Algorithms and programs
Grade 2 · Computing
Give clear instructions, solve problems and use technology safely.
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Selection and repetition: IF and REPEAT in programs
Is “if it is raining, take an umbrella” selection or repetition? A free elementary computing game about IF statements and loops, with a printable sheet.
Play Selection and repetition: IF and REPEAT in programs
Learning about algorithms and programs
In this Grade 2 computing collection, you can practice Selection and repetition: IF and REPEAT in programs. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Ask your child to predict an outcome before testing it. When a prediction does not match the result, change one thing at a time. Safety games rehearse decisions, but children should still ask a trusted adult when something online worries them.
Ask: “What would happen if you changed one step?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
Selection and repetition: IF and REPEAT in programs
In this game, children read an instruction such as “if the light is red, stop” or “repeat 4 times: move forward, turn right” and decide whether it uses selection or repetition. Every instruction in the game does one or the other, never both, so there is always a single right answer. A few extra questions check the words loop, IF, THEN, ELSE and sequence.
Try an example: Is this selection or repetition? “If it is raining, take an umbrella.”
You only take the umbrella if something is true. It is a choice.
Show the answer
Selection.
What to look out for
Thinking “repeat until” is selection because it checks something. It does check a condition, but its job is to keep going round. It is a loop, so it is repetition.
Read the full Selection and repetition: IF and REPEAT in programs guide
Practice away from the screen
- Play “Simon says” with IF rules: “If you are wearing blue, jump.”
Curriculum connections
Selection and repetition: IF and REPEAT in programs
Suggested grade 2 practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim.
CSTA 2026 PK–12 Standards teaching connection: Programming and program reasoning. This game introduces a related computing concept. Extend it with creating, testing or discussing a real example. The suggested grade is editorial; no specific CSTA performance code, certification or full coverage is claimed. Read the framework.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with algorithms and programs?
Start with Selection and repetition: IF and REPEAT in programs. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. These games provide focused practice. Grade suggestions do not replace your school’s curriculum, and any Common Core connection applies only to the skill described.