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Kidspeak

A programming and technology event for kids, running in Sweden since 2016.

January 1, 2000 · 平成12年 · 2 min read
A programming and technology event for kids, running in Sweden since 2016.
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Overview · Events · What Kids Learn · The Code · Contributors

Overview

Kidspeak is a programming and technology track — a mini-conference within a conference — designed especially for kids and young adults aged 7 to 17. It was created so that parents attending developer events like Leetspeak could bring their children along, giving the kids their own engaging programme while parents enjoyed the main sessions.

No prior programming experience is required. Kidspeak is designed from the ground up to be welcoming and hands-on, with a focus on small groups so every attendee gets proper mentoring and attention throughout the day.

Kidspeak 2016 event

Kidspeak cover

Events

Past Events

  • LeetSpeak 2016 — the first Kidspeak track, held as part of the Leetspeak developer conference in Sweden
  • Kidspeak in Lund, 2016 — a standalone event held in Lund, Sweden
  • LeetSpeak 2017 — Kidspeak returned to Leetspeak for a second year

Interested in hosting Kidspeak at your event? Get in touch at justin@cyber-lane.com.

What Kids Learn

Kidspeak introduces young attendees to several tools and concepts across the session:

  • Scratch — visual block-based programming for complete beginners
  • Blockly — Google’s block-based coding environment, used for building logic and understanding programming flow
  • Arduino — hands-on introduction to physical computing and microcontrollers for older or more advanced attendees

The curriculum is designed to scale with the participant — younger children can work through Scratch activities while older kids tackle Arduino projects.

The Code

The Kidspeak platform is built on top of Google Blockly, which has been heavily modified and extended for the specific needs of the event. The codebase includes a custom server component and a web-based editor.

The software is closed-source and requires explicit permission to use. If you are interested in using it at your event, please reach out at justin@cyber-lane.com.

Contributors

  • Justin Nel — main developer
  • Magnus Ferm — UI styling, Swedish translations, testing
  • Adam Brunette — block ideas, OLED images, testing
  • Andreas Voigt — testing and bug fixes