Microsoft Small Basic

Apparently, Visual Basic has gotten a bit too complex for the kiddie crowd, so a Microsoft employee is working up a simpler, old school version of the language called Small Basic : Small Basic is a project that's aimed at bringing "fun" back to programming. By providing a small and easy to learn programming language in a friendly and inviting development environment, Small Basic makes programming a breeze. Ideal for kids and adults alike, Small Basic helps beginners take the first step into the wonderful world of programming. Small Basic derives its inspiration from the original BASIC programming language, and is based on the Microsoft .Net platform. It is really small with just 15 keywords and uses minimal concepts to keep the barrier to entry as low as possible. The Small Basic development environment is simple, yet provides powerful modern environment features like Intellisense™ and instant context sensitive help. Small Basic allows third-party libraries to be plugged in with ease, making it possible for the community to extend the experience in fun and interesting ways. Be sure to check out the Small Basic blog and Small Basic Introduction (PDF) as well. Thanks to Matt S. for the tip.