Home Uncategorized NYC’s Best Coding Classes for Kids by Yuliya GeikhmanAugust 28, 2019 Search more like this afterschool programhow tokid friendlysign upvideo gamesbirthday partycritical thinkinghands onimmersion programlive streammiddle schoolstem learningstop motion animationtechnology Advertisement Trending Now Celeb & Entertainment Melanie Lynskey Talks about Being Body-Shamed in Hollywood & ‘Starving Herself’ Viral & Trending Viral TikTok Explains Why You Don’t Owe Toxic Parents a Relationship with Your Kids Celeb & Entertainment ‘Bluey’ Season 3 is Coming to Disney+ This Week! Viral & Trending Dad Gets Shamed for Using a Leash with 5-Year-Old Quintuplets News Chrissy Teigen Announces She’s Pregnant Almost 2 Years after Losing Jack Advertisement Turn idle technology time into active learning by introducing your kids to the wonders of coding. Teaching kids to code helps them develop critical thinking, problem solving and STEAM-related skills, gives them the pride of creating their own content, and is a skill that might just come in handy later in their lives. Luckily, this is a great time for children interested in how their favorite apps work under the hood: New York City has a great selection of coding classes for kids. Below are some of our favorites. Pixel Academy Pixel Academy Pixel Academy wants kids to get creative with how they look at technology. Students are encouraged to ask questions and stay focused on projects, all with a safe and encouraging environment. The afterschool program teaches kids to code through games they love, like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite, or even through modern-day tech like Alexa and Virtual Reality. Along with the actual coding lessons, Pixel Academy will also instruct students in 3D model creation, video-game media and marketing, and how to be respectful to other players (and each other) — in other words, all the skills they’d need to make their own games from start to finish.Kids ages 7-14 can enroll in an afterschool program, join the seasonal camps, or visit during the one-day camps, which take place during nearly every public school closing — though these mini-camps are oriented more around the actual playing of video-games, not making them. There’s also the option to book a birthday party at the space.163 Pacific St.Cobble Hill256 West St.TribecaOnline: pixelacademy.org Nicole K. via Yelp The Coding Space The Coding Space is directed at kids ages 8-14 and uses kid-oriented programs to move up to rea-world languages. Coding is taught using the Socratic Method: by allowing students to ask meaningful questions, instead of lecturing them on what to do. Kids start coding from Scratch (literally — a program designed for kids at MIT), then branch off to specialize in more focused areas of coding. Classes are kept small (four kids per instructor) and lessons are project-oriented and self-paced. Along with seasonal camps and an afterschool program, The Coding Space has programs that last from 14-17 weeks. You can also enroll your child in a single class to try it out if you’re not sure it’s right for you. Although most classes are co-ed, the GirlCode classes specifically cater to girls and young women, aiming to encourage and empower them in the field. 165 E. 88 St.Upper East Side1 W 88th StUpper West Side461 6th StPark SlopePort Washington & RoslynLong IslandOnline: thecodingspace.com Free Apple Desktop via Flickr Apple Yes, that Apple. The company’s been offering Hour of Code programs and other coding opportunities for kids for years, usually for free. Every summer, kids can participate in Apple Camp, a free three-session program that takes place in local Apple stores. As you can imagine, spots fill up quickly, so sign up to be notified of when registration opens here.In addition to the camp, Apple also hosts workshops throughout the year where kids can dip their feet into coding. These workshops teach kids 12 or older to code for Apple products, and introduce 6- to 12-year-olds to programming using programmable Sphero robots.Best of all, if you own an iPad, you can turn your own home into a coding academy using the free Swift Playground app. This kid-friendly app teaches Swift, the programming language used by iOS developers, in a way that’s approachable for kids. Online: apple.com/today Sylvan Sylvan If your child thrives in a more school-like environment, Sylvan might be the right choice for them. Here, kids in elementary through middle school meet for an hour per week and work on a predetermined project. Classes are less self-directed and more instruction-based, teaching an assortment of skills that align with school curriculums as well as Common Core. Kids learn to code using the child-friendly Tynker system. Although there’s no shift to real-world languages, the program serves as an excellent starting point for thinking through coding problems and scenarios. In addition, kids are taught world-building and character creation, audio and special effect application, and problem solving. The end goal of the full session is to create a playable game.2579 E. 17th St., Unit 2ASheepshead Bay3132 East TremontParkchester, Bronx297 Livingston StDowntown Brooklyn200 W 86th St.Upper West SideOnline: sylvanlearning.com Visit the Sylvan website to choose your location or click on the link above for a course description. Robofun Robofun Although Robofun offers many types of STEM learning like, of course, robot making and programming, kids can also take coding classes here. In fact, Robofun uses MIT-developed Scratch to instruct kids, Robofun boasts having