Coding
Machine Learning for Kids
Kids teach a computer to sort words, pictures, numbers or sounds, then put what it learned to work in Scratch.
Machine Learning for Kids turns the idea behind AI into something kids can poke at. They choose what the computer should recognize – happy versus grumpy messages, photos of cats and dogs, the sound of a whistle – and gather a handful of examples for each group. The site trains a model on those examples, and kids can test it straight away, spotting what it gets right and where it stumbles. The model then shows up as new blocks inside Scratch, ready for a question-answering bot, a game that listens for commands or a sorting game that reacts to pictures. The underlying lesson comes through clearly: a so-called smart computer is one that learned from examples people gave it. It looks most comfortable for kids who already know Scratch, since that is where the projects end up.
- Ages
- Kids who already enjoy Scratch
- Works on
- Web browser
- Topics
- Coding, Science
- Languages
- English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Japanese
- Listed
- 2026-10-18
What kids do
- Gather examples to train a text or image model
- Test the model and add more examples
- Use the trained model as new Scratch blocks
- Build a question-answering bot or voice-controlled game
Who it suits
Kids who already enjoy Scratch.
Notes for parents
Created by Dale Lane, who has also written a companion book. The interface is offered in many languages, and everything happens in a browser with an internet connection.
What you need
- Computer with a web browser
- Internet connection
Visit Machine Learning for Kids
More Coding
- Code.org / CodeAI: Guided coding activities alongside open tools for making games, animations, apps and web pages.
- ScratchJr: Picture-based programming blocks for making characters move and telling interactive stories.
- Scratch: Interactive stories, animations and games built by snapping visual coding blocks together.
- Kodable Basics: Maze-style coding challenges that begin with sequences and patterns.
- codeSpark: Coding for Kids: Coding puzzles that don’t rely on reading, leading into tools for making stories and games.
- Tynker: Coding for Kids: Guided coding puzzles, game-making and Minecraft-related projects.
- Hopscotch: Programming for Kids: Tutorials and open creation tools for building games and other interactive projects.
- Tynker Junior: Coding for Kids: Picture commands, voiceovers and themed adventures that introduce sequencing, loops and conditions.