Gabby Nichols and Demetrius Agnes try their hand at building apps during free lessons at the Brisbane Apple store. Pic Peter Wallis Source: News Corp Australia

Ella, 9, and Zac, 7, put the idea and artwork together and, with the help of their dad’s coding skills, made Beetastic, a game which earned them a few hundred dollars spending money.

Mr Passfield, from Right Pedal Studios, guided 100 students from Mansfield and Moorooka state schools yesterday through an app-making coding event at the Brisbane city Apple store.

The recent study Jobs in the Australian App Economy calculated the app industry employs 140,000 people in Australia.

Mr Passfield said the advantage of the app industry was that it was egalitarian. Make the right app and it doesn’t matter where you’re from or how old you are.

Child’s play ... John Passfield says anyone can make an app. CBD. Pic Peter Wallis Source: News Corp Australia

For digital natives like Brisbane primary school students Gabby Nichols and Demetrius Agnes, making a gaming app can be almost as easy as child’s play.

Demetrius, his school’s technology captain said he would like to be able to make an app while Gabby said she would like to make an arcade game.

Students around the country will get a chance to develop coding skills with Australia Apple stores taking part for the first time in the global event Hour of Code.

The 21 Australian Apple stores are offering free one-hour workshops on December 11 aimed at introducing children aged six and up to app creation.