When children’s ideas become real
Daily course update — July 24, 2026
Today, the strongest signal came directly from the children: they were so excited about what they had created that most of them spontaneously wanted to present their projects in front of the whole group.
The range and quality of what they built surpassed my wildest expectations.
What the children created
One ten-year-old girl developed a working prototype for a platform where users can create and manage an online shop. She had considered every aspect needed to make the platform genuinely usable and demonstrated the complete experience to us.
She had created so much that there was not enough time to present all of her projects. Another was her own social media site, designed for her and her friends at school.
Many games were also developed, and I will soon share a link where people can experience as many of them as possible. Some of their game mechanics were so engaging that it was genuinely difficult to stop playing.
Among them were:
- An endless platform game in which a ball keeps jumping higher and higher across floating platforms.
- A blaster game where the player defends against waves of enemies that continuously move toward their position. The joy comes from upgrading your abilities, learning how to defeat different enemy types, and surviving the boss fights.
- A car racing game with sophisticated 3D camera movement that made driving through the course surprisingly dynamic and fun.
These were not simply exercises completed for a course. Each project carried the interests, humor, taste, and imagination of the child who made it.
What became most visible
What moved me most was how deeply motivated the children were to express their original ideas.
When an AI Buddy did not understand their intention on the first attempt, they did not simply accept the result. They kept working. Many tried three, four, or even more times until the game mechanics, design, or behavior came closer to what they had imagined.
That persistence matters.
The AI did not replace their creative judgment. It gave them a medium through which they could exercise it. They had to recognize when something was wrong, describe what they wanted more precisely, test the result, and decide whether it truly reflected their idea.
That is where much of the learning happened.
Why the physical side matters just as much
I am very happy that the course structure was so well balanced.
The children spent part of the day creating games and applications through AI Buddy supported vibe coding. During the breaks and afternoon courses, they moved their bodies through parkour, bouldering, and Ninja Warrior activities.
I could see how important physical development is for the mental development of children, and how often this connection is underestimated.
A strong body that a child feels at home in also supports a strong and flexible mind. Movement helps children regulate themselves, recover their attention, build courage, and return to difficult creative problems with new energy.
This balance is one of the particular strengths of TechLabs camps and of our collaboration with other activity providers. The digital and physical parts do not compete with one another. They support one another.
What comes next
I am now looking forward to seeing how these projects continue to develop and how this learning environment can become available to more children.
To take the next steps, we are looking for funding and for people who want to help us expand this course offering and the learning space around it.
Support can take many forms:
- Connecting us with people or organizations who share this mission.
- Helping us develop and fund future courses.
- Supporting the continued development of TechLabs Studio.
- Contributing to our foundation, TechLabs Giving.
- Or simply reaching out to begin a conversation.
We want to build a positive, empowering, and balanced relationship with AI technologies for the coming generations, though empowering children all around to be creators with it, instead of merely consuming its output. A world in which children do not disappear behind the technology, but become more visible through what they create with it.
Most especially, if something in this work has touched you, please reach out to us.
My email is: jiri@techlabs.ch
It is a special pleasure to hear from people who resonate with our mission, to meet one another, and to discover what we may be able to build together.
Heartfelt greetings,
Jiri
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