How do you use Turtle Graphics?
Turtle graphics is one of the most beloved teaching tools in computer science education. Originally developed as part of the Logo programming language in the 1960s, the turtle graphics concept — a virtual "turtle" that moves around a canvas drawing lines as it goes — remains a brilliant vehicle for teaching programming concepts like loops, functions, angles, and recursion. codeguppy.com includes a full turtle graphics module in its JavaScript platform, bringing this classic educational tool into a modern, browser-based coding environment.
Using turtle graphics on codeguppy.com is straightforward even for beginners. Students use simple commands — forward(), right(), left(), penUp(), penDown() — to direct the turtle around the canvas. A square requires four forward movements and four right turns; a circle requires a loop of small forward movements; a fractal tree requires recursive function calls. Each of these projects builds naturally on the previous, making turtle graphics an excellent progression tool for a CS curriculum.
For CS teachers, turtle graphics projects are particularly valuable for teaching geometric reasoning alongside programming concepts. Students must think about angles, distances, and sequences simultaneously with loops, variables, and function calls — a genuine cross-curricular connection between CS and mathematics. For school librarians running STEAM coding programs, turtle graphics projects produce visually striking output that displays beautifully in a library exhibition or coding showcase.
The turtle graphics tutorial and reference guide are available free at codeguppy.com. Students can explore classic turtle graphics programs, recreate geometric patterns, and create their own original designs — all in a browser, with no installation required.
A free coding platform for schools
codeguppy.com is a free coding platform for high-school and middle-school students. Teachers around the world are using codeguppy.com to teach JavaScript.
To make coding easy, fun, and engaging for students of all ages, codeguppy.com comes with an online code editor and a graphical oriented runtime based on the p5.js library. The platform enables students to learn JavaScript while building fun games and animations.
Coding projects and activities for students
codeguppy.com comes with tons of coding projects and activities that students can use as a starting point for their projects.
Contact us!
If you want to learn more about the free coding platform, please feel free to contact us at any time. We can discuss how to get started with coding, how to implement codeguppy.com in your coding club ... or even discuss coding questions or share programs.