30 Coding Projects for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Nov 13
- 11 min read
If you are in middle school and want to understand how coding works in real life, doing a coding project is one good way to start. A coding project helps you take what you learn in class or online and turn it into something you can build yourself, like a simple game, app, or website. You can use these projects to practice programming, test your ideas, and see how coding works step by step.
Starting a project now gives you more time to improve your coding before high school. You can fix errors, add new features, and make your project stronger over time. This helps you get better at problem-solving and understand how programmers work to create real products.
What are projects for middle school students?
Coding projects for middle school students are short programming tasks built around one idea. You can make a calculator, create a webpage, or design a basic game. Each project helps you practice writing code, testing it, and seeing how small changes affect what the program does.
You begin by choosing a topic, planning what your program will do, writing the code, and testing it to fix any issues. You can share your work to get feedback or make improvements. These projects help you understand how coding works in real situations and how programs are created step by step.
Why should I do a project in middle school?
Doing a coding project in middle school helps you learn the basics of programming early. You get to practice coding, organizing your work, and finding solutions when things do not work as expected. These projects also prepare you for more advanced coding in high school and help you decide which type of programming you enjoy most, such as web design, robotics, or data analysis.
Starting early also gives you more time to grow your skills and build projects you can include in your school or college applications later. Each project you complete helps you gain confidence and shows that you can take an idea from start to finish.
Here is a list of 30 coding projects for middle school students to help you begin!
30 Coding Projects for Middle School Students
Interactive Choose‑Your‑Own Adventure Story
You can build a story where readers decide what happens next. At each point, they pick an option like “go left” or “go right,” and the story moves in that direction. As you add more scenes and paths, you’ll understand how to use logic, conditions, and structure in coding. Try adding small visuals, sounds, or animations to make it more engaging.
Materials: computer, code environment (Scratch, Python, JavaScript).
Suitable for: Beginners to intermediate.
Personal Budget Tracker App
You can make an app that helps track income and expenses. Users can add what they earn and spend, sort entries by category, and see simple charts or summaries. Later, you can add options like spending alerts, savings goals, or filters by date. You can also include an export feature to download the data.
Materials: web stack (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) or Python + GUI framework.
Suitable for: Students familiar with variables, conditional logic, and I/O.
Language Vocabulary Quiz Game
You can create a quiz that tests word meanings or translations. The game shows a word, and users pick or type the right answer. You can randomize the questions, keep a score, and show which words were missed. Later, you can add a feature where users add their own vocabulary sets to practice.
Materials: Python or JavaScript.
Suitable for: Beginners.
Weather Dashboard / Forecast App
You can build an app that shows current weather or forecasts using data from a public API. Users can enter their city or let the app detect their location automatically. The display can include icons, temperature, and short descriptions. You can later add features like hourly updates or a simple layout that changes with the weather.
Materials: internet access, API key (free tier), JSON parsing (fetch, requests).
Suitable for: Intermediate.
Memory Card Matching Game
You can design a game with a grid of cards placed face down. When a player clicks a card, it flips to show a picture or symbol. If two open cards match, they stay visible; if not, they flip back after a short time. You can add a timer, different difficulty levels, or themes like animals or shapes to make it more interesting.
Materials: HTML/CSS/JavaScript or Scratch.
Suitable for: Beginners to intermediate.
Tic‑Tac‑Toe with AI Opponent
Create a Tic-Tac-Toe game where you play against the computer. You can make the computer choose moves using simple logic or a basic algorithm. Try adding a “play again” button or a scoreboard to track wins and losses. This project helps you understand game rules, loops, and conditions.
Materials: JavaScript or Python.
Suitable for: Intermediate.
Simple Chatbot / Conversational Agent
Build a chatbot that can reply to simple questions like your name, hobbies, or favorite color. You can use pattern matching or basic rules to make the answers feel more natural. As you get better, try adding memory so it can remember things from the chat. This helps you learn how programs handle input and give responses.
Materials: Python, possibly a chatbot library.
Suitable for: Intermediate.
Art / Generative Drawing Tool
Create a tool that lets you make patterns and pictures with code. You can use sliders or buttons to change things like color, size, or shapes. Sometimes, the tool makes patterns randomly; other times, you pick what happens. You’ll learn about shapes, how loops work, and how to build simple controls so users can interact with your drawings. This is a fun way to see how coding turns ideas into art that keeps changing.
Materials: p5.js, Processing, or Python turtle.
Suitable for: Beginners.
