An undeniably important part of a child’s development is keeping that child busy with fun and educational activities. Fortunately, in the modern world, there are a lot of easily-accessible resources available online, catering to a very wide range of interests. From computer programming to nature walks, both online and in-person classes and camps can be found in abundance on the web. Read on to learn about fun classes for kids to explore anytime of the year!
Discover fun classes for kids
Classes, both online and in-person, can be found covering nearly every subject imaginable, from art to coding, science to cooking, and more. Below is a list of a number of affordable award-winning and highly-rated classes, activities, and camps to explore.
1. Scratch Junior
The Scratch Junior class is a great way to introduce young kids to programming. Today’s kids often gain proficiency with technology very early. Scratch Junior is a great way to turn screen time into productive time. In this live virtual Scratch Junior, kids create animations and games while learning core coding concepts. They will start with simple projects and work their way up to more complex programs while applying their artistic skills to create their own graphics and tell stories.
Grades: K-2
Type: Live online class
Best for: Young beginner programmers
2. NASA STEM Club
Who doesn’t love space? The NASA STEM Club appeals to kids who are fascinated by the final frontier. In this series of live virtual classes, kids learn a wide range of topics related to space science, NASA, and other STEM skills. In each session, kids learn new concepts related to space and science, then apply them to small projects and games to reinforce those concepts.
Grades: 1-4
Type: Live online class
Best for: Aspiring future astronauts, and kids interested in science and outer space
3. Minecraft Redstone Engineering
In this fun virtual class, kids will learn how to incorporate more advanced blocks such as redstone, pistons, and observer blocks to build holiday lights, automatic doors, and even flying machines inside Minecraft. More importantly, your child will also learn about real-world engineering and computer science, such as how sensors and circuits work, time controls, and binary.
Grades: 2-5
Type: Live online class
Best for: Kids that like Minecraft and science
4. Budding Digital Artist
Join this live online class to create a different art project in each session, such as Minecraft skins, emojis, animations, photography, and more. In each of these hands-on activities, kids learn how to observe and understand the artistic elements of life such as patterns and symmetry. They also explore emotions and feelings, and learn about art basics such as color palettes.
Grades: 1-4
Type: Live online class
Best for: Kids that like art and design
5. Junior Robotics
Junior Robotics classes teach kids how to code robots to move, sense, lift, and more within virtual worlds. Kids start out learning how to help robots navigate through a virtual environment, gaining a deeper understanding of how robots can be used to solve real-world problems. As the course progresses, students learn how to navigate increasingly complex obstacles by making use of sensors.
Grades: 2-4
Type: Live online class
Best for: Kids interested in robotics and smart devices
6. Plane Games: Make & Fly Paper Airplanes
Making paper airplanes is an activity in which most kids have participated, and Plane Games aims to take this fun pastime and make it an educational experience. In this class, kids learn how to fold and fly five different designs of paper airplanes. Along the way, they’ll learn through trial and error the science behind flight, so they can go on to experiment with their own creations.
Grades: 3-6
Type: On-demand online class
Best for: Learning the principles of flight and kids interested in science
7. Pokémon Game Building
Does your student love Pokémon? Learn how to build Pokémon games and customize them in all sorts of creative ways! During this fun live online class, an expert teacher guides students through exciting challenges such as how to customize their Pokémon, how to use camera features to catch Pokémon, and other awesome skills to tailor their game-building experience. Create your own Pokémon virtual pet and keep it healthy and happy; Get ready to cast your Pokéball as you make and conquer the Catch the Pokémon Game; design a dynamic functional game of two-player Pokémon soccer; and try to build the tallest Pokémon pyramid possible in the Pokémon Circus Game.
Grades: 2-6
Type: Live online class
Best for: Learning game design and development, for kids with some previous Scratch coding experience
8. Hands On Crafts for Kids
Arts and crafts are a great way to pass the time. In Hands On Crafts for Kids, kids will learn to create indoor and outdoor toys, colorful decorations, and fun wearables. This class features over five hours of on-demand instruction, so there’s plenty to keep a crafty kid busy!
