Made by Members: Code Block Build-a-thon Highlights

The Code Block Build-a-thon wrapped last month with three winners, 60+ submissions, and so much creativity! This month, we’re exploring the highlights from the event: creative submissions, topic trends, and what you can learn from the build-a-thon, even if you didn’t participate

🎨 Creative Submissions

These submissions were not only fun and functional, but novel uses of the code block focused on game-type interactions.

👑Paint by Num-Birds by ArthaLearning03​  This winning submission is a fresh take on a classic pastime, helping novice bird watchers over a large hurdle in the hobby.
Wizard Maze Game by KayleneWance Have you wished that pac-man was a little more magical? This submission will be right up your alley as a mix between familiar gameplay and unique graphics.
CMY Mixer by ISa Color theory is one of those skills that can take a lifetime to master, but this mixer lets you practice with hexcode and percentage mixing support.

💭 Play is a great way to improve engagement and recall—what type of game could you include in your next course?

📈 Trending Content

There were a few noticeable trends in submissions: those that taught, encouraged thought, or sought to help with professional development.

Australian Sign Language by ShwetaArun Visual and kinesthetic learners will appreciate this lesson that not only runs you through the Australian Sign Language Alphabet, but teaches you how to sign your name.
Using Time with Intention by AnnaRabasso  This thoughtful lesson takes you through practical time awareness in a kind and beautiful exercise.
👑 Meet your Learner Persona -  by ClaudiaNadol891 Our first place winner shines as both a code block example and professional development session.

💭 What trends are you seeing in the Instructional Design space? Which do you enjoy the most?

🥡Takeaways

These submissions were thoughtfully made as templates and tools for the community so that you can start experimenting with them right away.

Custom Tab Interaction by JenChang You can plug-and-play with this interaction, and use it for a wide variety of learner interactions.
👑Accessibility Checker by SheriLee A winning submission through and through, this accessibility checker can levelset your accessibility related decision making in just a few interactions.
Custom Interactive Product Match by VirginieBergon If you’re looking for a variation of a matching knowledge check with learner feedback, this code block is for you.

💭Templates and checker-type tools can be incorporated into your work today. What are some other tips or tricks you’ll be able to implement? 

Experiment with games for learners, get inspired by trending topics, or try one of these templates in your work and let us know how it goes. You can also share any new code block examples for others to see and learn from, too. Thank you to everyone who participated in our first ever build-a-thon!

🗨️Let us know

Which submission was your favorite? Were there any that surprised you?

🏅 Want to Be Featured Next?

We’re always looking to highlight inspiring examples from the community, and your work could be next! Here's what we look for in a standout submission:

• A downloadable .story file or link to your Rise course so others can explore, adapt, and learn from your build.
• A clear explanation of what you built, how it works, and what makes it unique.
• Behind-the-scenes insight into your process, techniques, tools, or challenges you tackled.
• Purposeful design, whether it’s solving a problem, teaching a concept, or experimenting with a new approach.
• Bonus: Share your ideas for how your design is widely applicable beyond the specific example.