Virtual Pet / Tamagotchi Clone
Build a simple virtual pet that you can feed, play with, and rest. The pet has stats like hunger, happiness, and energy, which go up or down depending on what you do. If you take good care of your pet, it might change how it looks or even evolve. This project teaches you how to track numbers and create interactive features that respond to your actions.
Materials: any language; GUI or web.
Suitable for: Intermediate.
Quiz / Flashcard App with Spaced Repetition
Make a simple flashcard app to help you study. If you get a card wrong, it will show up more often, while cards you remember come up less. You can use this app to review over several days and see how well you’re doing with stats like how many cards you need to study today or which ones you often miss. This project teaches you how to use tracking and repetition to help you learn better.
Materials: Python or JavaScript, storage (local or backend).
Suitable for: Intermediate.
Typing Speed and Accuracy Tester
Build a tool where you type out words or a paragraph, and it measures how fast and accurately you type. The app can highlight where you make mistakes and show your typing speed in words per minute. Over time, you can see if you’re improving by checking your past results or a leaderboard. This project helps you practice coding with timers, tracking scores, and giving live feedback.
Materials: JavaScript (web) or desktop app.
Suitable for: Intermediate.
Recipe / Cooking Manager
Create an app where users can enter their favorite recipes, including ingredients and detailed step-by-step instructions. The app lets users search for recipes by specific ingredients or dietary restrictions, making it easier to plan meals. It can also generate a shopping list based on selected recipes, helping users organize what they need to buy. This project involves building a user-friendly interface and managing stored recipe data.
Materials: Front-end for web or app, data storage system.
Suitable for: Intermediate students comfortable with handling user input and data management.
Music Player / Playlist App
Build a music player that allows users to load their own audio files or stream short music clips. Users can play, pause, skip tracks, shuffle songs, and create custom playlists to organize their favorite music. The app shows track durations, progress bars for easy navigation, and volume controls. You can upgrade the app by adding search features or a play queue for better control over playback. This teaches working with multimedia files and user interface controls.
Materials: Audio libraries or HTML5 audio API.
Suitable for: Intermediate students with some experience in handling media elements in web or app development.
Barcode / QR Code Scanner + Info Look-up
Develop a tool that uses a device camera to scan QR codes or barcodes, then parses the captured data to display useful information such as product names or website links. The app can save scan histories and allow users to add personal notes for each scan, making it handy for tracking items. This project involves integrating camera access and external scanning libraries, teaching how to work with device hardware and APIs.
Materials: Camera access, QR/barcode scanning libraries.
Suitable for: Intermediate to advanced students familiar with device APIs and external libraries.
Face Detection / Simple Computer Vision Project
Create an application that uses a webcam or image input to detect faces, drawing bounding boxes around each one. The app can count the number of faces and even trigger fun effects like adding virtual mustaches or hats. This project introduces computer vision concepts using tools like OpenCV or browser vision APIs and explores real-time image processing.
Materials: OpenCV for Python or browser vision APIs, a camera.
Suitable for: Intermediate students interested in learning the basics of computer vision.
Mood Tracker / Journal App
Build an app to help users keep track of their daily moods by allowing them to log feelings and optional notes each day. The app displays mood trends over weeks or months using charts and graphs, helping users recognize patterns in their emotions. It can also send reminders to encourage consistent logging. This project teaches how to collect, store, and visualize user data effectively.
Materials: Storage (local files or database), charting libraries.
Suitable for: Beginners to intermediate students who want to practice data collection and visualization.
Maze / Labyrinth Game Solver
Design a maze game where users can either manually navigate through the labyrinth or watch an algorithm solve it automatically. Implement popular pathfinding algorithms like Breadth-First Search (BFS) or Depth-First Search (DFS) to find the shortest route. The app can show step-by-step solving to help users understand how algorithms work. This project enhances skills in logic, algorithms, and visualization.
Materials: Grid-based layout system, pathfinding algorithms.
Suitable for: Intermediate students learning about algorithms and problem-solving techniques.
Platformer / Side-Scroller Game
Build a classic side-scrolling game where a character jumps, collects items, and avoids obstacles to reach the goal. Add levels, scoring, and sound effects to make it complete. This project helps you practice movement logic, collision detection, and animation.
Materials: Scratch, Python (Pygame), or JavaScript (Canvas).
Suitable for: Intermediate students.
Data Dashboard (e.g., Sports Stats, COVID Data)
Create an interactive dashboard that pulls live data from APIs or CSV files and displays it through visual charts such as bar graphs, line charts, or maps. Users can filter, compare categories, and see updates automatically. This project helps develop skills in data analysis, visualization, and working with real-time data sources.
