How we built Teddy’s Future Lab

1 · From drawings to a plan

Every page began as a drawing: the worlds, the buttons, Teddy and his friends. More than a hundred page designs became a plan listing what each button must really do — and a rule that a beautiful picture is never counted as a working feature until it is built and tested.

2 · What it is made of

• The browser side: plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript — no framework — so it runs on phones, tablets, computers and even watches.
• The server: Node.js with its built-in SQLite database, with no outside packages to keep it small and inspectable. Sensitive words are stored sealed (encrypted).
• Real-time: a live stream for classrooms and visits; video uses LiveKit when it is set up.
• AI: optional. Children's helper, Teddy the guide and the teachers' drafting tool can use a connected AI company; without one, a built-in starter helper works offline.
• Hosting: a small cloud server (DigitalOcean) behind HTTPS.

3 · Safety by design

• Every permission that could share something about a child starts off; a grown-up turns each one on, and each decision is recorded with its date.
• Grown-ups approve friendships, sharing, rooms and purchases in the Store. Teachers are approved by the Lab owner.
• What children write is checked for private details and for worrying words; a grown-up is told when something matters.
• Location sharing needs the grown-up's yes (with their password) and the device's own question; points are deleted after 24 hours and never sent to an AI company.
• Store credits are earned by learning, never bought; nothing in the Lab pretends to be money.

4 · Built in small steps, tested every time

The Lab grew in numbered rounds. Each round changed only a few things, came with automatic browser tests that click through the real pages, and was installed on the server by a script that checks every file before switching — and switches back if anything fails. Some of the latest rounds:

1. Holographic look (V3) on every page, adapting to phones held upright or sideways.
2. Teddy the helper — answers questions about the Lab, shows you around and does jobs for grown-ups after they confirm.
3. Teacher Studio — lessons, quizzes, grading, certificates, events and field trips, analytics, an AI drafting helper, a lesson Marketplace and partner classes around the world.
4. Family Hub — live view, location sharing and safe places, “I need help” with Call 911, family calendar, permission slips, wellness, credits and a watch version.
5. Future & careers — 40 real careers, a pathway planner, a startup studio, money skills and team projects; nine learning worlds with things to do right away.

5 · Many versions, one Lab

The design changed three times as we learned: Classic (V1), Futuristic (V2) and Holo Night (V3), which is now the main look. Every version keeps working, so children can see how an app grows — see every version side by side and switch between them. Version 4 is being built now. The building blocks are on the design system page.

6 · What it costs — and free ways to start

Building and running the Lab costs real money: AI tools, the cloud server, the web address, email, and a great many hours. That is why families pay a small membership fee (see Pricing). But anyone can start learning to build for free:

• Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) — block coding for ages 8+ (ScratchJr for younger children)
• Code.org — free courses and the Hour of Code
• Khan Academy — computer programming and math
• MDN Web Docs — the reference for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
• freeCodeCamp — build real websites, for teens and adults
• Python.org — a friendly first “real” language

Grown-ups: please explore these together with younger children.