Codey.
A coding app built from the ground up for children aged 3–6 — where play teaches logic, and pre-readers can navigate on their own.
Problem
Most coding apps for young children aren't actually built for young children. Tools like Scratch and Tynker introduce too much complexity too soon — overwhelming kids aged 3–6 who are still learning to read, let alone parse logic blocks. The result: kids lose interest fast, and parents give up.
Research
I ran a competitor analysis across the leading kids' coding platforms, looking at onboarding flows, lesson structure, visual language, and reward systems. The pattern was clear — these apps were designed for older kids (7+) and retrofitted for younger ones. Nothing felt genuinely built for a 3–6 year-old's attention span, motor skills, or comprehension level.
Solution
I designed Codey around a Duolingo-style learning model — bite-sized lessons, instant feedback, streaks, and a clear sense of progression. Each "level" teaches a single concept through play, not instruction. The interface is touch-friendly, icon-led, and stripped of any text-heavy elements so pre-readers can navigate independently. The result is an app that feels like a game first and a lesson second — exactly how kids that age actually learn.