[petespeed]

Start with blockly: https://blockly.games/ Don't push to get all stages done. Engagement/interest is the key.

Next take them into scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/ Scratch will be sufficient to get their foundations strong in areas like conditions, loops, events, input, and many more. One important thing I recommend is to create the lessons yourself based on their interests e.g. take their favorite characters into scratch and build a lesson, game or comic.

Once graduated from scratch, I have experienced that they can easily jump into python or javascript based on their interest. If by that age, they get into minecraft, introduce them to modding (i think lua) or libraries like pygame. You will also be teaching them how to read API documentation and how to "google" for errors.

Overall, focus on practical applications that keep them engaged, instead of exhaustive topic learning. Once connected with their own interest, they will learn the rest as needed or in other educational setups.

[thorin]

That blockly games site is really nice, I think my kids have done scratch mini at school. I'm not really sure I want to "help" my kids to learn to program really, I'm more keen to see what they are into and then encourage them if they need help (but I'd prefer them to do it themselves).

I always preferred the stuff I discovered myself, which was mainly coding/games/computer art and music/guitar. Apart from buying me stuff occasionally, my parents mainly left me to it without too many other distractions.