16 Best Coding Competitions For Kids

Coding competitions are competitions where coding skills are used to solve a problem. These competitions can be a great way for students to learn how to code, and they offer students the opportunity to gain new coding skills while meeting new people and learning a wide range of different topics.

Luckily, there are many opportunities for kids interested in coding who want to challenge themselves by participating in one of these events.

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Here is a list of junior coding competitions worth checking out.

1. Google Code-in

Google Code-in is a global contest for pre-university students of age 17 years – 20 years who want to learn more about coding and digital making. Through this competition, you can choose a project that interests you and has the chance to be mentored by a professional. The coding tasks are simple so that students can complete them at different levels of expertise. Additionally, student teams can work together or compete in the challenge, making it fun for everyone involved. This competition has been running for ten years and, over that time, has had participants from 107 countries. To date, there have been over 9,000 tasks completed by students in areas such as documentation, outreach, training, user interface/design, and coding.

2. GoCoderz Competition

GoCoderz is an international competition that gives kids the chance to create an application and present it to a panel of judges. Students can choose from several categories for their app, including health and wellness, mobile apps, games, productivity, music, or creativity. There are also five levels available for students to work on: Junior (levels 0 – 1), Intermediate (levels 2 – 3), Senior (levels 4-5), and Expert (level 6). The competition is divided into two phases: an application submission phase and a judging phase. During the application submission phase, students submit an idea for how their project should work and the code their program will use to achieve these ideas. There are a lot of different challenges that students can choose from, but there are also several opportunities to help others during the awarding process. The judging process is much more rigid and isn’t open to changes. Top-ranking students will receive prizes throughout the year.

3. CodeChef

CodeChef is an online competitive programming platform. It is free to join and allows students to practice and develop their coding, problem-solving, and algorithmic skills. Various coding challenges are available on the platform, like puzzles, algorithms, and practical programming ideas involving data science concepts. Students can work independently or work in groups to complete their challenge. CodeChef has competitions that also address a more comprehensive range of issues and topics. For example, a general competition introduces new concepts, such as designing data processing systems, business plans, and marketing strategies. Additionally, several contests focus on specific countries and cultures, like France and China.

4. Scratch Coding Competition

Scratch is a free online program for students who want to learn how to code and make animations. In this competition, students can create a project based on an existing idea or concept, and once they complete their project, they submit it to the site. The best projects are then chosen by an internal team of teachers and volunteers. A new winner is chosen every month.

Scratch is a great coding platform for kids, as it is designed specifically for young people aged 8 to 16. It is free to use and available in more than 70 languages. Scratch allows users to create their own projects, including animations, games, and stories.

ScratchJr is a simplified version of Scratch that is designed for ages 5 to 7. It is also free to use and available in multiple languages. With ScratchJr, kids can learn the basics of coding while also creating fun projects

5. Code Girls United Competition

Code Girls United is a competition for girls ages 8 to 18. In these competitions, girls are challenged to create an app or website that can compete against other projects worldwide. This competition has four different types of contests: a STEM challenge that includes coding, design, and non-coding skills, an international contest with students from different countries all over the world, a U.K. coding contest, and a special education coding challenge.

6. Icode.org Coding Competition

Icode.org is a great site for students who are looking to learn how to code. Through the site, students can create programs, write code, learn how to make applications and solve problems using programming. There is also a coding competition that runs throughout the year on the website. The competition has three stages: qualification, testing, and rating of solutions, and final evaluation of coding solutions. The first stage of the competition is for junior students, and the solutions that they create can range from simple to challenging. There are also no restrictions on the type of coding that students can use. Students can learn how to code using Google’s App Inventor, programming languages such as Python and Java, or online coding tools like Codelite. Once you have finished your own project, you can submit it to be rated by other users. At this stage of the competition, you will find a group of experts who will rate your project based on technical and programming knowledge. The ICode Global Hackathon is open to students aged 6-16 years from all over the world. Participants can compete in either the block coding or Python categories. The goal of the hackathon is to create a working prototype of an original app, game, or website. The top three winners receive the title of Global Coding Champion and a cash prize.

7. Creative Programming Competition

The Creative Programming Competition is a competition that is open to students ages 12 -17. Users can complete different coding programs and challenges, including coding, app design, and website creation. This competition is especially good for students who want to start developing their projects. Many of the projects that students create are showcased on the website in order to inspire other students who might be interested in participating.

