Live 1:1 app development classes · Ages 10–13
App development for kids: live 1:1 classes with MIT App Inventor
Your child builds Android apps with blocks, then tries each one on a phone or tablet, if you have one. One mentor for the whole level, at your child’s pace.
Free 40-minute class, live and one-to-one. No payment. No card.
From the Educifly team: 500+ students taught one-to-one online.
Educifly’s app development classes for kids are live, one-to-one online classes for ages 10 to 13, for families anywhere in the world. Kids build Android apps in MIT App Inventor, a free tool from MIT. They snap blocks together instead of typing code, and they build something in every class. The first class is free.
What is app development for kids?
App development for kids means making apps for phones and tablets. Most kids start with blocks instead of typed code. They design the screen first. Then they snap blocks together to tell each button, picture and sensor what to do.
These apps are made to run on a phone, not just on a computer screen. That’s the big step up from Scratch. A phone has a touch screen, a camera, GPS and a motion sensor, and kids can use them all.
Kids also learn the big ideas every coder uses: events, if-then rules, loops and variables. An event is something that starts an action, like a tap on a button. And kids learn to think like the person using the app.
What is MIT App Inventor?
MIT App Inventor is a free tool for making phone apps with blocks. It runs in a web browser on a Mac, a Windows computer or a Chromebook. There’s nothing to install on the computer.
It’s made by a small team in MIT’s computer science and AI lab, led by Professor Hal Abelson. MIT says App Inventor lets everyone, even children, build apps that fully work.
Got an Android phone or an iPhone? Kids can test their apps on it with MIT’s free Companion app. They change a block on the computer, then try it on the phone straight away.
App development classes by age: what your child will make
Our app classes are for ages 10 to 13. Kids start with small apps that react to a tap or a shake. Then they make bigger apps that use sensors and maps, and save data. App classes are part of our Builders stage, for ages 9 to 13.
7–10, before apps
Block coding for games and animations
Scratch
A chase game
9–11, before apps
AI with blocks: training a computer to spot pictures, sounds and poses
PictoBlox
A game that reacts to a hand sign
10–13, apps
First apps, then bigger apps with sensors, maps and saved data
MIT App Inventor
A dice that rolls when you shake the phone, a quiz app that keeps high scores, a map of favourite places
12–14, after apps
Websites with HTML, CSS and JavaScript
VS Code
An “all about me” website
Ages are only a guide. In the free class, the mentor finds the right starting level. To see the whole path, read how our classes work.
By the end, kids build apps that are tidy and finished enough to share. Putting one on Google Play is a separate step, and it needs an adult’s account.
Before apps, many kids start with block coding or AI with blocks. For that side, see our AI classes for kids. After apps, typed code usually starts with web development for kids, for ages 12 to 14.
What does a child’s first app look like?
A first app can be a dice that rolls when you shake the phone. In MIT App Inventor, it takes a box of text, the phone’s motion sensor and a few blocks.
Put together, the blocks read almost like a sentence:
What each part does, in plain words:
Label1 is a box of text on the screen. It will show the number.
AccelerometerSensor1 is the phone’s motion sensor. It feels when the phone moves.
when AccelerometerSensor1.Shaking means “every time the phone is shaken, do this”.
set Label1.Text to changes the words in the box.
random integer from 1 to 6 picks a whole number from 1 to 6, just like a dice.
With a phone or tablet and the Companion app, your child can test it straight away. Then they change one thing at a time. Swap 6 for 20, and it’s a 20-sided dice for board games. Add a sound, and it rattles as it rolls.
Can kids make iPhone apps with MIT App Inventor?
Kids can build and test apps on an iPhone. But for now, only Android phones can install the finished app, MIT’s own App Inventor site says.
Test the app while building it
Yes, with the free Companion app
Yes, with the free Companion app
Keep a finished app on the phone
Yes, once it’s installed
Only inside the Companion app
Install it as a normal app
Yes, for free, though Google’s new developer checks can add extra steps
Not yet. MIT is still testing this with a small group of users, and Apple needs a paid developer licence
Put it on an app store
Google Play, through an adult’s account
Not yet. MIT is still testing App Store publishing with a small group
So if your family only has an iPhone, your child can still build and try every app. A few features don’t work on iPhone yet, such as sending texts from the app and Bluetooth, MIT says.
Can my child put their app on Google Play?
Yes, but only through an adult. Google says you must be at least 18 to open a Play Console account. That’s the account you need to publish an app on Google Play.
This is what Google asks for:
An adult account holder, aged 18 or older.
A fee and an ID check. Google charges a one-time US$25 fee and checks the account holder’s ID.
A test run first. Newer personal accounts must test the app with at least 12 testers for 14 days in a row.
A check by Google. Google looks at the test before the app can go on the store.
Your child doesn’t need Google Play to share an Android app. MIT says friends can install a finished app on their own phones. Google is adding developer checks for apps from outside the Play Store, so installing can take extra steps. Only install apps from people you trust.
Whether to publish is your call. In class, the goal is an app your child is proud to show.
Is there a free way to start app development at home?
Yes. MIT App Inventor is free. You need a computer, and a phone or tablet helps. This is a simple way in:
1
Open MIT App Inventor in your web browser, on a computer.
