In the first week children walk into the club to find a box full of parts: small motors, wheels, wires, sensors and a control board. Twelve weeks later they leave with a robot that moves on instructions they wrote themselves, and, more importantly, with a new way of thinking.
The first weeks: take apart before we build
We start by understanding the parts: how a motor turns, why wheels need an axle, and how a sensor “sees” the black line on the floor. Children work in teams of four, each with a role that changes every week: designer, programmer, tester and notebook keeper.
Mid-term: coding
Younger children code with coloured blocks on the computer, and Grades 5 and 6 move on to typing their instructions as text. Every program is tried on the table first: did the robot stop before the wall? If not, the team goes back to the screen to find the mistake.
End of term: the challenge and the show
Each team picks a challenge: a robot that follows a line, an arm that lifts a cup, or a car that finds its way through a small maze. At the show children explain to parents what they built, what didn’t work at the first try, and how they fixed it.
What stays after the club?
- Patience with a problem instead of giving up.
- Working with others and sharing out roles.
- Thinking in small, ordered steps: the root of both coding and maths.
- Confidence in presenting an idea to an audience.
The club runs on Mondays and Wednesdays after school for Grades 2 to 6, and you can book a trial session for your child with our clubs coordinator from the teachers page.