8. Technovation Challenge

The Technovation Challenge is an international competition with students developing an app or website to solve real-world problems. The challenge allows students to learn about entrepreneurship, marketing, coding, and other skills they can use in the work field. Students solve the problem of how young girls can access information about sexual health safely by creating their app for this purpose. This competition has several steps: design and development, business plan presentation, market analysis presentation, and product presentation. Since 2010, Technovation has been challenging girls from around the world to create apps to solve community problems. Girls between the ages of 10 and 18 are given the opportunity to learn about coding and app development with the goal of solving real-world issues. Participants have created apps that address bullying, mental health, and environmental conservation in past years.

9. CodeYourself Competition

CodeYourself is an excellent site for students who are interested in how to create an online application or a website. There are several contests and offers on the site, including a contest that starts at the beginning of the year and ends in April. The competition offers three different prizes each month: for the best user interface design, for the best technical solution, and for the best business solution. For the technical prize, students can use any programming language that they are interested in, while the business solutions and user interface designs are based on Arduino. There is an excellent variety of challenges that are available on the site. These include websites, apps, programming, and marketing.

10. Congressional App Challenge

The Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition hosted by Code.org, a non-profit organization that aims to encourage students to learn more about coding and computer science. Through the challenge, students across the nation can act as policymakers and create apps that might be used in Congress. The Main Competition is open to students from middle and high school ages in the U.S., and there are also regional competitions geared toward students of different ages. The Congressional App Challenge is open to all students in grades 3-12 who reside in the United States or the District of Columbia. Students can work individually or in teams of up to four people to create an original app. The apps are judged on creativity, usefulness, user experience, and technical skills. The winning students are invited to the House of Code Capitol Hill Reception in Washington D.C., where they will have the opportunity to showcase their app to members of Congress.

11. The United Arab Emirates Youth Hackathon

This hackathon is open to all students 14 years or older in the UAE and is specifically designed for any student who wants to learn more about coding and technology. Students work in groups of four people, and they have to develop a technology-based solution to a challenge posed by entrepreneurship experts that help to shape their ideas. The hackathon is a great way to develop new skills while also learning more about entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation.

12. The Microsoft Imagine Cup

This global competition is geared toward students of all ages who are interested in technology and the development of software applications. The Imagine Cup has three categories that are focused on different topics: student leader for those who want to learn more about leadership, student developer for those who want to improve their coding skills, and student innovator for a group of people who have an interest in social issues. After you submit your project to the competition, it will be judged on creativity, execution, and innovation. The competition is open to students from middle school through college. The winner of the student innovator award receives a $50,000 prize, while the other two categories offer a $25,000 prize.

13. International Olympiad in Informatics

This international competition brings together students who want to compete in programming and programming-related fields such as algorithms, artificial intelligence, and mobile device application development. There are three categories: the open category for students who are interested in programming, the junior category for younger students, and the advanced category for more experienced programmers. The competition is held over a five-day period and includes competitions, lectures, and tracks that enable you to learn about different topics.

14. Microsoft AppQuest Challenge

This competition focuses on learning how to use coding languages such as HTML5, CSS, or JavaScript to design an app or website for a real-world problem. The challenge is designed for grades 3 through 8; students who want to participate must sign up on the website. Once you have registered, you will be able to compete against other students who are designing their own apps in different categories. There are three rounds, including the design phase, the build phase, and the finishing phase.

15. USA Computing Olympiad

The USA Computing Olympiad is a competition that tests your coding and computer science knowledge with a series of written and practical exams. The Olympiad is open to students in grades 6 through 12 in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and it is held throughout the year at various locations across the nation. The Olympiad recognizes students who want to develop their computer science and coding skills by awarding them prizes for their achievements during the competition.

16. Intel® xCamp

This competition brings students from middle school through high school and provides them with different challenges that will improve their computer science, programming, engineering, and design knowledge. The camp is held in a different location every year, and it has a great website that allows you to find out more about the competition. It even allows you to see photos of past locations and learn more about what went on during the competition.

FAQ

Q. Which is the best coding competition for girls?

The Code Girls United Competition is the best coding competition for girls. This competition is open to girls of all skill levels, and prizes are awarded to the top 3 finishers in each age group.

Q. Which coding competition grants the most money paid?

The Congressional App Challenge is the best coding competition for money pay. The top prize in this challenge is $5,000.00.