Why Bebras could belong in your Code Club

Some creators love a puzzle, so sometimes, a timed computational thinking challenge like Bebras can be just right for a Code Club.

One Code Club mentor from Cranmere Primary School, Surrey, UK wondered how the UK Bebras Challenge would fit into his fun and informal club. After giving it a try, the club discovered how much their creators loved tackling the puzzles — and how naturally Bebras fitted into the Code Club experience.

Richard shares why Bebras worked well in his club.

A cartoon beaver sitting at a desk with a laptop and a coffee mug, promoting the UK Bebras Challenge 2026 scheduled from November 9 to 20.

“They loved Bebras”

“My club is always quite chaotic. Although it takes place in a school, it doesn’t feel like a class or a formal lesson.

“That’s why I wasn’t sure if it would be a good place to run the Bebras Challenge, even though I’d tried some of the puzzles myself and really enjoyed them. It sounded a bit too formal for my Code Club.”

Richard decided to test the idea by launching a separate Bebras Puzzle Club with the school’s computing lead. Some Code Club regulars joined, alongside plenty of new faces.

During the first few sessions, the young people explored practice puzzles from previous challenges. They could try them freely or tackle them as timed activities.

“Timed test? That definitely sounds like school rather than a fun club, I thought. That’s not what the youngsters thought. They loved Bebras.”

“Many were going home and blasting through the other practice questions with such gusto that we worried we wouldn’t have enough left for them to do in the club. Even during the week of the Bebras challenge, their enthusiasm was undiminished, and there were groans of disappointment when we said that was the end of the club.”

Fortunately, the Raspberry Pi Foundation also offers a free follow-on Raspberry Pi Foundation Coding Challenge for groups who completed the UK Bebras Challenge, so Richard’s club members were not disappointed for long.

“The biggest sign of the group’s enthusiasm came on the day of the Raspberry Pi Foundation Coding Challenge. The Year 6 participants had spent the day on a school trip to London. Their train home was delayed, and they then had to walk back to school through a hailstorm.

When they arrived, they were weary and bedraggled. I told them there wasn’t enough time to take the challenge, so they could quietly work with Scratch instead. They were crestfallen.

“With some quick help from the office, we arranged for them to stay later. They all happily sat down, logged on, and got stuck in.”

Richard found that Bebras introduced more young people to Code Club. When the spring term began, several members of the Puzzle Club signed up to continue exploring coding and technology at Code Club.

Give Bebras a go in your Code Club

The free UK Bebras Challenge runs from 9–20 November and introduces young people aged 6–19 to computational thinking through fun, interactive puzzles. They don’t need any coding experience to take part, and the online tasks take just 45 minutes to complete. Every participant also receives a certificate.

Your Code Club can use the archive of previous challenges to try a few puzzles with your club first. They make brilliant warm-up activities and give creators a chance to practise problem-solving, logical thinking, and perseverance together.

A colorful map illustrating various locations connected by paths, with each location represented by iconic buildings or structures and star ratings indicating their popularity.

As Richard reflected: “I wasn’t sure Bebras would suit a group that wasn’t particularly studious or competitive, but I was surprised by how popular it was. I’m definitely going to take part in the 2026 challenge.”

Bebras takes place around the world. Find your local challenge and contact the organiser to see how your Code Club can take part.

The 2026 UK Bebras Challenge runs from 9–20 November. Register your Code Club for free and invite your creators to discover what they can achieve.

A young boy in a gray hoodie leans forward, focused on his laptop, with digital icons representing technology, space, and the internet overlaid above him. Other students working on laptops are visible in the background.

Activities for every setting: Choosing and adapting projects for different club environments

Every Code Club is different, and the best activities are the ones that suit your young people, setting, and goals.

Code Club projects are designed to be flexible, whether you are running a club in a school, library, or other community space. In this blog post, we’re sharing practical ways to choose and adapt projects for your club, to help your creators get the most out of their sessions.

For more inspiration on adapting Code Club to different settings, read our blog post with insights from mentors Fiona and Bob, who run their clubs in a library and a school.

A group of people, including a child with red hair and glasses, are engaged in a coding or computer activity in a classroom setting. An adult is assisting the child on a laptop while another child observes.

