If your child wants to learn how to make mobile apps, this could be the start of a great career. Mobile developers can boast a good salary, and the peculiarities of this profession allow them to work remotely from any convenient location. We will tell you what skills are needed for this and how to help your child learn them.
Of course, it all starts with an idea. The app should have a clear function that can be expressed in a simple sentence. For example:
- My app will draw a graph of my math grades.
- It will be possible to compose ditties in my app.
- I'll be posting gameplay tips in my app.
“Adult” developers conduct marketing analysis to understand what other similar services exist, what are their disadvantages and advantages, what users talk about in comments, etc. Since your child is just learning to make mobile applications, he can skip this step. On the other hand, studying the market and gaining someone else's experience will be useful in any case.
The finished idea needs to be visualized. Help your child think about the design of the future product — you can do it both on paper and in Photoshop. You don't need to dive into details; your goal is to imagine the layout of the elements and determine how the user will receive certain functions.
After that, you can move on to implementing the idea, i.e. actually creating the application. There are two options here — simpler and harder.
Method number 1. Difficult
If your child wants to get serious about mobile development, they need a deep knowledge of programming languages. In the case of Android, this is Java and XML, in the case of iOS, Swift or Objective-C. Developers use them to create the frontend — the user side of the application. Other systems are responsible for the technical side (backend) and will need to be written in another language, for example, Python.
Apple offers the Xcode software environment for creating iOS applications. Unfortunately, it only works on macOS, so Windows users will have to search for an “apple” computer or run a virtual machine. In the case of Android, everything is easier — just download Android Studio, which is available for all platforms.
It should be noted that it is quite difficult to teach children how to program on mobile applications. First, such programs often have a complex architecture; many details affect their quality and performance. The mere fact that a developer must fit into the tight limitations of the mobile interface makes the task much more difficult.
Secondly, Java, Swift, Objective-C by themselves are not very suitable for beginners in programming. There are also more complex languages, but, on the other hand, there are simpler options. Python, for example, is considered to be the best language for teaching programming to children and other beginners.
Thus, if your child is new to coding, it is better for him to take a different path, namely, to use special constructors that allow him to create applications without writing a single line of code.
Method number 2. Simplified
These services use sets of templates and pre-configured features to make it easier to create apps. They are great for a child to learn the basics of mobile development and get results quickly. Such services also publish the app in Apple and Android catalogs.
You can find both paid and free app builders online. Here are a few examples:
This is a cloud-based service, meaning you don't have to install anything on your computer. The visual editor works on the drag-n-drop principle, allowing you to quickly create the interface of the future application. An appropriate code is automatically created for all components, and then a REST API can be connected to the program to interact with third-party services. In addition, the developers have provided an extensive catalog of plugins, which, if you wish, can be supplemented with your own modules.
This builder is great if your child wants to create their own media or launch an online service. His friends will be able to post comments on the app wall and receive push notifications from the app.
Mobile Roadie has built-in support for a variety of Internet services, including receiving information via RSS and from Twitter, working with data in almost any format — XML, JSON, PHP, HTML. There is a large selection of design templates, each of which can be precisely customized to your liking.
This service places an even greater emphasis on audience engagement. App users will be able to upload photos, videos, and entire articles. If you want to teach your child how to create social networks rather than just websites, this may be the best option.
Like other designers, Good Barber supports a visual development format with a variety of design templates, icons, and special fonts. Like any major social network, the new app can create sections with multimedia content and events for participants.
This product is designed not only for iOS and Android, but also for Windows and advanced web applications — one of the most relevant Internet development technologies that allows you to create websites with functions similar to mobile applications.
The service offers a lot of analytics and even monetization opportunities. A young developer will be able to connect third-party social networks, websites, Internet radio and other multimedia tools to their application. It is worth noting that, unlike other designers, this one offers a free format of use, although in this case the application will broadcast ads.
The last designer in our collection is for those who want to create their own games. In addition to iOS and Android, the list of platforms also includes HTML5 and MacOS. The service allows you to create scenes and describe characters' actions, upload pictures, sounds and other content.
The creators of GameSalad claim that they are trying to teach users how to program through games. The service even has a special rate for educational institutions. A big advantage of GameSalad is its large community of users who can be asked any questions if necessary. In addition, representatives of gaming studios and independent developers often come to the platform to share their advice.
To sum up, we recommend teaching children how to develop apps using designers because this will make it easier for them to immerse themselves in the process, avoiding many (though not all) complex details. At the same time, you should learn Python and Java — this knowledge will be useful to any programmer, and an ordinary person too it's useful to be able to write code.
