Coding Club - A STEAM-based community for curious kids

Does your child have boundless imagination? Are they constantly asking questions about how things work? Does their knack for story-telling weave into every new experience?

Building Confidence and Skills

At Little Robot Friends we set out to build an environment where creative kids can learn the tools and techniques to bring their wild ideas into reality. Our focus is on quality mentorship where we can:

build confidence
develop new digital and hands-on skills
encourage collaboration and idea sharing
foster a compassionate and empathetic environment

Our Coding Club meets weekly to work in small groups (1 instructor to every 5 kids) to learn about a variety of 21st century skills such as:

Coding (both block-based and typing-based)
Electronics
Basic Robotics
3D Design & Printing
Graphic Design
Video Game Design
Interactivity
Electronic Textiles (coming soon)
Video Production (coming soon)

Club Levels

Students are divided into three levels, depending on their age and familiarity with technology:

Pico (ages 6-7)

Nano (ages 7-10)

Micro (ages 9-12+)

Pico (ages 6-7) groups have little experience with coding or computers and need to learn some of the basic skills such as typing, exploring the computer, basic introduction to circuits, and more. We introduce all the various ways digital skills can be used to explore their creativity.

Nano (ages 7-10) groups have either completed our Pico level, or are already familiar with computers and coding. They aren't experts, but have a sense of what the tools do and how they could be used. We start to introduce how they can combine skills to create bigger ideas.

Micro (ages 9-12+) groups have typically completed a Nano level, or have a developed understanding of computers and coding. They want to take their knowledge to the next-level by learning new coding languages and more advanced programs and skills.

Program Location & Duration

All of our Coding Club programs run in full terms (12 weeks) or half terms (6 weeks), and individual sessions run for 90 minutes. Sessions are run in-person at our HQ (1832 Danforth Ave, between Woodbine & Coxwell Station).

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What are your refund and missed classes policies?

Visit our Camps, Classes, and Workshop Policies page for more info!

My child does not have much computer/coding/design experience. How will they do in Coding Club?

For our Coding Club, age is often the best deciding factor, with experience level coming in second. Pico and Nano work predominantly with Scratch (programming) and TinkerCAD (3D design + printing), while Micro explores platforms with more real-world applications, alongside some 3D design + printing.

Our Pico level (6-7) is our youngest age group, with the lowest experience levels. At this age, many younger kids (5-6) are still learning basic computer functionality. However, older kids (7-8) with little coding experience can usually outpace the content very quickly.

Our Nano level (7-10) is great for older kids with little coding experience, as well as younger kids with more coding experience. There is a lot of flexibility at this level and the difficulty of activities can be increased or decreased based on individual groups' average experience level.

Our Micro level (9-12+) is currently our highest level, and often has participants exploring newer platforms beyond Scratch that are much more similar to real-world applications. In previous and current terms, we've explored programs such as Gamemaker, Pico8, and P5.js!

We’re always looking for new ways to challenge our most advanced participants. A new level may be on the horizon, that will allow kids to dig deeper into their personal digital interests and passions.

If you'd like to get a more specific opinion, feel free to email us at hello@littlerobotfriends.com!

My child is just below the age bracket for one of the Club levels. Will they be ok to join that level, or will they have to wait?

This one we usually leave up to the parents. If you feel your child would be comfortable jumping in about half-way through the grade above them, (for example, if they are turning 6 in August, but would do just fine in grade 1 in January) they would probably do just fine with us.

In general, reading ability, hands-on skills, and how comfortable they are with technology are good indicators of success in our programs. But, a high level of enthusiasm can often make up for a lower ability elsewhere!

If you'd like to get a more specific opinion, feel free to email us at hello@littlerobotfriends.com!

How will I know if my child is ready to advance to the next Club level?

That decision is ultimately up to you, your child, and their educator's recommendations. There are certain skills and learning goals that educators want to see before advancing a student, and they may give parents recommendations at the end of a term.

Generally, if students start to feel bored in their level and are looking for more of challenge, they can move up. If classes felt too challenging that term, they can either move down, or stay in the same level. It's very common for kids to spend multiple terms in one level before moving up!