Algorithms and programs
Kindergarten · Computing
Give clear instructions, solve problems and use technology safely.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Algorithms: put the steps in the right order
Brush your teeth, plant a seed, program a floor robot: put the steps in order. A free elementary computing game about algorithms, with a printable sheet.
Play Algorithms: put the steps in the right order
Learning about algorithms and programs
In this Kindergarten computing collection, you can practice Algorithms: put the steps in the right order. 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.
Algorithms: put the steps in the right order
In the game, children write a short program of arrow blocks to guide Jigby the robot to a star on a grid, then press Run and watch each step. Some levels have a bug to find and fix, which is what programmers call debugging. In the Quick quiz, children see the steps for an everyday task, such as brushing their teeth or planting a seed, mixed up. They drag them into the right order. Every set has only one order that works: you cannot cover a seed before it is in the hole, and you cannot rinse your mouth before you have brushed. Talking about why each step must come where it does is the start of computational thinking.
Try an example: Planting a seed: what comes first, “Drop the seed in the hole” or “Make a hole in the soil”?
The seed needs somewhere to go, so the hole must be made first.
Show the answer
Make a hole in the soil.
What to look out for
Thinking an algorithm has to be on a computer. Recipes, directions and instructions for games are all algorithms. A program is an algorithm a computer can follow.
Read the full Algorithms: put the steps in the right order guide
Practice away from the screen
- Ask your child to give you instructions to make a sandwich, and follow them exactly, even when they are silly.
Curriculum connections
Algorithms: put the steps in the right order
Suggested kindergarten 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: Algorithms and design. 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 Algorithms: put the steps in the right order. 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.