Tickle started as a Kickstarter campaign, and uses block coding elements that were inspired by the likes of Scratch, Tynker, Blockly and Hopscotch. The simple coding interface is accessible enough to be used with early elementary students, but it has enough potential to challenge middle school students and beyond. Programs can be written and tested in the app without connecting to any other devices, but connecting to a Sphero or an Air Parrot Mini Drone is where the real fun begins.
You can also use Tickle to create fun video games. The Flappy Batman demo that comes with the game is an example of what that might look like, and these types of projects could be a great additional activity for classrooms that may not have enough Spheros for all students, or for specific coding challenges like the ones you find in apps like Hopscotch.
So, there is a lot to like about the new Tickle app for iPad. It is yet another fantastic coding app for the iPad, and one that deserves a place on the home screen of your school iPads.
~ Jonathan Wylie, Technology Consultant