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Coding
MIT App Inventor
Build mobile apps with visual blocks and try them live on a phone or tablet.
MIT App Inventor ties block coding to a concrete goal: an app that runs on a real device. Beginner projects include a cat that makes a sound when tapped and an app that speaks typed text, and later tutorials cover drawing, games and other device features. The browser editor and a test device work side by side, so a change in the blocks can be tried straight away.
- Ages
- Choose by reading and coding readiness
- Works on
- Web browser
- Topics
- Coding
- Languages
- English
- Listed
- 2026-10-11
What kids do
- Build a tap-for-sound app
- Make a talking-text app
- Follow a drawing-app tutorial
- Test and revise blocks
Who it suits
It is likely to make more sense to a child who has already used block coding and now wants to build something to tap.
Notes for parents
The editor runs in a computer browser, and apps are tested through the MIT AI2 Companion app on a phone or tablet, or on a supported Chromebook. Features differ between Android and iOS.
What you need
- Computer web browser
- Phone, tablet or supported Chromebook for testing
- Companion app for phone or tablet testing
In these guides
- Coding for kids, from picture blocks to typed Python: Where kids can start coding at 4, 7 or 11: picture-block apps, Scratch, typed Python and robots, in the order many children come across them.
More Coding
- Code.org / CodeAI: Guided coding activities alongside open tools for making games, animations, apps and web pages.
- ScratchJr: Picture-based programming blocks for making characters move and telling interactive stories.
- Scratch: Interactive stories, animations and games built by snapping visual coding blocks together.
- Kodable Basics: Maze-style coding challenges that begin with sequences and patterns.
- codeSpark: Coding for Kids: Coding puzzles that don’t rely on reading, leading into tools for making stories and games.
- Tynker: Coding for Kids: Guided coding puzzles, game-making and Minecraft-related projects.
- Hopscotch: Programming for Kids: Tutorials and open creation tools for building games and other interactive projects.
- Tynker Junior: Coding for Kids: Picture commands, voiceovers and themed adventures that introduce sequencing, loops and conditions.