Scratch (programming language)

Not just for children, whatever the cartoon mascot suggests. You build programs by snapping visual blocks together, so there is no syntax to mistype, and adults who freeze at a blank text editor can pick up loops, conditions and variables quickly while making a small game or animation. Scratch is free, was first built at MIT's Media Lab and runs in a browser. Harvard's free CS50 course opens with it in week 0 before moving on to C, which is a good sign of how it fits: a gentle first rung for the nervous, not a destination. Its community is aimed at young people, so adults may prefer to keep projects private.