Fun Python Projects for Beginners to Try in 2021

To become a skilled programmer, you need to practice. There are many fun and exciting Python projects for beginners. These projects allow you to create something useful while learning this fun programming language.

Books and videos can only bring your knowledge to a certain level. The best way to hone your skills is to challenge yourself. Get better by building projects, like the Python projects for beginners on the list below.

Now it’s time to put that knowledge to the test and start finessing your programming experience with Python projects.

Reasons You Should Learn Python

Proficiency in one or more coding languages has become desirable, as programming knowledge can lead to lucrative and rewarding careers. Demand for Python developers has been growing steadily, especially as Python is the third most popular programming language in the world.

What’s more, top companies like Instagram, Google, Spotify, Netflix, Dropbox, Instacart, and Reddit (just to name a few) rely on Python. In short, adding Python to your resume will make you a more attractive candidate to prospective employers.

There are many ways to learn python. Some learn python with books. Others learn Python through online courses. If you need more convincing, check out this great resource to learn more about why you should learn Python.

Choosing a Python Project for Beginners

Unless you already have some programming skills under your belt, you’ll want to make sure you’ve learned the basics of Python. If you’re new to learning Python, check out our resources for beginners. You can also visit Codecademy and DataQuest for free courses. 

Make sure you don’t confuse Python 2 vs Python 3 vs Node.js. It is important to understand both languages. However, learning Python 3 makes you the most up-to-date in the language.

Choose a Topic That Interests You

Don’t just start with any project. Browse around and find a topic that sounds interesting. Not only will you enjoy it more if it interests you, but fueling that curiosity will keep you motivated to see the project through.

Picking fun Python projects for beginners may make the difference between just starting and finishing a project. Oftentimes, new programmers practice by choosing a project that solves a daily problem.

Think about how well the project will fit into your overall goals. For example, if your career goal is to develop apps, create a simple web app project.

Conversely, if your career interest is in data science, find a project that will allow you to analyze a data set. In sum, there are plenty of cool Python project ideas. They can be fun and help you work towards your career goals or career track. 

Think Small to Make Big Gains

In other words, don’t choose a project that requires an expert skill level. Unless you really enjoy the pressure, choosing one that is too difficult early on will only stress you out. It’s okay to dream of a big goal, but recognize that each step of that goal needs to be divided into smaller steps.

Instead, start with easy Python projects first. Work your way up to bigger ideas, such as web and desktop applications, 3D games, or even social media platforms.

Python Projects for Beginner Developers: Games & Challenges

It is said that practice makes perfect. And, one is not an expert at anything until they have practiced for more than 10,000 hours. That may sound daunting, but don’t be discouraged. These simple games and challenges will help to boost your understanding and confidence. 

For more game ideas, check out the PyGame wiki for more Python tutorials and get typing away on that command line.

Here’s a list of nine great Python beginner projects:

Rock, Paper, Scissors Game

One of the most beloved games of all-time and a simple Python project to test your skills. Start by making it player vs computer. Skills used: Gain a better understanding of while loops and if statements.

Build a Twitter Bot

Want to engage your Twitter followers even when you’re offline working on other projects? You’ll need to sign up as a Twitter developer to do it, but don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as you’d think. 

Guess The Number

This could be a fun Python project for groups or events where a random generator is needed. It’s useful for conducting lotteries, board games, or just between players to guess a random number. Skills used: Getting familiar with the random function, variables, integers, print, if/else, and while loops.

MadLibs Generator

Remember that game we used to play as kids? The game where we would put silly words in blanks and laugh hysterically as it was read back to us?

With a Mad Libs generator, you can relive those hilarious moments. This generator allows you to work on a wide array of Python skills. Skills used: Strings, variables, concatenation, print.

Hangman 

Similar to generating a random number, this Python game substitutes a word where the user guesses the letters. You will also need to create a counter to count the number of guesses of the wrong letters. Skills used: Random library, boolean, input/output, char, string, and length.

Password Generator

Make a random password generator for your friends and family to keep their accounts secure! Skills used: Random library & sequencing.

Dice Roller

Similar to the “Guess the Number” game above, building a die roller can be used to play games. Or you can make one similar to a Magic 8-Ball to answer your most profound questions! Skills used: Random library, print, while loops.

Text-Based Adventure

This Python project is a simple quest game where the user can walk around different rooms and get a description of each one. You’ll set limits on how far characters walk, their direction, and how to track their location. Skills used: Variables, strings, input/output, if/else, print, and list.

Secret Cipher

Generate and decipher secret ciphers. This works well with a fellow programmer where one of you makes a cipher and the other deciphers the secret message. Skills used: Encryption methods.

