🧠 Learn how AI works · 💻 Coding · 🏫 Classroom tools
CodeAI (formerly Code.org), incl. Hour of AI
By CodeAI (nonprofit, formerly Code.org). Visit CodeAI (formerly Code.org), incl. Hour of AI
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
The nonprofit long known as Code.org, now renamed CodeAI. It offers free K-12 courses in computer science, AI and data, plus short activities like AI for Oceans, where kids train a model to spot sea creatures and trash, and Dance Party: AI Edition. The Hour of AI, the successor to the Hour of Code, collects one-hour AI activities from many organizations each December. Most tutorials work without an account.
Our take: A dependable free starting point for classrooms and families; check the outside organization's rules before using any Hour of AI activity not made by CodeAI.
| Ages it suits | grades K-12 |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Children under 13 can try most tutorials without an account, but progress is not saved. Some labs (App Lab, Game Lab, Web Lab) are allowed for under-13s only in class with teacher approval. Depending on where they live, under-13s may need a parent's approval to make an account; teachers can create student accounts. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free (Oct 2026); funded by donations. |
| Works on | Web, Chromebook |
| Account | A school account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | Kids train simple models in activities like AI for Oceans; some courses have an AI tutor feature run through outside large language model providers. |
What's good
- Free, no ads, nonprofit
- Huge range from kindergarten to high school
- Many activities work without an account
- Hour of AI gives a low-effort start
Watch for
- AI tutor text goes to outside AI providers
- Hour of AI pulls in activities from hundreds of other organizations with their own rules
- Says COPPA does not legally apply to it
- Some labs are classroom-only for under-13s
Data and privacy
Says it does not sell data, shows no ads and does no targeted advertising. It uses large language model providers to support AI curricula, and text typed into an AI tutor is processed and stored; as a nonprofit it says COPPA does not apply to it but it follows similar steps. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
An outside evaluator, Outlier Research & Evaluation at the University of Chicago, has studied Code.org's teacher training and course rollout, mostly teacher outcomes. No independent study of the new AI activities found.
In the Big Index
- On the list 12 weekend AI projects for families
- On the list 12 creative projects with AI that keep your child the author
- On the list 12 ways to teach kids how AI actually works
- On the list 16 AI coding tools and AI-assisted coding for kids and teens
- On the list 15 STEM and AI kits that teach how machine learning works
- On the list Top 50 free game sites for kids (2026)
- On the list 19 best coding games for kids
- On the list 11 Minecraft and Roblox experiences that actually teach (plus Roblox safety)
- On the list Top 50 free learning sites for kids (2026)
- On the list 23 best free sites for kids to learn coding
- On the list The 7 best new learning apps and sites of 2026
- Code.org AI curriculum and tools
- How AI Works (video series)
- Hour of AI
- Code.org
Alternatives to CodeAI (formerly Code.org), incl. Hour of AI
Desk researchPaidNo ads
7 Billion Humans
Tomorrow Corporation · ages about 10 and up
A great buy for puzzle-loving kids 10 and up who are ready to think like a programmer; younger children will do better with block-based coding games.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
Adafruit Industries · ages about 8+ with adult help
A low-cost, flexible first electronics board for kids 8+ with a helper; kids who want a guided kit may prefer a subscription box.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Adafruit Learning System
Adafruit Industries · ages about 10 and up with an adult
A top free resource for families building electronics together; kids should not work through it alone.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Arduino Education
Arduino S.r.l. (owned by Qualcomm) · ages about 7-18+ (varies by kit)
A strong choice for schools and teens serious about electronics; younger kids or tight budgets may start with a micro:bit or Circuit Playground.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Arduino UNO Q
Arduino · ages about 13 and up with some coding experience
A good next step for teens who already know Arduino and want to add AI vision; true beginners should start with a classic UNO or a starter kit.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
BBC micro:bit
Micro:bit Educational Foundation · ages about 8-14
One of the best-value ways for 8- to 14-year-olds to learn coding and simple machine learning, with privacy-first tools; very young children will need help.
Where these facts come from
- https://code.org/en-US
- https://code.org/en-US/terms-of-service
- https://code.org/en-US/privacy
- https://code.org/en-US/artificial-intelligence
- https://hourofai.org/en-US
- https://outlier.uchicago.edu/evaluation_codeorg/
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.