Is your child always poking around your phone, curious about how apps work? Do they think “code” is some kind of magic spell? Well, it kind of is — and with MIT App Inventor, your little wizard can become a real app-making genius! App Inventor is a beginner-friendly platform that helps kids learn coding in a fun and visual way—no scary syntax monsters here! Whether your child is a curious coder or just loves exploring tech, these easy-level challenges will help them take their first steps into the world of app creation.
Let’s look at 15 fun and simple challenges that can turn your kids into proud app developers. Warning: you may soon be hearing, “Mom, I made my own app!” every weekend.
Challenge 1: Create a Click Counter App
What they’ll learn: Events, Variables
How it works:
Add a Button and a Label.
Initialize a variable
countto 0.Every time the Button is clicked, increment
countby 1 and update the Label text.
💡 Extra fun: Let them name the button something silly like “Count the Giggles!”
Challenge 2: Make a Color-Changing Screen
What they’ll learn: Buttons, Background color properties
How it works:
Place three Buttons labeled “Red,” “Green,” and “Blue.”
When each Button is clicked, set the Screen’s background color accordingly.
💡 Tip: Add a “Surprise Me” Button that picks a random color from a list.
Challenge 3: Build a Talking App
What they’ll learn: Text-to-Speech, Input fields
How it works:
Add a TextBox and a Button.
When the Button is clicked, pass the TextBox’s text to the TextToSpeech component to speak it aloud.
💬 “I just made my phone say ‘pizza party in space’!” — proud young coder
Challenge 4: Make a Soundboard App
What they’ll learn: Media files, Buttons
How it works:
Add Buttons like “Meow,” “Woof,” and “Roar.”
When clicked, play the corresponding sound file via the Player component.
💡 Bonus idea: Let your child record and upload their own sounds!
Challenge 5: Create a Simple Drawing App
What they’ll learn: Canvas component, Touch input
How it works:
Add a Canvas to the screen.
Use the Canvas’s “Dragged” event to draw lines following the finger.
Add a “Clear” Button to reset the Canvas.
🎨 Now your child can turn your phone into a mini art studio!
Challenge 6: What Time Is It? App
What they’ll learn: Clock component
How it works:
Add a Button and a Label.
When the Button is clicked, use the Clock’s
Nowproperty to get current time and display it.
Challenge 7: Day Detector
What they’ll learn: Date and Time blocks
How it works:
Add a Button labeled “What day is it?” and a Label.
On click, use
Clock1.DayOfWeekto get the weekday (e.g., “Tuesday”) and show it.
📆 Perfect for kids who ask “Is it Saturday yet?” every day.
Challenge 8: Dice Roller
What they’ll learn: Random number generation
How it works:
Add a Button and a Label.
When clicked, generate a random integer from 1 to 6 and display it as the “roll.”
🎲 Great for board-game practice without the physical dice!
Challenge 9: Name Shouter App
What they’ll learn: Text-to-Speech, Input
How it works:
Add a TextBox and a Button.
When the Button is clicked, read the TextBox’s name aloud in a loud, fun voice.
🗣️ Perfect for dramatic introductions!
Challenge 10: Emoji Mood Picker
What they’ll learn: Lists, Random block
How it works:
Create a List with different emojis like 😊, 😎, 🤔, 😂, 😴.
On Button click, pick a random emoji from the List and show it in a Label.
😄 Great for silly fun and learning how lists and randomness work!
Challenge 11: Mini Quiz App
What they’ll learn: Conditionals, Variables
How it works:
Ask one question at a time in a Label.
Have a TextBox for answers and a Button to submit.
Use
if/elseblocks to check the answer and show “Correct!” or “Try again.”
💡 Start with “What color is the sky?” and build up from there.
Challenge 12: Fake Weather App
What they’ll learn: Dropdowns, Labels
How it works:
Add a Dropdown menu with city names like “Mumbai,” “London,” “Tokyo.”
When a city is selected, show a pretend weather like “Sunny” or “Rainy” in a Label.
🌦️ Fun way to make their own weather app—even without the internet!
Challenge 13: Temperature Converter
What they’ll learn: Math blocks, Text input
How it works:
Add a TextBox for Celsius input, a Button, and a Label.
On click, convert: Fahrenheit = Celsius × 9/5 + 32, then display it.
🌡️ Helps with real-world math practice!
Challenge 14: Music Player (Local)
What they’ll learn: Player component, File management
How it works:
Upload a few MP3 files and add Buttons to play each track via the Player.
🎶 Let your child be the DJ of their own tunes!
Challenge 15: Clean-Up Reminder App
What they’ll learn: Clock + Notifier component
How it works:
Use the Clock’s timer to trigger every hour.
When it fires, use Notifier.ShowAlert to say “Time to clean your room!”
🧹 A playful way to instill good habits.
And there you have it—15 easy and exciting App Inventor challenges that are perfect for kids just starting their coding adventure. These bite-sized projects don’t just build apps—they build confidence, creativity, and curiosity. Plus, the look on a child’s face when they say, “I made this!” is priceless.
So hand over the digital toolbox and let your budding developer explore. Who knows—the next big app might just emerge from your living room!
Now if only they could invent an app that does their chores…