Software engineering has to do a lot with your mind space and knowledge of how each tool available can be used to make something in your head do a thing in a bl

Software engineering has to do a lot with your mind space and knowledge of how each tool available can be used to make something in your head do a thing in a black box (to the general public it's a black box executing the code) and sometimes present a result to a user. I say avoid trying to teach them code at all cost and don't try to explain the black box. Also try to bring what you do into physical reality. Maybe a flashy arduino project where you change the code in front of them and the arduino does something markedly different. Like a 3d LED matrix or something maybe with spread sheet as input. My niece is 7 and we make easy robots together all the time. The key is attention span, a sentence of explanation maybe two then do something. If you choose the right project maybe they can suggest changing variables too. Remember what tools they have, basic math and that's about it. So anything past if statements might be a bit to hard to grasp in the time you have to explain so I would suggest making the visible code they can suggest stuff about not use for or while loops or classes etc. Just so any kids thinking about it have an easier time day dreaming about what they can do. Also make sure your variable and function names are self explanatory maybe with comments that you never explicitly point out for the kids actually reading and trying to understand it. I think though the code should definitely be visible even if you aren't going in depth about it. Just so they get the understanding that just ideas alone can make things happen in real life. Also thinking about it right now, you might hate it but maybe mod minecraft with them. Like something goofy and easy like shooting chickens as arrows or something. Good luck let us know what you ended up doing and how it went.