Review: Python for Kids
wired.com
wired.com
Took a month to get to Fiji, but it got here :)
My son is only 7, but we're going through it together one chapter a week. http://i.imgur.com/BLd9DNF.jpg
Out of all the fits and starts I've had with programming in my pseudo-code nerd existence this is probably the most helpful programming book I've ever read and would recommend to kids above age 13 and adults wanting to learn Python.
That said, I've found it to be a very cute resource as I prepared a short presentation on Python for a programming techniques course I'm auditing at my university (I'm getting my PhD in math, but do a bit of web development). Reading through it, it's very appropriate as a first book in programming, the first part of the book structured as follows:
* Calcuations and Variables
* Strings, Lists, Tuples, and Maps
* Drawing with Turtles
* If / Then / Else
* Loops
* Functions / Modules
* Classes / Objects
It follows this with a few advanced topics, and a walkthrough on creating a couple of simple video games.
While it's written for kids, I've enjoyed using it as a resource occasionally while the internet was out at my home. Highly recommended!
It was designed by a Rice University professor and has some very useful features for the classroom. Mainly that they can turn in their code just by sending the URL. It has a few idiosyncrasies but it is a very friendly environment for learning in.
Let me know if that works out for you! I've never worked with kids under 6 years old; that being said, I had to teach 10-15 kids at a time, and they did great. So I suspect a 4 year old with an adult's undivided attention should work out just fine!