Materials: Data APIs or files, charting libraries like Chart.js, D3.js, or matplotlib.
Suitable for: Intermediate students focusing on data handling and visualization.
Chat Room / Real-time Messaging App (Web)
Build a web-based chat application that allows multiple users to communicate live. Include features such as chat rooms, user registration, and the ability to save and view message history. Use technologies like WebSockets to ensure real-time messaging. This project teaches both frontend and backend web development, focusing on communication protocols.
Materials: Frontend and backend tech (Node.js, Flask, etc.)
Suitable for: Intermediate students interested in full-stack web development.
Language Translator App
Develop an app that lets users type or paste text and translates it into another language using an online translation API. Show the original and translated text side by side for easy comparison. The app can detect the input language automatically or let users choose the target language. This project offers experience working with APIs and handling user input/output.
Materials: Translation API (with free tier options), interface design.
Suitable for: Intermediate students working with APIs and language tools.
Alarm / Reminder App with Notifications
Create an app that lets users set alarms or reminders for tasks and events. Features can include repeating alarms, snooze options, and the ability to dismiss notifications. The app can send alerts on both desktop and mobile devices, helping users manage their schedules better. This project teaches working with system time, notification frameworks, and user interaction.
Materials: System time APIs, notification frameworks.
Suitable for: Intermediate students learning about timing and notifications.
Puzzle / Sudoku Solver / Generator
Design an application where users can solve puzzles like Sudoku or generate new ones automatically. Implement algorithms that solve puzzles and check users’ answers for correctness. Add options for hints or increasing difficulty to challenge players. This project strengthens programming skills related to logic and algorithm development.
Materials: Algorithm logic, user interface.
Suitable for: Intermediate to advanced students interested in puzzles and algorithms.
Virtual Reality / 3D Scene Explorer
Use tools like WebGL, Three.js, or Unity to build a 3D world that users can explore—walking, flying, or looking around. Include interactive objects, lighting effects, and animations. This project introduces 3D graphics programming and immersive experiences.
Materials: 3D engines and graphics knowledge.
Suitable for: Advanced students comfortable with 3D programming and visualization.
Gesture / Hand Tracking Project
Create an app that uses a webcam and libraries like MediaPipe to detect hand movements or gestures. The app can trigger actions such as changing slides with a wave or controlling game elements. This project explores machine learning applications and real-time computer vision.
Materials: Camera, machine learning, or vision libraries.
Suitable for: Advanced students interested in AI and gesture-based control
Emoji Reaction / Sentiment Analyzer
Build a tool where users enter text and it analyzes sentiment—positive, negative, or neutral—using natural language processing (NLP) libraries. The app shows matching emojis or messages based on the sentiment. Over time, you can improve it with more data and feedback. This introduces basic NLP concepts and text analysis.
Materials: NLP libraries like TextBlob, NLTK, or JavaScript sentiment tools.
Suitable for: Intermediate students exploring natural language processing.
Language Pronunciation App
Develop an app that records users speaking and compares it to target words, giving feedback on pronunciation. Use speech recognition and phoneme matching to highlight specific sounds that need improvement. This project combines speech technology and user interaction design.
Materials: Speech recognition APIs, microphone access.
Suitable for: Advanced students interested in speech technology.
Home Automation Simulator
Simulate the control of devices in a virtual home, such as lights, thermostats, and security systems. Users can toggle devices, set schedules, or automate behaviors. If hardware like Raspberry Pi is available, connect controls to real devices. This project combines software simulation and hardware integration.
Materials: Simulation environment, optional hardware.
Suitable for: Intermediate to advanced students interested in Internet of Things (IoT).
News / RSS Aggregator + Summarizer
Build an app that pulls news from RSS feeds or APIs, displaying headlines and summaries. Users can filter news by topics and save articles to read later. Adding a summarization API can help shorten long articles automatically. This project teaches working with external data and text processing.
Materials: RSS or news APIs, summarization APIs (optional), user interface.
Suitable for: Intermediate students focusing on data handling and content summarization.
Password Generator and Strength Checker
Create a tool that generates random passwords and checks how strong they are. Users can choose password length and character types like numbers or symbols. The app can show warnings if a password is weak.
Materials: JavaScript or Python
Suitable for: Beginners
One more option—The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure! To learn more, you can reach out to our Director, Dhruva, at dhruva.bhat@lumiere.education, or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the upcoming cohorts + deadlines, you can refer to this page!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Lumiere Education logo