Dr. Mitchel Resnick — who created the language along with his associates — as a board member. In the coding program, which is intended for kids in 3rd-6th grade, students will learn how to make different types of games, including adventure, maze, and platforming games. Instruction is highly personal as Robofun knows that everyone learns differently, and instructors will personalize their teaching to fit every child’s needs. Children can sign up for a full afterschool program or attend a one-off drop-in class or workshop. As an added bonus, if you decide to bring your child back for lessons again after completing the afterschool program once, you’re assured that they’ll learn brand new things and will never have to repeat material. There are also other interesting options here, like learning how electricity works through Minecraft and stop-motion animation.2672 Broadway, Loft AUpper West SideOnline: robofun.org Gordon Wrigley via Flickr Game-U Developed by actual professionals from the game industry, Game-U provides comprehensive, project-driven instruction on making games and everything that goes into that. In addition to coding in languages like C++ and Javascript, the program also teaches level design, animation, 3D printing, and even robotics. Classes, afterschool programs, and camp are all available for kids ages 6 and up, or you can drop in on a lesson online via the live-stream service. 195 Montague St., 14th Floor Brooklyn Heights315 W. 36th St., 7th Floor Midtown West4442 Arthur Kill Rd. Staten IslandOnline: game-u.com iD Tech Camp iD Tech Did you know that your local college may have coding classes for kids? And chances are, if it does, it’s through iD Tech. The program over 50 different courses running at various college campuses, including NYU, Pace University, Queens College, and more. Classes are available for kids starting at 7 years old and include fun offerings like Scratch learning, Java coding with Minecraft, Python with Cozmo, game design, Roblox world building, and much, much more. Kids can even enroll in a course that’ll allow them to build their own laptop (and take it home!).Instruction is less self-paced here than in other programs, and drives kids to learn and complete specific tasks in each class, leading up to the completion of their predetermined projects. Many classes also let kids take home their creations along with useful extras like course transcripts, a certificate of completion, and sometimes even the tech they were working with.Online: idtech.com Governor Tom Wolf Girls Who Code This well-known nonprofit organization aims to close the gender gap in STEM fields by giving girls the opportunity to learn coding and related skills. The organization brings free coding classes to libraries and other community locations across NYC for girls from 3rd through 12th grade. Classes are led by “Clubs” — in fact, parents, teachers and librarians are able to start their own Club if they have the means and want to contribute to the movement and community. The program also offers paid courses and a summer immersion program if your little one(s) get into it and want to take their learning further. Girls in grades 3-5 learn on and off the computer, honing their thinking skills to prepare them to think like a programmer, while 6th-12th graders get hands-on with the tech.You can find a class near you on the website but not all programs run year-long so contact the location to see what’s available at the time. Online: girlswhocode.com —Yuliya GeikhmanRELATED STORIES:Hands On: NYC’s Best Maker SpacesOnly in NYC: Unique Kids Classes and Camps Eureka!: Where to Take STEM Classes in NYC Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this afterschool programhow tokid friendlysign upvideo gamesbirthday partycritical thinkinghands onimmersion programlive streammiddle schoolstem learningstop motion animationtechnology Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? Select YES below and click submit to start receiving FREE pet ideas and inspiration, news about new pet products, exclusive offers and limited-time promotions. Yes, I have a pet! Submit GET READY FOR SUMMER! Enter to Win a $250 Gift Card! Enter your email and zip code below for a chance to win a Mastercard Gift Card. We’ll pick one winner per month through August 31, 2022 – 5 lucky winners in all! email zip_code campaign_name Enter Now! I agree to the official rules and to receive email communications from Tinybeans. By providing my email address, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience possible. Accepting the use of cookies enables important site functionality including personalization and analytics. Accept Decline Create an account to save this content on Tinybeans Choose how you would like to sign up. Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Continue with Email By signing up, you agree to Tinybeans Terms of Service and acknowledge you have read and agreed to our Privacy Policy. Sign in to your Tinybeans account Don’t have any account? Create an account here. Forgot your password? Reset it here. Sign In or Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google Personalized recommendations Tinybeans uses personal information to share useful recommendations and ideas for your family. This may include your previous activity, family profile and your hometown. Tinybeans keeps your data safe and does not sell personal information to any third party. Learn more about your privacy and location choices. Close
Celeb & Entertainment Melanie Lynskey Talks about Being Body-Shamed in Hollywood & ‘Starving Herself’