2
Sign in. Use a Google account, or choose “Continue Without An Account”. With no account, MIT gives you a revisit code. Write it down, because you need it to get back to your projects.
3
Install the free Companion app on your phone or tablet, if you have one.
4
Try the HelloPurr tutorial on MIT’s site. Kids make a picture of a cat that meows when you tap it.
5
Change one thing at a time. A new picture, a new sound, a new message.
Free tutorials work well for kids who love to explore alone. A class helps when your child gets stuck, copies tutorials without knowing why they work, or never finishes an app.
How do Educifly’s app development classes work?
Classes are live and one-to-one, in Educifly’s own online classroom, once or twice a week. Every class is one hour and runs in five parts:
1
Hook. Something sparks your child’s curiosity, like an app that does a trick.
2
Play. A game or puzzle teaches the idea.
3
Build. Your child builds the app on screen while the mentor guides.
4
Remix. They change it to make it their own.
5
Show. They show the app and explain how it works.
The mentor coaches and asks questions, but doesn’t build the app for your child. Your child shows their big final project to the family at Demo Day.
It all starts with a free class. In the free class, the mentor finds the right starting level. You get a clear plan and the price. Then you decide.
Why learn app development 1:1?
In a 1:1 class, someone helps the moment the app stops working, and your child still does all the building. With apps, that help matters, because a problem can hide in the blocks, the screen or the phone connection.
Help when the app breaks
Straight away
None, or a forum
When the teacher is free
Pace
Your child’s pace
Your child’s pace
The group’s pace
Who builds the app
Your child, with a mentor watching
Your child, alone
Your child, with less watching
Finishing
A final project every level
Many apps stay half done
Depends on the class
Cost
Highest of the three
Free or lowest
In between
Who teaches the app development classes, and is it safe?
App development classes are taught by experienced coding teachers with computer science or engineering degrees. Your child keeps the same mentor for the whole level.
Every mentor is trained on the Educifly pathway and background-checked.
Classes run live in Educifly’s own online classroom.
You’re welcome to sit in on any class.
Kids learn what’s safe to share online, from the very first level.
How much do app development classes for kids cost?
App development classes are priced after a free trial class, and you see the exact price before you commit. You pay per class, and you can stop after any pack.
Free trial class
40 minutes, live and one-to-one. No payment, no card.
Younger children
Classes in our first two levels, for ages 5 to 9, cost ₹750 a class including GST, booked in packs of 8 (₹6,000). This is our launch price, and it will go up as we grow.
App classes, and everything else
All other levels are priced after the free trial class. You get the exact price before you commit.
Outside India
we quote you in your own currency after the free class.
Each level takes about 12 to 20 one-hour classes. It depends on your child. You pay per class. MIT App Inventor itself is free.
See all coding class fees.
Who are these app development classes for?
Educifly’s app development classes are for kids aged 10 to 13 who want to make apps for phones and tablets.
The Scratch kid who wants more
They’ve made Scratch games. Now they want to make something that runs on a phone.
The kid with an app idea
They’ve talked about an app idea for months. Now they learn how to build apps like it.
The total beginner
Never coded? That’s fine. In the free class, the mentor finds the right starting level.
Not the right fit if your child is under 10 and hasn’t coded yet. Start with Scratch coding classes first. It’s also not for families who want a group class, a weekend camp, or a Google Play launch.
Questions parents ask about app development for kids
What age can kids start app development?
Most kids are ready to build phone apps at about 10. Our app development classes are for ages 10 to 13. Younger kids start with Scratch, which teaches the same big ideas with blocks.
Can kids really build their own apps?
Yes. With MIT App Inventor, kids snap blocks together to make apps that run on a phone. MIT made it so that everyone, even children, can build apps that fully work. Your child builds every app, and the mentor coaches.
Is MIT App Inventor free?
Yes. MIT App Inventor is free and runs in a web browser, with nothing to install. The Companion app for testing on a phone is free too. You pay Educifly for the live classes and the mentor, not for App Inventor.
Can my child make an iPhone app?
Your child can build apps and test them on an iPhone with MIT’s free Companion app. Installing one as a normal iPhone app is still being tested with a small group at MIT. Apple also needs a paid developer licence. On Android phones, the finished app can be installed for free.
Will my child’s app be on Google Play?
Only if you choose to publish it with your own account. Google says Play Console account holders must be 18 or older. Google also charges a one-time fee, and new personal accounts need a 14-day test first. Your child can also share an Android app outside the store, though Google’s new checks can add extra steps.
How long are the classes, and how many will my child need?
Every class is one hour, live and one-to-one, once or twice a week. Each level takes about 12 to 20 one-hour classes. It depends on your child. You pay per class.
What do we need at home?
A laptop or computer with a webcam and a steady internet connection. A phone or tablet, if you have one, lets your child try their apps out. For now, only Android phones and tablets can install the finished apps.
Can I sit in on a class?
Yes. You’re welcome to sit in on any class, and every class is recorded.
What if it’s not working for us?
If the mentor isn’t the right fit, tell us and we’ll match your child with a new one, free. You’re never locked in. You can stop after any pack.
Find your child’s starting level in a free 40-minute class
Book the free class. Your child meets their mentor and builds a small project. You find the right level and get the price. Then you decide.
Ages 10–13 · Live and one-to-one · No payment needed