Top Kids' coding classes and after-school programs for 2026

Find coding for kids near you

Kids’ coding classes featured on Our Kids are found in cities and boroughs across the country. If you’re looking for classes and programs in your city, click on the appropriate link listed below.

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More options beyond classes

For those deeply interested in coding, there are ways to engage longer term. Use our site to find different options below.

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The many benefits of coding classes and after-school programs

Kids who aspire to a career in coding or any related field will gain an obvious advantage from any learning they gain from after-school programs in this field. Parents also give their kids many other advantages when enrolling in any kind of programming class. Just take a quick look here: 

Learn code! There are actually over 700 programming languages you can learn. Languages rise and fall in popularity and practice over time, of course. Evergreen languages like HTML, PHP, JavaScript, Python, and C++ are popular options in the list above. Others that have gained popularity in recent years include Scratch, Go, and more. Of course, programming is a lucrative career and will be for the foreseeable future, with average annual income currently around $89,000 annually. 

It’s advantageous to start programming as early as possible. Young children are sponges for learning. If your child has any inclination toward learning game programming or any other kind of coding, a code class is the perfect place to start. When they gain a grasp of any of the challenging concepts that form the basis of any programming language, they acquire an advantage that may be far-reaching into their future. 

Kids develop skills and understanding in mathematics and problem solving. Coders young and old encounter problems as they program. The interactive setting of a coding class adds another dimension to solving these, thanks to the immediate availability of instructors and peers. In any case, though, kids learning code run into bugs, etc., and “they need to know or decide what to do next in order to create code that will function,” says Shirin Merchant.

Learning code can have implications for emotional intelligence. Some examples of things you can learn from code are the use of X and Y coordinates in Scratch, to control characters’ movement around the screen. Loops are an efficient technique in programming that entail coding something only once, creating a process that can be repeated multiple times. Learning these kinds of skills firsthand is practical, but can also offer kids insight into both limitations and possibilities in life. This holistic way of thinking about programming can be an important avenue into encouraging interest from kids who may dismiss code as too abstract or difficult to master. 

Bring your imagination to life! Coding programs basically teach kids how to code scripts and make things. Kids’ imagination is stirred, and they develop an appreciation for the connection between imagination (dreaming up an idea) and execution (programming that idea into reality).  

An ever-increasing need for diversity in coders. Girls, visible minorities and marginalized groups in coding classes gain marketable skills and open up opportunities for themselves. Over time, the world-wide tech industry has implemented better hiring practices and woken up to the value of the unique perspective women and others bring to programming. This will continue to grow. Young women coders can develop unique products that, like all technology, can make the world a better place. Those of cisgender and other categories in LGBTQ+ discover opportunities to create, educate, and change the world, empowered by coding skills. Coding is opportunity.

Coding is creative fun! It’s really about tinkering and exploring, solving problems and creating something out of nothing. Ideas spark other ideas. Any child coding games at a kids’ program above can be the progenitor of the next Minecraft or Roblox. 

Related classes, after-school programs, and camps 

There are numerous popular classes and programs (as well as camps) that allow you to dive deeper into particular languages or to further hone programming skills. Look closer at options highlighted below:  

Animation and 3D design classes delve deeper into this creative outlet that requires code skills. As with kids’ coding classes, these may feature professional instruction and can help move kids and teens onto a career path in this fascinating, fun field. We also list animation camps on our site. 

STEM classes and STEAM classes integrate technology and mathematics with other disciplines including science and engineering as well as (with STEAM) arts. This stream of learning is intensely popular because of its holistic, foresighted approach. You can also use our site to discover a STEM camp or STEAM camp near you. 

Minecraft classes allow kids to deeply explore this popular gaming platform. Some closely similar options include LEGO classes and Roblox programs for kids, and we also feature camps devoted to all of these interests. Follow these links to discover a Minecraft camp, LEGO camp, or Roblox camp near you. 

Robotics classes apply programming to the fascinating, fun, and practical world of robot building and coding. Similar to all of the above, a robotics camp offers a fuller immersion into this area of learning. 

Artificial intelligence camps explore this burgeoning world of learning. 

While links above point to guide pages, those are just a few of the many options you can find in our advanced search for camps and programs near you. 

More research through Our Kids and around the web

You might choose kids’ programs based on closeness to your home or other aspects of convenience, but a bigger world opens up when you explore our site, and when you attend the Our Kids camp expo. This is held each winter in Toronto and allows you to explore the landscape, and meet leaders from programs and camps face-to-face. You’ll also discover valuable information sessions at the expo.

Sources and further reading

"The Philosophy of Programming." freecodecamp.org. Haoxian Chen.
Computer Programmers Occupational Outlook. BLS.gov (US website). 
Most popular programming languages to learn. Hackr.io.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Kids' coding classes and after-school programs are there?
There are 6 programs specializing in Programming (multi). In addition, there are 24 programs offering programming (multi) as an activity. Use the filters to narrow by age and program type, then click on matched programs to see daily activities, dates, rates and registration information.

What are the fees to attend Kids' coding classes and after-school programs?
Fees for Kids' coding classes and after-school programs range from $100 to $1,545 per program (program types and lengths vary). Use the filters here to narrow programs by age and type.

What age do Kids' coding classes and after-school programs start at?
There are programs available for children aged 12 through 18.

Where can parents meet with Kids' coding classes and after-school programs?
Meet with program directors and staff at the Our Kids Camp & Program Expo. The Expo is held annually in February, and is a fun and informative day for parents, kids, and teens. Find event details and free tickets here.