🧩 What is block coding?
Here your child writes a real program by snapping blocks together like Lego — no typing, no memorizing. The goal is simple: guide the monkey 🐵 to reach the banana 🍌.
🖥️ What's on the screen
Left: the map
A grid with 🐵 the monkey (start), 🍌 the banana (goal), and 🪨 rocks (walls it can't pass). A little arrow on the monkey shows which way it is facing.
Right: the block area
A tray of blocks to pick from, an empty space to snap them, a Run 🏃 and Reset 🔄 button, and a counter like "blocks: 2/4" showing how many blocks this puzzle allows.
🔤 What each block does
The monkey steps forward one square, in the direction it's facing.
Turns the monkey on the spot — it doesn't move, just changes the way it faces.
Repeats the blocks placed inside it several times — a huge shortcut instead of placing 10 identical blocks.
Checks the square ahead first, and only runs the inside blocks if there's a wall — this teaches decision-making.
Loops the inside blocks over and over until the monkey reaches the banana on its own.
💡 Each lesson unlocks only a few blocks — starting with just "move" and adding one idea at a time. No rush.
👣 How to play — 4 easy steps
- Drag a block from the tray into the empty space.
- Snap the blocks together into one stack, top to bottom — they click together like puzzle pieces.
- Press Run 🏃 and watch the monkey follow the blocks one by one.
- Not there yet? Reset 🔄 tweak the blocks and try again — as many times as you like. That's exactly how coding works!
🧭 The one thing to understand: direction
"Move forward" doesn't always mean go right — the monkey moves in whatever direction it's facing. To go up or down, first Turn to face that way, then Move. Watch the little arrow on the monkey to see where it's pointing.
❤️ Tips to make it fun
- Let your child act as the robot and walk it out first, then turn the steps into blocks.
- Mistakes are welcome! Trial-and-error is the heart of coding — praise them for trying again.
- When you see the 🔁 repeat block, ask together: "is there anything we're doing over and over?"
- Let your child press Run — the thrill of watching the monkey move is the best reward.
🤔 Stuck? Common questions
I pressed Run but nothing happens
It usually means no blocks are connected, or they aren't in one stack. Snap them together until they click, then press Run again.
The monkey crashes into a wall
It's facing the wrong way. Add a Turn block before Move so it faces the right direction first.
There aren't enough blocks
The "blocks: x/y" counter is the puzzle's limit — it's meant to make you think shorter. Use the 🔁 repeat block instead of placing the same block many times.
It says the program loops forever
This happens when a 🏁 or 🔁 loop can never reach the goal. Check that the loop actually contains a Move block and the monkey is facing the right way.