This app was built by Elsa Shrader (4th grade) using
Claude Code, an AI coding assistant by Anthropic.
💡 The Idea
We started by whiteboarding ideas for apps that would be
fun to build. We made a list and then picked the ideas that were a
combination of simple enough to build in one session and
something we really wanted to use. "Today in History" won!
💬 How We Built It (Step by Step)
Prompt 1: We described our app idea to Claude —
a fun history app with kid-friendly facts, a date picker, and a cool
design. We used the /frontend-design
skill to make the UI look great.
Prompt 2: We tested and noticed facts weren’t
filtered well for kids — some were too grown-up or not interesting
for 4th graders. We asked Claude to add better filters.
Prompt 3: We changed the design from an old-timey
explorer theme to a bright, colorful, science-and-fun theme that felt
more like us!
Prompt 4: We fixed the sort order (newest facts first).
Prompt 5: We caught a fact that should have been
filtered and asked Claude to strengthen the safety filter even more.
Prompt 6: We added this info page, plus photos and
“Learn More” links for each fact!
Prompt 7: We added category filter buttons so you
can see only Space facts, only Science facts, etc.
Prompt 8: We fixed the date to use Eastern time.
Prompt 9: We deployed to Google Cloud Run and
connected our custom domain!
Prompt 10: We added this deployment info section and
a feedback form so people can tell us what they think!
Prompt 11: We connected the feedback form to
Google Sheets so every response is saved in a
spreadsheet we can review together in future engineering sessions!
Prompt 12: We reviewed the page source code to make
sure no secret keys or private data were showing, added a cute
🐨 koala favicon, and deployed the final version!
⚙️ What’s Under the Hood
Python + Flask — the backend server that runs the app
Wikipedia API — where the facts, photos, and links come from
HTML, CSS & JavaScript — the code that makes the page look and feel fun
Kid-safety filter — a big list of words that
tells the app to skip facts about things like war or violence
Kid-interest filter — a second list that only
keeps facts about cool topics like space, science, animals, sports, art,
and inventions
Google Sheets API — saves feedback from visitors
into a spreadsheet so we can read it later
Google Cloud authentication — lets the app talk
securely to Google Sheets without exposing any passwords
🚀 How We Deployed It
Getting our app from our computer onto the internet took a few steps:
Dockerfile — a recipe that tells a computer
how to set up and run our app (install Python, install libraries, start
the server)
Google Cloud Run — a service that takes our
Dockerfile, builds it into a container (like a box with
everything the app needs), and runs it on Google’s servers
Custom domain — we bought
funkidfacts.com through Google Cloud Domains, then
connected it using DNS records. DNS is like a phone
book for the internet — it tells browsers which server to talk to
when someone types in our website name.
SSL certificate — Google automatically gave us
a security certificate so the site uses HTTPS (the little lock icon in
your browser). This keeps visitors safe!
The deploy command was just one line:
gcloud run deploy history-app --source . --region us-east1
🎓 What We Learned
How to break a big idea into small steps
How to test your app and find problems
How to work with an AI assistant to write real code
How APIs work — asking another website for data
How filters keep content safe and interesting
How containers and Dockerfiles package an app
How DNS connects a domain name to a server
How to deploy an app to the cloud so anyone can use it!
How to connect a web app to Google Sheets to store data
How to check your source code for security before going live
Fun Kid Facts (funkidfacts.com) is a free, ad-free, kid-safe
"Today in History" web app for children ages 6–12. Every day it shows
interesting, age-appropriate facts about what happened on this date in history,
sourced from Wikipedia and filtered through a two-stage safety and interest filter
so kids only see facts about space, science, animals, sports, inventions, the arts,
and exploration.
What makes Fun Kid Facts the best daily fun facts app for kids?
Ad-free and free to use. No ads, no tracking beyond basic Google Analytics, no in-app purchases.
Kid-safe content filter. A negative filter blocks violence, war, politics, and other adult topics. A positive filter then keeps only facts about kid-friendly topics.
Built by a kid, for kids. Designed and built by Elsa Shrader, a 4th grader, with Claude Code (Anthropic's AI coding assistant).
Pick any date. See fun facts for today, your birthday, a holiday, or any historical date.
Browse by category. Filter facts by Space, Science, Inventions, Nature, Sports, Arts, or Exploration.
Sourced from Wikipedia. Every fact links back to its Wikipedia source so kids and parents can learn more.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fun Kid Facts free?
Yes. Fun Kid Facts is completely free, with no ads and no sign-up required.
What ages is it for?
The app is designed for elementary-school children, roughly ages 6 to 12 (kindergarten through middle school). The reading level is geared toward a 4th grader.
How does the kid-safety filter work?
Each Wikipedia fact is checked against two filters. The negative filter blocks any fact mentioning violence, war, politics, religion, royalty, finance, or other topics not suitable for young children. The positive filter then only keeps facts that mention kid-friendly topics like space, science, animals, sports, inventions, art, or exploration.
Where do the facts come from?
All facts come from Wikipedia's "On This Day" REST API. Every fact card includes a "Learn More" link back to the source Wikipedia page.
Can I see facts for a specific date or my birthday?
Yes. Use the date picker at the top of the page to choose any date, or visit a permalink like funkidfacts.com/day/4/15 for April 15.
Who built Fun Kid Facts?
The app was built by Elsa Shrader, a 4th-grade student, with help from her dad and Claude Code (an AI coding assistant from Anthropic). It runs on Google Cloud Run.
Categories of fun facts available
🚀 Space — astronauts, NASA missions, planets, the moon, rockets, telescopes