Tutorials
& writeups.
Between 2016 and 2018 I taught a lot of high-schoolers how to program — at JavaOne4Kids, through the MangoApps summer program, and as a tutor in my own neighborhood. These are the writeups that came out of those classes.
They're frozen in time — Swift was new, Objective-C was still around, React felt like a fad — but the fundamentals haven't moved much. Download what you like; everything is free.
These tutorials were written for kids ages 10–18 over a few summers — most around 2017. The screenshots will look old. The Xcode and Unity versions referenced in them are old.
I keep them online because students still occasionally ask, and because some of my own first lessons in how to explain a thing came from writing them.
The archive.
~ 50 MB combined
Building your game with ReactJS
A space-shooter game, built end-to-end with React. The tutorial was meant to introduce middle- and high-schoolers to component thinking through something that moves and beeps. JSX, state, a tiny game loop.
Your first iOS game in Swift
Build a small iOS game in Swift you can sideload onto your own phone and show your friends. SpriteKit, gestures, simple physics. Written when Swift felt new.
Your first iOS game in Objective-C
Same game, the Objective-C version. Bracket syntax, manual memory thinking, a slower path to the same iPhone home screen. Kept because some people still ask.
Building your first game with Unity
A full Unity intro: moving players, enemies, shooting, level transitions, and a tour of the editor. Targets iOS, Android, web, and a quick taste of VR. C# for absolute beginners.
Programming for fun with JavaScript
A first programming class. Variables, loops, functions, drawing shapes, animating colors. The goal was to make people feel that programming is closer to play than to math.
Introduction to Java
An onboarding into Java for students who want to see what 'real' programming languages look like. Strong typing, classes, the public-static-void-main ceremony, then quickly into making things happen.
Click any of the cards above. Each is a small zip with the writeup, slides, and starter code.
Start with the README or the PDF inside. Most run between 60 and 90 minutes if you go straight through.
The fun part. Change colors, break things, add your own ideas. That's what these were always for.