Grades: 3-6
Type: On-demand online class
Best for: Arts and crafts exploration
9. S.T.E.A.M. Hour
Science, technology, engineering, art, and math are among the most important topics for kids to learn from an early age. The S.T.E.A.M. Hour is a virtual after-school club which motivates kids to learn more about computer science topics with the goal of broadening their career opportunities down the road. Each class features different projects, such as designing rovers, roller coasters, making Minecraft or Roblox characters, and more.
Grades: K-8
Type: Live online class
Best for: Kids interested in STEAM topics
10. Internet Safety
This fun cybersecurity introductory course covers a wide range of topics related to security, modern computers, and the Internet. Students will find out how passwords work and why some are much better than others. And they will build a simple project to demonstrate how fast it is to crack a simple password. They'll learn how viruses work, and why it is important not to download and click on information from the Internet. Plus, kids will discover what information to share and not to share on the Internet, and for what reasons. Before learning how to watch out for signs, and how data are used. They'll even develop a better understanding of how the Internet works.
Grades: 2-5
Type: Live online class
Best for: Any child using the internet
11. Steve & Kate’s Camps
The philosophy behind Steve & Kate’s Camps is to put kids in charge of their own learning experience. Campers can choose from a wide variety of activities, including animation, arts & crafts, performing arts, sports & recreation, and more. They’ll choose activities minute to minute, deciding what they want to do and for how long. Steve & Kate Camps provide guidance to ensure kids are engaging in activities which build creativity and confidence.
Grades: K-8
Type: In-person and online camps
Best for: A wide range of activities
12. Tinkergarten: Winter Season (Problem Solving)
It’s undeniable that getting outside and learning about the world is good for a developing brain. To this end, Tinkergarten offers different programs every season. Their program for this coming winter is all about problem solving, turning the outdoors into a discovery lab. Kids will wonder, observe, experiment, and work together, developing a problem-solving mindset. The Winter Season features 9 weekly sessions starting in January. Don’t worry if you miss this one, because a new course starts at the beginning of every season of the year!
Grades: K-3
Type: In-person or on-demand
Best for: Outdoor activities
13. Procreate for Beginners
More and more art is being made in the digital medium in today’s technologically-inclined world. Procreate for Beginners teaches kids the basics of making digital art using the app Procreate on the iPad. Students will learn different digital art techniques and tools in each session, and use them to create a new piece of digital art each time. They’ll also learn art vocabulary, elements of art, and principles of design.
Grades: 3-7
Type: Live online class
Best for: Learning the basics of digital art and kids interested in creativity and design
14. Chemistry in Minecraft
Minecraft has been and continues to be one of the most popular creative games out there, and educators have found ways to use Minecraft as a vehicle to teach a wide range of topics. In Chemistry in Minecraft, kids will use a free chemistry add-on in the game which represents real-world chemistry principles within the game. They’ll dive into the functions of this mod to learn how to make atomic elements, molecular compounds, and chemical reactions within the game. For any kid who loves Minecraft, this course is a fun way to learn real-world chemistry concepts.
Grades: 2-6
Type: Live online class
Best for: Kids interested in both Minecraft and science
15. The Path to Space Careers
A career in the aerospace industry is one which many kids dream about. In The Path to Space Careers, students are introduced to key space missions, careers, and NASA mentors, hopefully inspiring students to pursue a path to working in the aerospace industry. Kids will explore facts about the solar system and beyond, and learn about the real people—engineers, mathematicians, scientists, and more—who do incredible work in the endeavor to explore beyond Earth. Past, current, and future space missions, such as the Artemis missions to the moon, the Perseverance Mars Rover, Voyager, the discovery of exoplanets, and more are discussed in-depth. Students are even given tips on how to go about applying for NASA internships!