"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

Find Your Bootcamp Match

Python Projects for Intermediate Python Developers

Once you have an understanding of the Python programming language, take on more advanced projects. Intermediate projects use more technical skills. They require you to have an in-depth knowledge of Python. Even if these projects are more difficult to complete, you’ll learn a great deal from undertaking them.

Alarm Clock

Creating an alarm clock is a neat way to demonstrate your programming skills. It allows you to design something that gives you a specific notification at a designated time. Make your alarm clock more advanced by having it play music or a video at the time.

Tic-Tac-Toe

It’s time to take another step into python game development. Tic-Tac-Toe may be a simple game to play, but it isn’t as easy to program. The Pygame library is useful for this type of project. It comes with the modules necessary for sound and graphics.

Wikipedia Article Generator

In terms of what it does, this is a pretty simple program. However, it can get rather complicated. The point of the program is for it to find a random article on Wikipedia.

Next, the program asks the user if they want to see the article. If the user says yes, then the program displays it.

Python Projects for Advanced Python Developers

Finally, the next step towards testing your Python developer skills is through advanced projects. These projects take on more uncommon aspects of programming and development.

Don’t worry if you struggle with projects like these, even experienced developers have issues with advanced programs. Just take your time and try to learn something new with each one.

Create an MP3 Player

It’s time to ditch the CDs and start working on your own MP3 Player. This Python project involves creating a tool that plays audio files. The point is to create a user interface that emulates the physical music player. Once completed, you’ll have an MP3 Player that works on your computer or laptop.

Quiz Program

It’s quiz time! Take your Python skills to the next level by creating a quiz application. Quiz applications present a series of questions to users and give them a chance to answer. The quiz then gives the user results.

Experiment with your application. Design a quiz that responds immediately after a user gives an answer. Next, create a quiz where users only receive the results after the quiz is done. You can even put a timer on the quiz for each question.

Typing Test

Creating a typing test in Python allows you to develop a unique program. It tests your typing speed, allows you to create a GUI, and gives you a random sentence. It’s an advanced project, but it’ll teach you a lot about design.

Beginner Python Projects for Data Science

Here’s a list of free Python projects for beginners where you’re bound to find something that intrigues you and beckons you to dig deeper. With these, you can create a visually stunning data structure project to present to classmates, friends, colleagues, or anyone else!

These datasets can be used for neural networks, deep learning, and machine learning projects:

• FiveThirtyEight
• BuzzFeed News
• ProPublica
• Reddit
• Amazon
• Data.Gov
• Google
• Wikipedia
• World Bank
• Kaggle (Includes Stack Overflow datasets)
• Academic Torrents
• UCI Machine Learning Repository
• Quandl

Python Web Development Projects for Beginners

A great place to get started is to check out Flask tutorials for building a simple, yet complete Python-based website. Flask doesn’t offer much guidance on the graphical user interface, but it will provide a strong foundation upon which you can build.

Udemy also offers a course on how to build 8 different web apps that is worth checking out! Additionally, check out these 12 project ideas for more ideas on beginner projects for web developers using Python.

Cryptography Concepts for Python Beginners

Cryptopals has several fun challenges for testing your cryptography skills. Challenges such as converting hex to base64, fixed XOR, single-byte XOR cipher, break repeating-key XOR, and more to start with. These challenges will gradually increase in complexity, so you’ll probably find yourself coming back again and again.

Automate Boring Tasks with Python Projects for Beginners

Let’s not sugarcoat it here. Sometimes Python programming involves several tasks that can appear mundane and repetitive. Fortunately, you can automate a lot of those dull tasks, freeing you up to work on more pressing tasks.

Save some time by automating things like:

• Search for text in a file or across multiple files
• Split, extract text, merge, watermark, and encrypt PDFs
• Send reminder emails and texts
• Create, update, move, and rename files and folders
• Update and format data in Excel spreadsheets
• Fill out online forms
• Search the Web and download online content

There is a free site called Automate the Boring Stuff where you can browse through these topics and more. You can also buy the book for future reference.

If you’re looking for some more guidance as you hone your coding ability, check out a programming bootcamp. You’ll complete various projects in a bootcamp that will can boost your programming skills and proficiency. Coding bootcamps are great options for people who may not have the time and money to commit to a degree program. In fact, there are even free coding bootcamps available.

With these fun Python project ideas, you can get important practice with Python while working towards your dream job. Start small, and work smart. Finally, pick a project that you think you can accomplish now, and keep building on your knowledge by practicing with new projects.