Have you recently taken a coding bootcamp and are eager to apply what you’ve learned into an easy coding project?
Maybe you’ve been dabbling in JavaScript, HTML, or CSS and want to take it to the next level.
If you’re interested in building out your own applications, games, or web tools, having a foundation in coding skills will help you quite a bit.
Coding Dojo offers free workshops that can give you some basics, but we recommend going through a more focused program to gain the knowledge and skills needed to take on one of the coding project ideas below.
What is a Coding Project?
A coding project is a focused venture wherein a coder (or group of coders) applies their programming skills to a specific project. These can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a full year.
Ultimately, the goal of a coding project is to hone your skills.
Your coding project may range in timeframe because of new elements you decide to tack on, unexpected errors or challenges that pop up, or other time commitments that interfere.
The best thing to remember is that you want to finish the project, so aim for something small and manageable to begin with.
Check out these beginner coding project ideas.
Top 10 Coding Projects for Beginners
A small JavaScript game
Whether or not you’re a gamer, simply JavaScript games are a great way to create something interactive that poses a challenge to users.
You can also integrate other programming languages such as HTML and CSS, giving you the added challenge of creating certain functionalities (think running and jumping), and the ability to flesh out some basic design elements with CSS.
For something more simple, consider building out a chess game or tic-tac-toe.
Countdown timer or calculator
To test your programming skills for numbers, try a countdown timer or calculator. You’ll need to create a layout and an algorithm that can process numbers and make calculations, and/or work with a calendar that counts down to a scheduled event.
Generally, you can expect to use JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SQL, and NoSQL on this type of project.
Create a conversion tool
While currency conversion could be an interesting project, consider the ever-fluctuating market value of currency exchanges and how difficult that might be to track.
If you decide to create a conversion tool for your coding project, try doing static calculations such as weight (oz, grams, kg) or distance (cm, feet, inches, meters).
Mad Libs
Did you know that you can [verb] a Mad Libs game with Python? It’s [adjective]!
Tap into your creative side by writing a Mad Libs story, then apply the logical part of your brain using your Python programming skills to build a Mad Libs game. Check out this tutorial.
Solve a GitHub problem
If you’re a coder, you’re almost assuredly familiar with GitHub. This software developer’s haven is used as a hosting platform for collaboration between other programmers in real-time.
GitHub also has a master list of algorithms, graphs, and text-based problems that you can work on which involve building a program.
Build a simple app
Of course, ‘app’ is pretty broad. We’d recommend focusing on something along the lines of a to-do list or reminder program where text can be inputted, but isn’t overly fancy.
Random number generator
This is an all-around fantastic beginner coding project because it involves creating an application, but has more of a static functionality than something like a JavaScript game.
This coding project will test you on inputs and outputs, variants, integers, and other coding skills that you can use in future projects.
Web scraper
This is another great Python project. Web scraping is a common practice on the internet and involves extracting site data, processing it, and applying pertinent information to research, assets, and more.
Build an eCommerce store
Open up a test store on Shopify and get to work! There’s a lot of coding involved to set up your front-end shop, make sure the back-end functionality is properly working, and create/adjust themes to change the look of your website.
You can even create your own functionalities on the website from scratch (or using existing code as a starting point).
Adjust image sizes
Working with digital images can be frustrating; they may not inherently be the proper size or orientation. Using just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can learn how to alter and flip photos.
How to Choose Which Coding Project Fits Your Learning Needs
You should consider a few different things when choosing and organizing your coding project.
- What do you like working with?
- What are you looking to solve?
- What are your long-term goals?
You can help narrow down the scope of your project by choosing a project that relates to something you are interested in (i.e. coding language, hobbies, passions). Turning something you already like into a coding project can make it more fun and help you stick with it.
Picking a project based on a challenge you want to solve is also a good place to start. Maybe you can’t find a good app for tracking your shopping list, or the progress you’re making in another area of your life; could you create an app or program that better suits your needs?
Dream big, but not too big
While those are great starting points for an easy coding project, keep in mind that you should start small. You may have a simple idea, but when it comes down to coding and programming, your once-simple project may turn into a 4-month nightmare that you want to abandon.
Think about what your beginner coding project will be and how many programming languages you will need to accomplish it. Strip down the functionality you originally dreamed up; it doesn’t need to be anything over-the-top, it just needs to work.
The more basic the functionality, the better. At the same time, be sure to challenge yourself. Aim for a project that will take you out of your comfort zone and is beyond your current skill level, but is still achievable.
The Benefits of Coding Projects
Coding projects not only give you real-world practice and the ability to create something from nothing, but they also offer intangible benefits.
Adds to your portfolio
One of the greatest benefits of working on a coding project is showing prospective employers what you can do. Because programming is so hands-on, showing off your knowledge and abilities will help land you your dream job (or at least get your foot in the door).
Keeps you learning
While you already have the knowledge and skills you need coming out of a coding bootcamp, putting them to the test will throw curveballs when new challenges crop up that you have to learn to work around on the fly. It also gives you the chance to try new functionalities together.
Teaches soft skills
Working with code and building programs teaches and enhances your creativity, resilience, problem-solving abilities, and presentation skills. If you’re working on a group project, you can also add teamwork to that list.
These core skills are highly desirable for any employer and will help you stand out.
5 Best Websites to Find Free Coding Projects
- Exercism: Explore tasks that call for collaborative problem-solving.
- Codewars: Test your skills by solving ‘kata’ – small coding exercises.
- GitHub: The ultimate open-source, collaborative coding base.
- DevProjects: Find and work on projects in over 10 programming languages.
- SourceForge: Explore and contribute to thousands of open-source projects.
Set Yourself up for Success
Now that you know which beginner coding projects you can work on to add to your portfolio and test your programming skills, take a step back and ask yourself: Do I have what I need?
Coding projects are a great way to apply your education and abilities, but it’s important that you first have that foundational education.
Learning to code on the side at a leisurely pace is great for hobbyists, but if you’re serious about starting a career in software development, attending a coding bootcamp is in your best interest.
Coding Dojo offers multiple courses at varying paces to give you the knowledge and coding skills you need to succeed in a programming career. These bootcamps are short-term and intense, but will equip you with everything you need to succeed.