Notepad, maybe notepad++. Fast iteration cycles, so they can see how their code affects what they see. When they've got the hang of that, JavaScript with rudimentary output; don't throw them into the DOM APIs right away. Worked for me, anyway. My first JS was mostly alert boxes.
Having a demo page sounds good as a reference, but I wouldn't use it as a template. With HTML I think you can and should start absolutely from scratch. Among other things you want to give your kids the chance to see what happens when various pieces are missing.
Comments
Notepad, maybe notepad++. Fast iteration cycles, so they can see how their code affects what they see. When they've got the hang of that, JavaScript with rudimentary output; don't throw them into the DOM APIs right away. Worked for me, anyway. My first JS was mostly alert boxes.
Having a demo page sounds good as a reference, but I wouldn't use it as a template. With HTML I think you can and should start absolutely from scratch. Among other things you want to give your kids the chance to see what happens when various pieces are missing.