Learn what comes after the prompt
Children use AI alongside real JavaScript, then inspect, run, test and improve the result instead of accepting the first answer.
Creative Code Challenge · Junior
Turn an idea into a real AI-coded project.
For ages 8–14: build a browser game or interactive website with AI and real JavaScript, test and improve it, then pitch it for the chance to win from AUD $800 in cash prizes.
Registration open · Ages 8–14AUD $800 in cash prizesAUD $9 · Submit 24–31 Aug 2026
Register now Creative studio
IDEA → BUILD → PLAY
How it works
See the whole thing before you enter.
A short walkthrough of what your child builds, where they build it, and what gets sent in.
Why join
A reason to build, not just another reason to use a screen.
The challenge gives a child a real goal: turn their own idea into something people can play, prove how they improved it, and explain what they—not the AI—decided.
Finish with something the family can play
Every entry includes a working browser project, a short pitch and evidence of one meaningful improvement the child made.
Compete for AUD $800 in cash prizes
A judging panel selects the Champion, 2nd and 3rd place. A separate public vote selects the Junior People’s Choice winner.
Competition brief
The important rules, before you enter
This is the short version for families. The Parent Portal shows the complete Competition Terms and Parent Consent before payment.
- AI coding: build with AI and real JavaScript.
- Visible outcome: finish a browser-playable project and pitch.
- Prizes: AUD $800 confirmed cash prizes across Champion and People’s Choice.
- Support: a Starter Lab and 500 Creative Code Studio Stars are included.
Imagine it. Build it. Show it.
There is no prescribed story, character or school subject. The child starts with an original idea, turns it into something another person can play or use, then explains the decisions and improvements they made.
- 1. Game ProjectA browser-playable game designed and built by the child.
- 2. Interactive Web ProjectAn interactive tool, toy, story or simulation that responds to its user.
Native apps, hardware and robotics entries are not accepted in this edition.
- Age: 8–14 years old for the Junior Edition.
- Entry format: solo entry only; teams are not accepted.
- Entry limit: one entry per child.
- Registration: a parent or legal guardian registers, pays and signs.
- Authorship: the child must design, code and present the entry.
From parent registration to final entry
1. Register
A parent chooses the child, reviews and signs both documents, then pays the AUD $9 entry fee.
2. Build
The child develops one eligible browser project. A parent may help with the rules, recording and upload—not the design, code or presentation.
3. Submit
Between 24 and 31 August 2026 AEST, submit the project, a 60–90 second English pitch, one improvement, a creator card and the parent’s media choices.
4. Review
The entry is checked by a person for safety, privacy, permissions and originality before it can enter judging or the public Showcase.
Prizes and awards
AUD $800 in cash prizes
The judging panel selects the Champion, 2nd and 3rd place. The public vote separately selects the Junior People’s Choice winner.
Judges · 01
Champion — judges’ 1st place
AUD $400 cash prize, plus a trophy, medal and certificate.
Decided by the judging panel.
Judges · 02
Judges’ 2nd place
Trophy, medal and certificate.
Decided by the judging panel.
Judges · 03
Judges’ 3rd place
Trophy, medal and certificate.
Decided by the judging panel.
Public vote · 04
Junior People’s Choice
AUD $400 fixed prize pool.
Decided by the public vote, separately from the judges.
Confirmed cash prizes total AUD $800: AUD $400 for the Champion, and an AUD $400 fixed prize pool for the Junior People’s Choice. No cash amount is announced for 2nd or 3rd place.
Recognition your child can keep
This sample uses the fictional name Sophie Chen so families can see the planned certificate design. Issued certificates will be personalised with the child’s name and award.
Design preview only. The final certificate may include minor production refinements.
Junior People’s Choice
A separate public vote for a separate AUD $400 prize
People’s Choice does not change any judge’s score or the judged 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings. It is decided only from valid public votes.
Equal presentation
Every approved entry receives the same public fields and wording. The Showcase order is shuffled, and live vote totals stay hidden.
One base vote
Voting needs no account, but each normalised email identity can cast only one base vote in this edition.
