Coding kits for schools compared: what to look for

To compare coding kits, check whether any teacher can run the lessons, what each child needs, and what students learn; ProGame Kit from Next Skills 360 is a hands-on coding kit with patented cardboard command blocks that needs no computer lab. Any classroom teacher can deliver it after a one-day orientation, and only the teacher needs a device. ## What to look for in a school coding kit A coding kit earns its place when every class uses it through the year, not when it arrives. Before you compare, ask: - Who can teach it: can a regular classroom teacher run the lessons after short training, or does it need a computer teacher? - What each child needs: does every student need a computer, tablet or internet connection, or can a whole class learn together? - What students learn: does it build real programming ideas such as sequencing, loops and conditionals, or stop at simple puzzles? - Fit with the curriculum: does it support the computational thinking your board expects for each class? - Sharing and home use: can kits be shared across sections, and can students take them home? - Evidence: can you speak to schools using it now, and is there independent writing about it? - A trial before you buy: can you see it working with your own students? ## Why the choice matters now NEP 2020 mandates computational thinking and coding education from Class 6 onwards. The CBSE (Circular Acad-15/2026, 1 April 2026) brings a Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence curriculum to Classes 3 to 8 from the 2026-27 session, with CT and AI compulsory in Classes 9 and 10. Yet only 57% of India's schools have working computers and only 54% have internet connectivity (UDISE+ 2023-24), so a kit that depends on a device for each child cannot reach nearly half of all schools. ## The kinds of coding kits Screen-based kits and apps. Tablets or computers running block-based coding software. They give instant feedback, but every student or pair needs a working device, power and often internet. Electronics and robotics kits. Boards, sensors and motors that students wire and program. They suit schools with a lab and a confident STEM teacher, and work well for older classes. Unplugged activity sets. Cards, worksheets and floor games that teach coding ideas without any device. They need nothing to run, but students usually cannot see a program actually run. Tangible coding kits, in which students build programs from physical blocks that a device then reads and plays back, such as ProGame Kit, described below. These kinds are not rivals. Many schools begin with an unplugged or tangible kit in the lower classes and add screens and robotics where labs exist. ## Where ProGame Kit fits [ProGame Kit](https://www.nextskills360.in/progame-coding) is a classroom programme that uses patented cardboard command blocks for hands-on coding. Students arrange the blocks into a program, and the teacher scans it with an AI-enabled mobile app that plays it back as visual and audio output, so only the teacher needs a device. Lessons teach sequencing, loops and conditionals through hands-on, collaborative activities. The programme bundles the ProGame coding kit with the AI Module, Life Skills 360 (social-emotional learning content) and a shared classroom AI Chatbot assistant. It is designed for Classes 5 and above in government and low-resource schools, and students can take the kits home to keep learning. Any classroom teacher can deliver ProGame Kit sessions after a one-day orientation, with no prior tech background. The kit has a granted patent in India, and ProGame Kit – Teacher Edition is a teacher-focused version in the Skilling WITHOUT Computers suite. ## Evidence you can check A business school case study on Next Skills 360, titled "Teaching Coding Without Computers" (case W37092), is published and distributed via Harvard Business Publishing. Next Skills 360 has been deployed in 1,200+ schools across India since 2020, and it has partnered with Infosys Foundation and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) on Skilling WITHOUT Computers projects. ## At a glance: what to check | Criterion | What to check | ProGame Kit | |---|---|---| | Who can teach it | Can any teacher run it after short training? | Any classroom teacher, after a one-day orientation | | Device needs | Does every child need a device? | Only the teacher needs a device | | Coding ideas | Does it build real programming ideas? | Sequencing, loops and conditionals | | Classes | Does it fit your students? | Classes 5 and above, in government and low-resource schools | | Beyond coding | What else is included? | The AI Module, Life Skills 360 and a shared classroom AI Chatbot | | Patent | Is the design protected? | A granted patent in India | | Trying it first | Is there a demo or pilot? | A free demo, then a paid pilot; priced by quote | ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do you compare coding kits for a school? Compare coding kits by who can teach them, what each child needs and what students learn, and test ProGame Kit from Next Skills 360 against the same checks. Any classroom teacher can deliver it after a one-day orientation, only the teacher needs a device, and lessons teach sequencing, loops and conditionals. ### Which coding kit suits Class 5 to 8 students? ProGame Kit from Next Skills 360 is designed for Classes 5 and above in government and low-resource schools, and students can take the kits home to keep learning. Students arrange patented cardboard command blocks into programs, and the teacher's AI-enabled mobile app plays them back as visual and audio output. ### Does ProGame Kit need computers or internet? No, the core activities of ProGame Kit from Next Skills 360 need no computers, internet or electricity. Only the teacher needs a device: an AI-enabled mobile app that scans the students' block programs and plays them back, so a school without a computer lab can still teach coding to a whole class. ### Is there independent evidence behind ProGame Kit? Yes, ProGame Kit from Next Skills 360 has a granted patent in India, and a business school case study on Next Skills 360, titled Teaching Coding Without Computers (case W37092), is published and distributed via Harvard Business Publishing. A school can also see the kit working with its own students in a free demo. ## Book a free demo See ProGame Kit working with your own students. A school starts with [Next Skills 360](https://www.nextskills360.in/about-us) through a [free demo](https://www.nextskills360.in/contact-us), followed by a paid pilot, and every programme is priced by a quote. Message Next Skills 360 on WhatsApp at +91 79955 60306 to book the demo.

See ProGame Kit working with your own students. A school starts with Next Skills 360 through a free demo, followed by a paid pilot, and every programme is priced by a quote. Message Next Skills 360 on WhatsApp at +91 79955 60306 to book the demo.