How Students Programmed Their Own Custom Clocks

The last weekend of March was packed with exciting projects for LTS. While the lvl Up team was launching a weather balloon into near space, our freshly graduated LTS lvl G0 students were facing a different kind of challenge: coding their own custom clocks!

This project was sparked by a personal idea from LTS Coach Johannes. Wanting to create a fun and helpful clock for his young son - who’s just learning how to tell time - he came up with a concept that quickly turned into a hands-on learning experience for students.

Starting with standard clocks, the students added processors and programmable LEDs, then started writing the code that would bring their creations to life. Some chose bold colours, others focused on interesting lightning patterns.

Giving students the opportunity to modify something as familiar as a clock has real developmental value. It encourages them to look at everyday objects not as fixed or finished, but as things they can understand, shape, and improve. This kind of hands-on exploration builds confidence and a sense of agency. It shows them that the world is full of things they can adjust. And for young minds, that’s a powerful shift in perspective.