Building a Mobile App

by Sarah Guthals

Published 14 March 2017
Coding is cool, and these fun projects help you get started today!
Building a Mobile App offers basic lessons in Android development, designed specifically for kids! Three fun projects walk you through basic coding skills using MIT's App Inventor?a free, online programming tool that uses a simple block style language that makes coding easy to learn. No long chapters to read, and no homework?just dive right in! You'll begin with a basic project that shows you how to make an app that works; next, you'll put those skills to work on a photo editing app that takes your skills to the next level. Finally, you'll level up one more time to become a Game Maker?that's right, you'll actually build a mobile game that you can send to your friends! Each project includes step-by-step directions and plenty of graphics to help you stay on track, and easy-to-read instructions help you complete each project frustration-free.
App building can get pretty complicated, but it doesn't have to start out that way. Start small to pick up the basics quickly, and you'll be coding in no time! This book helps you get started quickly and easily, with a focus on fun.



Build your own Android mobile apps using a free online platform!

Code everything yourself, including buttons, screens, and interactions!

Build an app that lets you draw on pictures you take!

Create a simple, interactive game you can share with your friends!



Adults all over the world turn to For Dummies books for clear instruction with a sense of humor; the Dummies Junior books bring that same "learning is fun" attitude to kids, with projects designed specifically for a kid's interests, needs, and skill level. Building a Mobile App gets kids coding quickly, with fun projects they'll be happy to show off!

Building a Minecraft City

by Sarah Guthals

Published 12 August 2016
The coolest kid-friendly Minecraft projects

If you have a Minecraft fanatic on your hands, you're about to be the most popular adult on the "block." Offering young Minecraft enthusiasts the ultimate sandbox experience, Building a Minecraft City gives kids aged 7 – 11 an outlet to enhance their love of the game and take their creative play to new heights.

Brought to you by the trusted For Dummies brand, this kid-focused book offers step-by-step instructions and simple explanations for completing projects that will teach your child invaluable new skills—all while having a ton of fun! They'll gain confidence as they design and build truly impressive Minecraft structures, and you'll delight in watching them develop and refine their problem-solving skills as they work on their own. It's a win-win!

  • Features a kid-friendly design that is heavy on eye-popping graphics
  • Focuses on three basic projects that set young readers on the road to further exploration
  • Boasts a small, full-color, accessible package that instills confidence in the reader
  • Introduces basic engineering concepts to kids in a way they can understand

Screen time can be as educational as it is fun, and this book shows your child how to approach their favorite game from a new angle to think—and do—outside the box.


Building 3D Digital Games

by Sarah Guthals

Published 15 November 2019

A technology book for kids!

Do you want to create 3D digital games that'll impress your friends, family, and even yourself? This book shows you how to use Alice, a free 3D game programming environment, to make seriously cool video games you'll have as much fun building as you will playing!

  • Create your own adventure—recreate your favorite story by giving the characters new choices and writing your own ending
  • When zombies attack—make your very own escape room maze and attempt to defeat the enemy before it defeats you

Technology Requirements: Hardware – PC or tablet with internet connection running Windows® 7 or higher or Mac with internet connection running Mac OS X® 10.7 or higher Software – Alice–a free programming platform that can be downloaded at alice.org.


My kid can mod Minecraft? Oh my!

There’s no doubt about it: Minecraft has taken the world by storm. If your resident Minecraft fanatic is ready to take their experience to a new level of play, introduce them to modding! Modding allows Minecraft players to modify the game through code—giving them the ability to add a variety of gameplay changes, ranging from new blocks and items to new mechanisms to craft. It’s pretty much a Minecraft enthusiast’s dream brought to life! In Modding Minecraft, your child will be introduced to three fun and easy-to-complete projects that teach them the coding skills to make the most of their love of Minecraft.

Walking young readers through projects that outline how to create games in Minecraft for single or multiple players, this friendly and accessible guide takes the intimidation out of coding and instills confidence in children as young as seven as they complete cool coding projects to mod their favorite game. Full-color, eye-popping graphics and a short page count hold their attention while the goal-based format keeps them focused on the task at hand. Before you know it, your kid will be writing their own mods and having even more fun with Minecraft.

  • Kids can complete the projects on their own or alongside an adult
  • Introduces getting started with a single-player, single-level game
  • Moves readers on to multi-level game playing
  • Finishes with a multi-level, multi-player game based on the classic “capture the flag” game

With simple and clear instruction that your child can understand, Modding Minecraft is the perfect place for your kid to dig deep and open up a whole new world in their creative play.