Frequently Asked Questions

codeSpark Academy with The Foos is the expanded, subscription-based edition of the award-winning coding app, The Foos. In early September 2016, The Foos became codeSpark Academy, and all current players must update their app in order to use the product.

codeSpark Academy with The Foos will have several exciting NEW features that are updated regularly with new content every month:

• New Foos!
• More puzzles and games
• Game Kits
• Personalized Daily Activities
• Brand New Menu and Map
• Teacher Dashboard
• More tutorial videos

The monthly subscription comes with a 7-day free trial. Once the trial has ended you will be charged.

You can register up to three children on one codeSpark Academy account. You can register them after purchasing your subscription. Children can customize their avatars and usernames at any time. Multiple children can use codeSpark Academy at the same time, provided they are using different devices.

codeSpark Academy with The Foos is geared toward children ages 5-9, however we’ve seen kids older than 9 have a blast playing the game (they tend to go through the puzzles quickly and then spend most of their time coding levels). We’ve also seen kids younger than 4 play codeSpark Academy, but they would usually need some help from a grown-up.

Nope. We are COPPA-compliant and do not collect any private data on our kid coders.

Players cannot send any messages to each other. The only communication between players is to send a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” rating on a community-created level. There are NO OTHER means of communication between players.

Every girl is different, and codeSpark Academy created its girl characters with that thought in mind. Girl characters in the game range from queens to police officers to astronauts. We specifically avoided girl character tropes in games; our female Foos are never rescued and can solve their own problems (with the help of the kid programmer).

Additionally, we continuously test codeSpark Academy with girl players in order to make sure that the characters and gameplay appeal to them. We’re happy to say that our game is girl (and boy) approved!

codeSpark Academy teaches kids age 4-9 the basics of computer science. Kids learn concepts such as:

• Sequencing
• Loops
• Conditional Statements
• Events
• Boolean logic & sorting
• Variables (coming soon)

Kid coders primarily practice sequencing in Splash Clash.

Sequencing is introduced in the puzzle area. While puzzles are great place to begin, they’re not as much fun to repeat once you know the solution.

Enter Splash Clash. In a multiplayer game - against the computer or another player - kid coders have fun practicing their skills in ever-changing matches. Each new opponent provides a new coding challenge to overcome. Most professional coding is collaborative, so kids can code with a friend against the computer. Kids are encouraged to code more, as thinking ahead with longer sequences helps them win.

Splash Clash can be played with 1 - 4 players on 1 - 4 devices.

It’s most fun when each player has their own device. Add each device to the same wifi network. Sign in to any account on each device and select the “Nearby” option from the Splash Clash Menu. One player will create a match, and the others join them.

codeSpark Academy works across many tablets, phones, and the web. You can use any of these to play Splash Clash together.

With just one device, you can use the Pass and Play option, where each player codes on the device secretly, then all players watch together as a group.

For kids - or parents - nervous to play against another human, 2 people can play cooperatively against the computer. This gets kid coders talking about their code and strategy, which is both educational and fun!

Yes! We have unplugged activities and a 25-lesson curriculum available for download in the “Resources” section.

Yes! codeSpark Academy with The Foos does not use words to teach coding basics. The game is completely visual based, allowing kids of all abilities to play and learn.

We realized that a lot of kids who start the Foo Studio Game Maker had trouble coming up with games to make. Game Kits are “paint-by-numbers” tutorials that guide kids through creating a game - blocks and code will be sketched out for kids to fill in to create some seriously cool games.

codeSpark Academy is 100% FREE for verified teachers and librarians of public schools in North America and non-profit organizations. To set up a school/teacher account, you need to first set up a codeSpark Academy Teacher Dashboard account at dashboard.codespark.com.

If you have any other questions, send an email to our support team at support@codespark.com. Our support team is available Monday thru Friday from 9am - 6pm.