Reviewed bonuses
Valid referrals and an approved group-share claim may add bonus votes, capped at 10 total votes for one voter. A link click alone earns nothing.
Tie rule
If entries tie for the most valid votes, they share the fixed AUD $400 People’s Choice pool equally.
See the exact voting and anti-manipulation rules
- Voting runs from 1–13 September 2026 AEST and only admin-approved, non-withdrawn entries can receive votes.
- A referral bonus counts only when the invited person casts a valid base vote; the invitation click itself never counts.
- A group-share claim stays pending until a person reviews and approves its evidence.
- Buying courses or Stars never adds votes. Buying votes, automation, fake identities and asking children to contact strangers can void the affected votes.
- Raw IP addresses and device details are not published; risk signals cannot, on their own, prove manipulation.
- One entry may win both a judged placing and Junior People’s Choice.
Current status
Registration is open
A parent or guardian signs in, chooses the child entering, reviews the parent consent and competition terms, and pays the AUD $9 entry fee. Project submissions open on 24 August 2026.
Registration and payment take place securely in the Airbotix Parent Portal. Children do not register or pay on their own.
This is the first Creative Code Challenge Airbotix has ever run.
Register nowAUD $9 per participant includes
- One Junior Edition entry for one child.
- One 60-minute Creative Code Studio Starter Lab — a live orientation session.
- 500 Creative Code Studio Stars, credited to the registered child.
500 Stars is a limited balance
Stars are spent by the Creative Code Studio features that consume them. 500 Stars is a starting balance, not unlimited use, and how far it goes depends on how your child works.
If the 500 Stars run out, continuing to use Stars-consuming features requires a parent-approved top-up. We are not telling you the challenge can definitely be completed for free.
What you can build
Start with an idea. Finish with something playable.
These are the only two accepted project types. Whichever your child picks, a judge and a member of the public have to be able to open it in a browser and use it.
Game Project
A game your child designs and builds themselves — something another child can pick up and play.
Must run in a browser
Interactive Web Project
An interactive web project that responds to whoever is using it — a tool, a toy, a story, a simulation.
Must run in a browser
The submission
Five pieces that tell the whole creation story
01
A playable project
The Game Project or Interactive Web Project itself, running in a browser.
02
A 60–90 second Project Pitch video
Your child explains their project in English, in their own words.
03
Evidence of one change they made
One thing they tried, tested and changed — showing the thinking, not just the finished screen.
04
A creator card
The short profile shown beside the project.
05
Their parent’s media choices
A parent records, separately, what may be published — including title, voice and face.
From submission to results
AEST (UTC+10)
- 1
Submissions
24–31 August 2026
The window in which a registered child submits their project, pitch video and creator card.
- 2
Judging
1–13 September 2026
The judging panel scores every entry against the 100-point rubric.
- 3
Public voting
1–13 September 2026
Runs in parallel with judging, and decides the Junior People’s Choice award only.
- 4
Results
14 September 2026
Judged placings and the Junior People’s Choice result are published.
All dates and times use AEST, UTC plus 10 hours.
Scoring criteria
The full 100-point judging rubric
Every assigned judge scores each eligible, non-recused entry independently against the same six dimensions. These are the actual points used to decide the judged placings.
Original idea and creative decisions
25 pointsHow original the concept is, and how much of the design was genuinely decided by the child rather than copied from a tutorial or template.
Playable result and user experience
20 pointsWhether the finished project actually works and is understandable to play or use.
Testing and improvement
20 pointsEvidence that the child tried the project, found problems and improved something in response.
Code/AI understanding
15 pointsHow well the child can explain what their code, or the AI they directed, is doing and why.
English Project Pitch
15 pointsHow clearly the child explains what they built, why they built it and what changed after testing.
Responsible creation
5 pointsRespect for other people and their work: credited assets, no third-party work copied wholesale, and nothing unkind or unsafe.
The English Project Pitch is scored only on clarity of explanation—not accent, pronunciation, home language or sophisticated vocabulary. Simple words used clearly can receive full marks.
