Want to Learn Basic Coding? Try 5 Bite-Sized Coding Apps in Your Spare Time

Want to learn basic coding? Right now, there are too many courses to choose from. You can have your pick of programming languages but you also need to find out if you have the passion for it. Like any other skill, coding requires deliberate practice and patience. That’s why bite-sized coding courses fit the bill.

Dip your toe and find out if you would like to dive deeper into these languages. These apps tap into microlearning that will take up just a few minutes of your time each day.

1. Grasshopper (Android, iOS): Learn JavaScript With Fun Lessons

Area 120 isn’t as mysterious as Area 51. The former is Google’s own skunkworks. And Grasshopper is a fun gamification tool that teaches you JavaScript. The Android and iOS app will take you through a series of entertaining mini-games.

Each level is designed to strengthen your fundamental programming skills with JavaScript. These basics are common to all programming languages. The lessons start with “The Fundamentals” that shows you how to call functions, variables, and strings.

The challenges are made up of bite-sized puzzles and quizzes. You can easily do a couple of them in a few minutes or less. Set your own practice schedule with reminders so you don’t lose the streak.

Download: Grasshopper for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Mimo (Web, Android, iOS): Choose From 23+ Bite-Sized Courses

Mimo has a lot of languages and technologies on its platform. You can start with simple HTML and graduate to more advanced languages like C# and Java. The site and the apps break down all lessons into tiny chunks that a few minutes to complete.

You can pick one language or get on the specialized tracks that take you step by step through one skill. For instance, the Become a Hacker course is eight hours long. So the bite-sized daily lessons will teach you about basic programming, security, hacker culture, and cryptography.

Like other gamified apps, you collect points, badges, and other achievements as you progress through the lessons. Mimo offers a 7-day trial and then opt for a yearly or monthly subscription plan.

Download: Mimo for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchase)

3. SoloLearn (Web, Android, iOS): Learn to Code With a Community

To keep you motivated, SoloLearn relies on the power of community learning. SoloLearn’s Q&A forum is the nerve center of this experience. This follows the bite-sized lessons, interactive quizzes, and fun practice sessions on the site.

You can learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, Ruby, Swift, C, C#, C++, Java, and Python. The lessons are short and you can collaborate with other learners. Also, take part in interactive peer-to-peer challenges to reinforce your coding lessons.

SoloLearn is free. A premium subscription called SoloLearn PRO is the ad-free face of the courses. The subscription allows you to set learning goals and track your activity.

Download: SoloLearn for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases)

4. Encode (Android, iOS): Bite-Sized Lessons on the Go

Encode is an interactive coding editor. That means you get an interface to actually write and practice code. The app presents bite-sized lessons and supports it with interactive challenges to test your new skills.

The Offline Mode removes your dependency on bandwidth.

For now, Encode covers Python, Javascript, and web markup languages like HTML and CSS. The core concepts on Encode are perfect for beginners who are just starting out with coding.

Encode is free but ad-supported. You can buy Encode Plus and remove the ads.

Download: Encode for Android | iOS (Free, $4.99)

5. Edabit (Web): Take on 1300+ Small Coding Challenges

Edabit is a free site that plugs the gap between the basic syntax and the more advanced problem solving. It can be the next step in your programming journey after you have tried the apps above. Edabit doesn’t give you any more lessons; it tests you with interactive challenges.

The challenges are supported by the best tutorials and documentation from the web. Each completed challenge will give you the confidence that you have understood the concepts well. If not, you will learn from solutions to your mistakes.

Edabit is the shortcut to real world programming. Even if you are a beginner, you can use Edabit and its short challenges to get better at JavaScript, C#, C++, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Swift.

Can You Learn to Code in a Few Minutes a Day?

The short answer is no. A book or a full fledged programming course is the best way to start your study. But these bite-sized lessons serve the first appetizer if you are thinking about a computer science skill. If you think that you aren’t cut out to be a programmer, pick up one of these apps and have a go for a month.

These apps will help sensitize you to the rigors of coding and just might give you the clues to what you like or dislike about it. If you like it, then you can teach yourself programming with more thorough resources.

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