Run a five-island 3D world and define one improvement you can explain.
Architect skill: A creation assistant helps write code; a finished game still needs explicit rules and evidence.
The full mission is planned for 90 minutes. Split it into short activities and take breaks. Laptop or desktop, keyboard, and a browser with WebGL. Internet is needed to load the 3D tools. A phone can read along; graphics support varies.
You are world designers. First learn the small world that already works, then promise one improvement for a player.
Parent prep · before you start
Run the unedited world first and keep an export labeled baseline.
Put paper beside the computer for five circles. Help with controls or read the status if the child prefers to direct you.
Activity 1 of 5 · 6 minutes
Make a five-island promise
Child · driver & designer
Draw start, two plain islands, blue checkpoint and gold finish.
Parent · thinking partner
Read the finish instruction and ask which part can be demonstrated today.
Draw five circles in order and a crystal on each.
Write: move and jump, collect five crystals, land on gold, then restart.
Choose one small later improvement, such as a spring on island 3; leave extra worlds for later.
Look for this: A route sketch names all five islands and one observable player promise.
Walk through an example
Predict before revealing the result, then try the change in the real workspace. This explanation does not run or test your code.
Before
In createState(), checkpoint is 0 and crystals is []. The normal loop can collect crystal 0 at the starting island.
One change
Land on the blue island at ISLANDS index 2, then fall below y = -8.
respawn uses island 2, restores three jumps and zero vertical velocity, and retains collected crystal IDs. Restart instead calls createState(); play can then collect the starting crystal again.
Demo prompt 1 of 3
A first crystal
Show a rule someone can see, using the baseline.
Try in the workspace: Restart, Run and approach the first crystal; point to the count and disappearing shape.
Check what actually happened
Run each check yourself. Mark it only after comparing the actual output with the expectation; a tick does not automatically test your code.
Signs to discuss together
The child shows one crystal disappearing only once.
The family can describe the saved checkpoint and whole-run restart as different actions.
The route sketch and unedited baseline are saved.
Stuck? Make the problem smaller
Read the output together. Undo your last small change and run again. Export a copy before resetting files. If this device cannot run the project, read the full reference below and use the parent guide to prepare another computer.
Unsupported Node version or blank WebGL canvas.
Use the prepared Node version and a WebGL-capable browser; read terminal/browser errors before changing game code.
Explain together
Why does falling keep your crystals while Restart begins a new run?
Which file decides how many jumps you have, and which file draws the jelly?
Before you pause: A running starter, five-island sketch, and one-change brief. Export workspace files for a portable backup and remember this activity or write its name on paper.
Use Run in the workspace after one small edit. Browser output is evidence of this browser run; native devices and physical robots need separate checks.
Jelly Jungle workspace
Opening the original starter…
Full authored lesson · setup, code, checks & extensions
The complete original lesson is preserved here. Its downloaded-project instructions describe the local development path; the browser introduction above needs no installation. Longer and native/hardware tasks may need the adult-prepared tools listed in the course overview.
By the end, you can…
Make a world brief
Run the included project
Name the creation and runtime parts
Keep your starter project and builder notebook open. Make one change at a time and save a working copy before trying the next idea.
1. Make a world brief
The family reports creating Jelly Jungle with Astra; this course uses that inspiration with an original smaller starter.
Choose a fictional explorer and a reason to collect five crystals.
Sketch a start, three middle islands, and a gold finish.
Write steer → jump → land → collect → recover or finish.
2. Run the included project
Download /lab-starters/jelly-jungle-3d.zip and unzip. An adult prepares Node 20.19+ or 22.12+ and a WebGL browser.
Run npm install, npm test, and npm run dev in that folder.
Open the localhost URL printed by Vite; do not double-click index.html.
Try WASD/arrows, three Space jumps, and touch buttons.
3. Name the creation and runtime parts
Astra can help create code; this game has no AI service inside its play loop.
Find model.js for rules and main.js for input, scene, and rendering.
Record one proposed change in design-notes.txt.
Use adult-operated AI or JR Playground to request one small suggestion, then predict its effect.
Ask your AI coach
Use the JR Playground if configured, or ask an adult to operate their approved coding assistant. These prompts also work as questions for a human partner.
Act as my Astra-style creation coach for a five-island Three.js game. Help me choose one beginner-sized change with a visible result. Keep art procedural and do not add an AI API to gameplay.
Before accepting its answer
Predict an observable result before accepting the suggestion.
Inspect the changed lines; run the relevant check, explain the outcome, and keep or revert using evidence.
Prove it works
Test 1: Run the page and jump from the first island.
Expected: The procedural character moves in a 3D scene and jumps recharge on landing.
Test 2: Explain whether playing needs an AI account.
Expected: The learner distinguishes the creation assistant from the JavaScript/Three.js runtime.
If you get stuck
Unsupported Node version or blank WebGL canvas.
Use the prepared Node version and a WebGL-capable browser; read terminal/browser errors before changing game code.
Choose your challenge
Build together · guided
Use a printed map while an adult prepares tools.
Take the controls · independent
Run the starter and explain the two main files.
Go deeper · architecture challenge
Explain what game rules could survive a renderer replacement.
Save your evidence
A running starter, five-island sketch, and one-change brief.
Reflect: Which suggestion from an assistant still needs your own verification?
Try this with your camp team
Build a tabletop map and compare it with the running scene.
After the public first mission, a parent or guardian uses the existing access flow to open later authored missions. Your workspace remains available.