Do you remember the sense of wonder you felt when you wrote your first working computer program? I have been programming for more than 30 years, but I recall my first experiences with BASIC as if they were last week. I borrowed my employer's Apple II, I remember, and spent an entire weekend writing a program that conversed with the user, trying to negotiate the purchase of his car or house. With every page of the Applesoft BASIC manual I read, I had a new keyword to incorporate into the program. I don't know that I've ever spent a more exhilarating weekend.

In recent years I have sought to share that exhilaration with members of succeeding generations. What better gift could I pass along to a child than an introduction to the fascinating, rewarding, confounding, frustrating, engaging world of programming?

It turns out that I am not alone. All over the world, programmers, educators, and parents are working to create kid-friendly introductions to programming. I've found four teaching systems that seem particularly promising.

• Kodu is a visual programming environment from Microsoft. It allows kids to create interactive video games by dragging objects into a workspace and selecting events, properties, and actions. Kodu started as an Xbox app but it's also available for Windows. Most of Microsoft's internal links to the Windows implementation of Kodu are broken, but I did some digging and found that download page here. Fair warning – the app is 183 MB. But the price is right – it's free.

• Scratch is a game-development environment from the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. Unlike Kodu, which feels basically unsupported, Scratch is the focus of a lively, active group of children and adults who trade tips and post their applications. The 33MB download is free.

• Codecademy is a Web site that presents step-by-step lessons for getting started with JavaScript. A tutor guides you as you interact with a JavaScript interpreter. I love this site's gradual approach to teaching programming concepts, but I'm sorry the lesson runs out of gas after eight lessons.

• Try Ruby is similar to Codecademy, but it's based on Ruby instead of JavaScript. Try Ruby is part of Code School, which offers a variety of fee-based tutorials for adults in addition to the free Try Ruby package.

I hope this short guide helps you get started. Teach your own kid or borrow a kid – surely you have a niece or nephew who's ready to dive into the exciting world of coding. Or volunteer at a local school. I guarantee you'll find the experience as rewarding as your students do.

Web recommendation: I have nothing to add to this news report – I'm just passing it along for your enlightenment...because that is the kind of fellow I am. You're welcome. Contamination of UK mobile phones and hands revealed. J.D. say check it out.

J.D. Hildebrand has written hundreds of articles for dozens of publications and online communities dedicated to software development. He recently relocated to a small town outside Belgrade – stop by if your travels take you through Serbia.