Choosing projects for your setting

Some Code Clubs enjoy working on the same project together, to give young people the opportunity to collaborate, ask questions, and learn from each other. In other clubs, it may work better to encourage each creator to choose their own project based on their interests and experience.

Whichever approach you take, you can adapt most projects to suit your club and the young people attending. However, before you start to choose projects, it can be helpful to consider the following questions:

How often do you run sessions?
Does the same group of young people attend each session?
Are the young people a similar age, or do they have similar experience levels?

These questions can help you decide which approach is likely to work best for your club, and as a result, which projects may suit your creators best.

A smiling boy holds a sign that says 'We made this' in a classroom setting, with other students in the background.

Regular sessions

If you are working with groups of young people over a period of time, following a project path may be a good place to start. Project paths guide creators through a series of six projects that will help them build their coding and design skills, offering clubs a structure with clear progression, which they can bring into their sessions.

Examples include:

Introduction to Scratch: This path is ideal for less experienced creators. Young people build their skills in block-based coding through playful, story-led activities.
Introduction to Python: This path is a good next step for creators who are ready to try text-based coding. Young people develop simple interactive programs and explore graphics, animation, and more.
Introduction to micro:bit: If your club has access to BBC micro:bits, this path is a great way to introduce physical computing. Young people create fun interactive programs using sensors, lights, and buttons.

Drop-in sessions

Libraries and community centres often welcome young people of a mix of ages and experience levels, and different creators may attend each session.

In these settings, it can be helpful to encourage each creator to choose a project based on their interests and coding experience. This helps them get engaged straight away, and makes it easy for participants to join in at any point, without needing to have completed previous projects, which supports a more flexible, drop-in style of learning.

With more than 200 projects to choose from, you can use the filters on the Code Club Projects website to find projects by theme (for example, art, sports, or health), difficulty level, and technology, to help every young person discover something that is right for them.

“I really want the children to come here and be free — free to be themselves, free to be creative, without the restrictions of adults and their parents telling them or suggesting what their outcomes should be. Because once the children have been creative in their own space, they will continue to be creative in life. They will continue because they have the skills and confidence and the knowledge to know that they can create what they want to create without being directed or steered.” – Marie, Code Club mentor, Breadline London

Graphic showcasing coding projects for kids and teenagers with options in various topics including nature, games, music, art, sports, and science.

‘Bring your own device’

Your club may support young people bringing their own devices. This allows them to use types of software that they have installed, which may be different to the software available on devices that might be available at the venue, giving them more freedom to create with a wider range of programs.

Adapting projects to inspire every creator

The same project can feel completely different depending on how you use it. By connecting activities to your setting and the interests of the young people attending, you can make coding feel more meaningful, inspiring, and fun — while still helping learners develop the same core skills. Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Chatbot

This Scratch project can be educational, creative, personal, or community-focused, depending on the context.

In a school, creators could build a chatbot that quizzes their peers on a curriculum topic, to support their studies.

In a library, young people could create a project to recommend books or introduce library services, combining coding with storytelling and user-centred thinking.

In a community centre, creators could design a chatbot to welcome visitors or share information about local activities, using coding to support and connect with their community.

Cartoon robot face with yellow eyes, a smiling mouth, and an antenna on top, set against a green background.

2. About me

This project is a great way for young people to express themselves while taking their first steps with Python.

In a school, creators could write a program to introduce themselves, sharing their interests, favourite subjects, and hobbies.

In a library, coders could create a program inspired by their favourite books or characters.

In a community centre, creators could personalise their programs and share them with one another, encouraging creativity and helping everyone learn more about each other.

A simple, cartoonish robot character outlined in dotted lines, walking with one arm raised, against a yellow background.

Small changes, big impact

Each venue may be different, but the goal remains the same: helping young people build digital skills, confidence, and creativity. Small changes to the way you introduce or adapt a project can have a big impact, as this can help you make coding more relevant, engaging, and meaningful for the young people in your club.

“It makes me proud to know that I’ve made something, because I used to think, ‘I’m never going to be able to make that!’ Now, I’m a bit more confident.” – Alex, creator

Whether your Code Club meets in a classroom, a library, or another community venue, you can adapt our free projects and paths to suit your learners and your setting. Explore our projects to find inspiration for your next session.

