#1192: Creaticode: An AI Playground for Every Middle School Student

Artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly influences how we communicate, create, and solve problems, making early AI education essential. Middle school is an ideal time for students to build AI literacy, yet teachers face barriers such as limited tools, steep learning curves, and lack of classroom-ready materials. CreatiCode addresses these challenges by extending the familiar Scratch platform with AI tools and AI-enhanced coding blocks that introduce generative and predictive AI concepts in an engaging, visual way. Supporting all four dimensions of AI literacy: understanding, using, evaluating, and creating, CreatiCode helps students move from AI consumers to creators. The platform includes free teacher support such as tutorials, lesson plans, and slide decks to simplify classroom integration. This paper introduces the CreatiCode AI toolset, describes partnerships with teachers to refine usability and curriculum alignment, and showcases examples of CreatiCode in action that highlight its potential as an accessible AI playground for every middle school student.