BootUp

Elementary coding often gets reduced to cute puzzles, but BootUp aims to give younger kids a richer introduction to computer science. This nonprofit supports K–5 computer science education with free, standards-aligned lesson plans and projects built in Scratch and ScratchJr. Originally created for schools and districts, the materials include detailed teacher guides, student-facing slides, and creative project ideas that families can adapt at home. Parents like that activities go beyond dragging blocks in order; kids design stories, games, and animations that feel meaningful to them. Because the curriculum is offered at no cost, it’s an especially strong value for budget-conscious homeschoolers willing to do a bit of planning. The tradeoff is that the site assumes a classroom context, so you may need to trim or tweak lessons for a single learner, but the core project ideas translate well.