How fairness is enforced
Specific controls, not a promise to “be fair”
Fixed scoring rules
All six weights and their maximum scores are fixed. The total is calculated from the six marks rather than typed separately.
Independent judges
Judges score independently. One judge’s marks are not shown to another judge while scoring.
Conflict withdrawal
A judge who taught the child, helped with the entry or knows the family must record the conflict and step out; any marks they filed are discarded.
No one-judge result
An entry needs at least two valid independent scores. If it has fewer, it cannot receive a judged placing until a reserve judge resolves the gap.
Published tie-break
Judged ties are compared in this order: Testing and improvement, Original idea and creative decisions, then Code/AI understanding. An unresolved prize tie needs a recorded human decision.
Human review first
Every entry is checked by a person for safety, privacy, permissions and originality before judging or public display.
Buying courses, Stars top-ups or anything else does not increase votes and does not affect judging. Stars are not redeemable for cash.
The panel
The people behind the scores
Every judge scores every entry against the same 100-point rubric, independently of one another. English is judged only on how clearly a child explains their work — never on accent, vocabulary or the language spoken at home.
Hyna Hua
AI Engineer · Software Developer · Coding Educator
An AI engineer with five years of experience who also teaches K–12 coding.
Linfei Fu
Full-Stack Developer, Flight Centre · AI Engineering Advocate
Builds reliable systems and champions practical AI engineering tools.
Cheng
Senior Software Engineer at Xero
Brings 15 years of engineering experience across payment systems, backend architecture and frontend development, and mentors engineers to use AI responsibly as a force multiplier.
Michael Nie
Certified TAE40122 Trainer · Business & Marketing Mentor
Over 10 years in Australian business and marketing, spanning e-commerce, digital marketing and career transitions; mentors learners through JR Academy in AI-powered workflows.
Vivien Yang
National Multicultural Partnership Manager, Bupa Australia
Leads multicultural growth, strategic partnerships and international engagement across Australia.
Siying Wang
Founder & Chair, Melbourne Venture Capital Club · Founder, Qijie Investment
Has reviewed more than 100 early-stage ventures across AI, health, biotech and hard tech.
Dr. Saisai Ma
Data Science Director, Australian Taxation Office · Ph.D. in Computer Science
Leads data science at the Australian Taxation Office.
Elsa Guo
Founder, Australia Learning Centre · Founder & Director, Nexora AI Tech
Brings 20 years of business-building experience to AI consulting and education.
Distinguished Professor Baohua Jia
FTSE · Director, RMIT Centre for Atomaterials and Nanomanufacturing
Helps young people turn creativity into innovation through AI, coding and advanced manufacturing.
Professor Robert Lee
Professor · Senior Engineer · Co-Founder, OZBeat.ai
Economist and senior engineer working across AI, the digital economy and blockchain.
Xiangyu Zhou
Ex-Google Engineer · Co-Founder, Airbotix
Helped build Gallery Go to over 100 million users and Google Photos to over a billion; later tech lead at Cash App (Block).
Dr. Zhi Chen
AI Lecturer, University of Southern Queensland
Researches machine learning and computer vision, published at CVPR, ICCV and NeurIPS.
Liji Yu
Software Engineer at Canva
Builds software at Canva, drawing on nearly twenty years of software development experience and a Master’s in Computer Science from Zhejiang University.
Lisa
Chinese Language Assistant · Teacher Aide
Originally from Beijing, she completed two master’s degrees in Australia and supports students across different year levels, including students with additional learning needs.
Don Chen
Founder & President, Adelaide Education Group (AEG)
Leads an education group spanning secondary, vocational and higher education, and research.
Backing this edition
Supporting organisations
These organisations back the Creative Code Challenge. They do not host it, do not judge it, do not fund the prizes, and never receive entrant details — judging stays with the panel above and the prize pool is Airbotix’s own.
Creative Code Challenge · Junior Edition
Ready to see what comes next?
Registration is open. A parent or guardian can review the consent and competition terms before completing the AUD $9 entry.
Register now