Parents' Guide to

codeSpark Academy

By Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Code, create, and collaborate with cute characters.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Chromebook, Kindle Fire Free to try Education
Codespark product image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • The Foos: Code for an Hour FREE girls and boys educational app App: Screenshot #1
  • The Foos: Code for an Hour FREE girls and boys educational app App: Screenshot #2
  • The Foos: Code for an Hour FREE girls and boys educational app App: Screenshot #3
  • The Foos: Code for an Hour FREE girls and boys educational app App: Screenshot #4
  • The Foos: Code for an Hour FREE girls and boys educational app App: Screenshot #5

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 23 parent reviews

Rawly
Rawly Adult
September 23, 2021
age 4+

BEWARE - keep charging you even after subscription cancelled

We tried the free trial period however my daughter found it too easy so we cancelled before trial period was over. Months later I am still being charged by the foos.com which is code spark. When you email the support team they tell you its being billed through Apple and they will not credit you. Then Apple confirms it is not being billed through then and you continue to be billed. There is no way to call and get any issue resolved. You can only email. Very frustrating process! This issue has gone on for 10 months with no resolution. BE CAREFUL if you decide to try the trial because you could be ripped off just like our family!
3 people found this helpful.
Sergeys
Sergeys Parent of 9-year-old
July 6, 2022
age 10+
BEWARE - keep charging you even after subscription cancelled We used this app a year, then I tried to cancel it, it was a tough but finally we cancelled it (but it took much time), and after cancellation we were still being charged. I emailed to the support team, they helped me but now, after 2 months, I found out accidentally that they started to charge us again,... BE CAREFUL!
2 people found this helpful.
See all 23 parent reviews

What’s It About?

CODESPARK ACADEMY features fun little monsters navigating city streets, encountering police officers and construction sites as well as obstacles such as boxes and tires. Kids drag and drop commands or visual blocks of code from the Scratch programming language into the correct order to guide monsters to their destination. Kids must complete one level to advance to the next, and they receive one, two, or three stars based on how efficiently they used the commands. Levels can be replayed for a higher score. In Adventure Game mode kids can code their own games and share with others.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (23):
Kids say (2):

As with other coding games, this app features monster characters that will appeal to both boys and girls; in this case, however, those characters work together, and the game plays out in a story format. The levels get increasingly challenging and the story more complex. By design, kids have to figure out what to do and how to do it on their own, which will be empowering for most kids and frustrating for some. A solutions guide is available through the parent section of codeSpark Academy, which is essential, as some levels involve trickier solutions requiring multiple characters. And the ability to create games and share them allows for more creativity and social elements, which can boost learning. Overall, it's a fun way to expose kids to the logic of programming.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how code drives technology, from the tablets and computers we use to other electronics we encounter every day. What do your kids already know about coding? How can codeSpark Academy help you learn?

  • Explain the star scoring to kids: Even though they may construct code that is functional, they won't get three stars until they use the most efficient commands.

App Details

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