Back To School: Coding As An Extracurricular Activity

It’s that time of year already; the weather is getting a little bit cooler, the leaves are about to start changing, and it’s back to the school routine for a lot of us! We all know how valuable education is for young people, and extracurricular activities are a really important aspect of a well rounded education. According to the Social Mobility Commission, who are an advisory body to the UK government, after school activities are important because they can increase confidence in children, give them the opportunity to meet new people in a safe environment, and can also teach new skills. 

As we turn our calendars over to September, you may be looking for some new after school clubs for your children to get involved in. That’s why we want to focus on our live online clubs this week and explain why we think they’re an ideal extracurricular activity!

Learn a new skill with real life applications!

It goes without saying that we love coding here at The Code Zone, and we think it’s a really valuable skill for children that are growing up in a world where everything digital is becoming more and more important. Our younger members start off in Hacker clubs where they are exposed to block based coding and, when they’re ready, they can move up to the Modder clubs where they’ll get stuck into Python which has real world applications!

We encourage problem solving and independent coding which are skills that can be applied to other aspects of their lives, and our members are also assigned a Stem Certified mentor to help them out whenever they need!

Make new friends!

The social aspect of our clubs is just as valuable as coding itself! Our clubs are limited to 6 members per club with the same mentor every week. This means that the mentors are able to get to know each individual and adapt to a mentoring style that suits them, but it also means that members are able to develop friendships with the other children in the club in a safe and moderated environment. This is great for social development, and also often leads to members discussing the code that they’re working on and strengthening their own skills by helping each other out!

Become a computer whiz!

Okay, so we know that not everyone who joins The Code Zone wants to grow up to be a game dev. However, coding isn’t the only skill that members pick up from our clubs! In a world where everything is either already online or heading in that direction, it’s more important than ever that children learn computer skills and are confident using them. 

From their very first taster session members are exposed to clicking and dragging with a mouse, using a video chat, reading and following instructions, typing, and much more! Our mentors often hear their club members telling them about how they used the skills they learned from The Code Zone in computing classes at school which is amazing as it sets them up for success further down the line. 

Have fun, and destress!

Having lots of fun is just as important for growing minds as learning a new skill is, especially in the context of an after school club! We all know that school can get stressful at times, and a fun club to look forward to can help children relax when school gets a bit busier (especially for those facing exams). 

Having fun is at the core of our ethos here as we want our members to be excited about logging in and learning to code. Our mentors are always looking for new ways to get our members excited about coding whether that’s by providing coding challenges, coming up with new unique game features, or by encouraging that they base their game around their favourite characters!

There you have it, coding is an excellent after school activity and our mentors will tell you that no one makes it more fun than we do at The Code Zone! The new school year is a perfect time to get started, and if you want to see for yourself you can try out a free taster session before signing up.