Grades: 4-12
Type: Live online class
Best for: Space enthusiasts
16. Become a Chess Pro: Intro for Young Beginners
Chess is one of the greatest games of all time, not just for entertainment, but for exercising logic and developing critical thinking skills. In Become a Chess Pro, young learners are taught the foundations of the game, building to fundamental key strategies for winning games. Each session begins with discussion, followed by virtual chess games between the classmates with live coaching and feedback. Students also gain a basic understanding of how competitive chess tournaments are structured.
Grades: 2-8
Type: Live online class
Best for: Lovers of strategy games
17. Modern Website Design with Wix
With over 200 millions users world wide, Wix is the leading website builder for designing, creating, and managing websites exactly the way you want. And it is also easy to use. This class covers a wide range of topics in Web Design, starting from the basics of how to use WIX and how to structure your website, to designing layout, choosing color schemes, and even to creating a web store to sell products.
Grades: 5-12
Type: Live online class
Best for: Any middle schooler or high schooler that wants to make cool websites
Discover Free Fun Classes for Kids
Looking for a free option to test the waters before diving into the deep end? You can check out the best free online classes for kids here. Create & Learn also offers a number of free online classes you can sign up for right now! Check a few parent and student favorites below.
1. Free Intro to Scratch Coding
The hardest part about learning to program is simply getting started—it’s a big, intimidating world of code out there! Our Free Intro to Scratch Coding class gives aspiring programmers the chance to dip their toes into the digital waters with one of the most user-friendly programming platforms around: Scratch! In this class, students create a simple animation in Scratch, learning some basic coding concepts along the way. This course also ties nicely into the Scratch Ninja class for any students interested in continuing on to learn more about Scratch.
Grades: 2-5
Type: Live online class
Best for: Young beginner programmers
2. AI Explorers - Introduction
Artificial intelligence is a fascinating field of study, taking science fiction ideas and making them a reality. In the introduction to AI Explorers, students will learn about some fun, cutting-edge AI applications, including a hands-on project. This free introductory event also leads nicely into the rest of the AI Explorers curriculum for any student wanting to dive deeper into the world of artificial intelligence!
Grades: 4-7
Type: Live online event
Best for: Artificial intelligence enthusiasts and kids interested in smart devices
3. Free Beginner Roblox Game Coding
In this fun live virtual class series, students will learn the foundational coding skills to create their own games in Roblox, the popular gaming platform with over 40 million games! Join this fun free intro class to get a taste of what the full Beginner Roblox Game Coding class is like, and start learning Roblox coding. This class is designed for students who have not had any prior experience with Roblox Studio. This class covers how to install and activate Roblox Studio, as well as a step-by-step tutorial on how to build an interactive Obby game with different shapes, colors, and materials.
Grades: 3-8
Type: Live online class
Best for: Kids interested in game design and development with previous Scratch coding experience
4. Free Intro to Python Coding
Python is one of the most popular programming languages out there, and for good reason! It sees use in a wide range of fields, such as automation, game development, data science, and artificial intelligence! This free introductory session allows students to take the plunge into Python, transitioning from block coding systems to text-based coding. By the end of the session, students build their own story project to create a cool animation with code. This introductory class also dovetails smoothly into the Python for AI for any students wishing to carry on with Python!
Grades: 5-12
Type: Live online class
Best for: Students with previous block coding experience (i.e. Scratch)
Try Fun Classes for Kids
With all of the options available, there’s always something fun and educational for every child to get excited about. With nearly every subject imaginable covered by various online and in-person programs, there’s plenty to explore. And remember, Create & Learn offers a number of free coding classes for kids to try!
Up next, check out some after-school enrichment activities your child might enjoy!
Written by Create & Learn instructor Josh Abbott Salazar. Josh is a teacher, coder, audio engineer, and musician. After graduating with a Master's in Music from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, Josh turned his attention to the technology side of things, and has been working in various aspects of coding and engineering ever since. He runs a small music studio in Nashville called Tango Sound Studios, and develops video games in his spare time.
