In January, I introduced a course on making Apps with JavaScript at my local primary school. I chose Bitsbox, an interactive programming environment which allows children to create Apps that run on mobiles and tablets.

Bitsbox launched a Kickstarter campaign, which I was more than happy to back.

Bitsbox is aimed at primary school children, but can be used by anyone with some knowledge of JavaScript.

I was pleasantly surprised by the children’s ability to write code; most of the children had been exposed to Scratch, but had never seen ‘real code’. They got the hang of it very quickly, and by the end of each session, the children were able to build at least one basic app with which to play.

At each one of the sessions, I introduced basic programming concepts that the children needed to understand in order to progress. They also got exposed to a great amount of the language syntax – which they found challenging to begin with. Some of the younger children found the typing a little hard work, but they desperately wanted to see the results, so they persevered.

Creating something and being able to play with it, such as and App, gave the children a good understanding of how and App is made. A playful environment where they can see immediate results; it certainly kept them engaged for a good hour. The children could also download a QR code and play with their apps at home.

Making Apps with JavaScript was a real success, so I look forward to repeating the experience again.