Attend a hackathon
Attend a kid-friendly hackathon to brainstorm, design, and build a simple app, game, or invention with a small team together.
About this activity
Attend a kid-friendly hackathon to brainstorm, design, and build a simple app, game, or invention with a small team together.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Check in at the registration desk.
- 2
Step 2
Go to the team meeting area.
- 3
Step 3
Join a team of 3 to 5 kids.
- 4
Step 4
Introduce yourself to your teammates.
- 5
Step 5
Brainstorm ideas together for 10 minutes.
- 6
Step 6
Vote and pick one idea to build.
- 7
Step 7
Draw a simple plan or sketch that shows how your idea will work.
- 8
Step 8
Assign one role to each teammate.
- 9
Step 9
Start building your app game or invention following your plan.
- 10
Step 10
Test your creation and write down one problem to fix.
- 11
Step 11
Make one improvement to your creation based on the test.
- 12
Step 12
Practice a 1-2 minute demo of your project with your team.
- 13
Step 13
Present your project at the hackathon showcase.
- 14
Step 14
Share your finished creation on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do you attend a kid-friendly hackathon?
Find a local or online kid-friendly hackathon, register early, and read the rules and theme. Help your child prepare by brainstorming project ideas, choosing a small team, and assigning simple roles (designer, coder, tester). At the event, follow the schedule: brainstorm, sketch, prototype, test, and practice a short demo for judging. Encourage breaks, mentor help, and focusing on a small, achievable feature that the team can finish in time.
What materials do I need for a kid-friendly hackathon?
Bring a laptop or tablet with chargers, any required software installed, and a power bank. Pack notebooks, pencils, sticky notes, markers, and simple prototyping kits (cardboard, tape, sensors) if allowed. Include headphones, snacks, water, parental consent forms, and contact information. If coding, pre-install beginner-friendly tools (Scratch, MIT App Inventor) and sample assets. Check the event rules for allowed hardware and internet access.
What ages are kid-friendly hackathons suitable for?
Kid-friendly hackathons often welcome ages 7–18 with different tracks. Younger kids (7–10) do best with heavy adult or mentor guidance and visual tools like Scratch. Tweens (11–14) can mix block coding and simple text coding with teamwork. Teens (15–18) can handle more complex apps, game logic, and hardware prototypes. Choose an event that matches the child’s skill level and offers age-appropriate mentors and safety supervision.
What are the benefits of attending a kid-friendly hackathon?
Hackathons build problem-solving, teamwork, creativity, and basic tech skills while boosting confidence and communication. Children learn to scope a project, iterate quickly, and present ideas. Events expose kids to mentors, new tools, and like-minded peers, which can spark long-term interest in STEM. Follow-up benefits include portfolio pieces, improved collaboration, and a safer environment to experiment and fail forward with adult support.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use if we don't have a laptop or coding tools to start building the app, game, or invention?
If you don't have a laptop or tablet for step 8 (start building your app game or invention), use paper-and-pencil prototyping, a smartphone with a free maker app, or craft materials like cardboard and markers to build a physical mockup.
What should we do if the team can't agree on an idea during the 10-minute brainstorm and vote?
If the team can't agree during the 10-minute brainstorm and vote (steps 5–6), try a quick dot-vote, pick the idea that matches your teammates' skills and time limit, or choose the simplest idea to prototype first.
How can we adapt the hackathon steps for younger kids or older kids?
For younger kids, simplify step 4–8 with guided sketch templates, role cards, and an adult helper, while older kids can assign specific roles (coder/designer/tester) and aim to build a working app to share on DIY.org.
What's a simple way to improve or personalize our project before presenting and sharing on DIY.org?
After step 11 test and record one problem, make one clear improvement (step 12), practice a polished 1–2 minute demo, and add photos and a short description when you share your finished creation on DIY.org.