Due to it's popularity, there are a variety of sites, videos, tutorials and friends to learn more from on how to "create" in the game.

One excellent site is Minecraft.edu which supplies educational resources using Minecraft's platform. Teachers and classrooms all over the world are turning to Minecraft to teach a variety of subjects in a simulated environment. Everything from Geography to Physics is being taught using Minecraft. Have a look at this mod developed for Minecraft that teaches Quantum Physics principles.

UPDATE: Microsoft has released a new website to help teachers to use Minecraft in the classs room. Check out http://education.minecraft.net/ for more information.

Codemonkey

This game was designed to teach the basics of coding in a leveled game. Each level teaches a new step in the coding process.

Hopscotch

This is a fantastic game that is available on the iPad. It teaches the basics of coding using pre-made animations, characters, and an easy to use interface.

Super Mario Maker

This Game allows players to design their own Super Mario Levels. This is a great way to learn the basics of level design in a 2D platform game. Have a read from Chris Kohler's Wired review about What Super Mario Maker taught him about Game design so far.