The short answer
For most children in Classes 4 to 6, Scratch is the better starting point. It removes syntax friction and lets children think in sequences, events, loops, variables, and conditions before they have to type code perfectly.
For many children in Classes 7 and above, Python becomes appropriate because they are ready to reason more abstractly and tolerate the precision that text-based programming requires.
Why Scratch is not a toy
Parents sometimes worry that block-based programming is not real coding. That is the wrong test. The question is not whether the tool looks professional; the question is whether the child is learning transferable computing ideas.
A well-designed Scratch project can teach event handling, state, variables, branching, debugging, and decomposition. Those ideas transfer directly to Python later. What does not transfer is passive clicking through tutorials without understanding.
When Python becomes the right next step
Python is powerful because it makes students express logic precisely. That precision is valuable, but it is also unforgiving. A missing colon can stop a program before the student gets to the interesting idea.
The transition works best when the child already understands the logic visually. Then Python becomes a new notation for ideas they already own, not a confusing wall of symbols.
How Code Camp handles the transition
Code Camp uses age bands rather than a one-size curriculum. Younger students build confidence through visual projects first. Older students bridge into Python and web tools as their reasoning and typing fluency mature.
The goal is not to keep students in Scratch forever or rush them into Python early. The goal is durable mastery: the right tool at the right time, with clear evidence that the child can use it independently.