🎨 Art, music and story makers · 💻 Coding
Swift Playground
By Apple. Visit Swift Playground
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Apple's free app for learning to code in Swift, the language used for iPhone and Mac apps. Kids start with puzzle lessons where they guide a character named Byte through 3D worlds by writing short lines of real code, then move on to building actual apps with SwiftUI on an iPad or Mac. Code completion and a coding keyboard help with typing. It needs a recent iPad or Mac.
Our take: A solid free option for Apple families with kids about 10 and up who want real code; younger kids or non-Apple homes should start elsewhere.
| Ages it suits | about 10 and up |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | No app-specific age rule (App Store rating 4+). Downloading needs an Apple Account: you must be 13 to create one, and younger children's accounts are made by a parent through Family Sharing or by a school. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free (Oct 2026). iPad version requires iPadOS 18 or later. |
| Works on | iPhone and iPad, Mac |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI in the lessons themselves. |
What's good
- Free, no ads, no in-app purchases
- Teaches a real, professional language
- Kids can build real apps
- Polished guided lessons
Watch for
- Only on iPad and Mac
- Needs a recent device and OS
- Typing-heavy for young kids
- Apple-only skills
Data and privacy
The App Store label says it may collect device ID, product interaction and diagnostics for analytics, not linked to the user. Apple's privacy policy requires verifiable parental consent for child accounts. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study found.
In the Big Index
- On the list 19 best coding games for kids
- On the list 23 best free sites for kids to learn coding
- Swift Playgrounds
- The maker in the who's who: Apple
Alternatives to Swift Playground
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://apps.apple.com/us/app/swift-playground/id908519492
- https://developer.apple.com/swift-playground/
- https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/us/terms.html
- https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/
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.