Developing specific small & easy apps for kids (4-5 years)

[mounib Mekhilef]

Hi there,

Firstly, I hope that I'm posting at the right place ;)

I'm currently considering the possibility to coach my students (future teachers at kinder & primary schools) using AI to develop their own apps. The thing is that many of those young-teachers have specific ideas and needs that aren't covered by existing apps. Those ideas raise on the fly when they face a challenge.

I'll experience this year a trial and see how it will go.

Before that I need to make sure that I can easily explain those basic features that little kids may need therefore to be implemented, such as

Selecting an object and move it into a box.

Working with a time line.

Does anyone developed an app that allows moving objects and place them in a specific place?

Sorry for my probably naive question, but have to start somewhere :)

Thanks for your help.

M

ps: I can give more details if any interested

[Taifun]

Does anyone developed an app that allows moving objects and place them in a specific place?

let me recommend you to take a look at some projects from Scott in the App Inventor Developers Library here https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/app-inventor-developers-library/canvas%7Csort:relevance

Taifun

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Trying to push the limits of App Inventor! Snippets, Tutorials and Extensions from Pura Vida Apps by Taifun. 

[SteveJG]

This is the RIGHT place to ask.

You may be just learning to code. You can answer your questions yourself if you explore what is available for App Inventor developers.  Can 4 to 5 years successfully develop their own apps by themselves?  My personal opinion is no, but they could do nicely working with an older sibling or adult who knows the basics of programming.

   We want you to have fun with App Inventor so here are some resources to help you learn to use the AI2 tools  A very good way to learn App Inventor is to read the free Inventor's Manual here in the AI2 free online eBook   http://www.appinventor.org/book2 ... the links are at the bottom of the Web page.  The book 'teaches' users how to program with AI2 blocks.

There is a free programming course here http://www.appinventor.org/content/CourseInABox/Intro  and the aia files for the projects in the book are here:  http://www.appinventor.org/bookFiles  

How to do a lot of basic things with App Inventor are described here:  http://www.appinventor.org/content/howDoYou/eventHandling  .

Another free course is here:  course for Teachers in the link: http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/teaching-app-creation.html

Specifically Selecting a object and moving to a box activities are created using the Canvas component.  Here is an example by Scott:

App Inventor - Snap-to-grid using remainder - YouTube

Snap To Grid - Google Groups   the tutorial describes an app that allows moving objects (checker pieces) and placing them in a specific place using only one of many possible methods using AI2.  This 

is relatively simple.

The following graphics show a much more complex AI2 App.  AI2 developers can develop something with significantly more code, experience and skill

Animals is an example of what can be done with AI2 programming once one learns to program.  The above is part of a complex App that allows the user to move pictures to their proper grid cell, and knows whether the animal is in the correct cell.  It rewards the user when correct .  It does much more.  It is based on a snap2grid coding scheme described by Scott.

Working with a time line

   AI2 has a Clock component .  Not sure what you mean by working with a time line.

Why not tour the Gallery of apps developed by AI2 developers (both young and old) who share their projects and see what can be done.

You get to the Gallery at #1 ... you can search at #2.

If a teacher cannot figure out something on their own, the people in the forum are glad to help and do exactly that.

Regards,

Steve