[Obscurity4340]

Not sure if you have any iOS or Mac devices but I've found the Shortcuts app to be an amazing middle-ground for getting into coding and automation.

Its not technically "writing" actual code but given the fact your Shortcut is almost a program or at least a high-level function and that you can combine them to execute more complex tasks, its fantastic for promoting algorithmic thinking and does so in a visually-compelling colorful way.