Girl holds a laptop showing a coding project while smiling woman beside her holds a sign reading “we made this”.

Explore the Code Club arcade: Six brand-new Scratch games to create, remix, and play

There’s something special about building a game. Whether it’s chasing ducks across a pond, decorating the perfect cake, or creating an endless clicker that nobody wants to stop playing, game projects inspire young people to experiment, solve problems, and proudly share what they’ve made.

That’s why we’re excited to open the doors to the Code Club arcade.

We’ve created six brand-new Scratch game projects, designed to help creators build their coding skills while leaving plenty of room to personalise, remix, and make every game their own. From quick beginner projects (level 1) to more advanced challenges (level 3), there’s something for every Code Club.

So… press start.

Choose your game

🦖 Dino jump (Level 1)

Create an endless jumping game inspired by the classic browser dinosaur game. It’s quick to get started, easy to personalise, and a brilliant introduction to making games in Scratch.

“This is a brilliant first game project. Most people recognise the classic browser dinosaur game, but that’s just the inspiration. Once creators understand how it works, they can redesign it however they like and make it completely their own.” – Mr C, Learning Manager, Raspberry Pi Foundation

🎂 Icing on the cake (Level 2)

Decorate cakes, add sprinkles, light candles, and top everything off with a cherry in this creative game. Along the way, creators will learn how to build buttons, broadcast messages, stamp images, and use variables.

The best part? Once the game works, creators can completely reinvent it with their own themes and decorations.

“Creators can have a working game after just a few steps, making it easy to build confidence early on. From there, the project offers extra challenges for those who want to push themselves further, while giving everyone the chance to personalise their game.” – Becca Rose, Learning Manager, Raspberry Pi Foundation

🍕 Pizza party (Level 2)

Tap, upgrade, repeat!

This clicker-style game is all about collecting points, unlocking upgrades, and watching your score grow faster and faster. Although the starter project is pizza-themed, it could just as easily become a sweet shop, space station, farm, or anything else your creators imagine.

“Who says it has to be pizza? The clicker mechanic works brilliantly with almost any idea, so I can’t wait to see all the imaginative twists creators come up with.” -– Mr C, Learning Manager, Raspberry Pi Foundation

🧽 Dishwasher simulator (Level 2)

Who knew washing dishes could be so relaxing?

In this surprisingly satisfying project, creators scrub dishes until they sparkle, rack them away, and add music to create a cosy gameplay experience.

It’s a great project for practising organisation while working with multiple sprites, sounds, and animations.

“This project is a great reminder that even simple games can teach powerful skills. There are lots of sprites to bring together, so creators learn to build methodically—and by the end, they’ll have a game that’s both satisfying to make and to play.” Mr C, Learning Manager, Raspberry Pi Foundation

🍉 Watermelon drop (Level 2)

Inspired by the popular Suika-style puzzle games, Watermelon drop challenges players to combine matching fruit before the box overflows.

Creators will experiment with clones, variables, and collisions while designing their own adorable characters — fruit isn’t the only option! Why not drop planets, pets, or even pizzas instead?

“I wanted this project to feel approachable, so creators can build a working game with just a few fruits. After that, it’s all about experimenting. Swap the fruit for animals, cars, or anything else you can imagine, give them personalities, and create a world that’s completely your own.” – Becca Rose, Learning Manager, Raspberry Pi Foundation

🦆 Duck island (Level 3)

Ready for a challenge?

Glide around the pond collecting lost ducks while avoiding hooks, rocks, and pond sludge. Along the way, creators will explore animation, collisions, and create an eye-catching parallax scrolling effect.

It’s perfect for creators who have already built a few Scratch projects and are ready to level up.

“I wanted this project to feel achievable while encouraging creators to think carefully about how they build it. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, but once everything comes together, it’s really rewarding. I also love seeing people take the idea in a completely different direction — the pond could just as easily become a beach, a forest, or even outer space.” – Becca Rose, Learning Manager, Raspberry Pi Foundation

The arcade is open

Think of these six projects as your Code Club’s arcade collection. Play them in any order. Return to your favourites. Challenge creators to remix them. Combine ideas from different games. Add extra levels. Invent new characters.

There are no credits to run out, no game over screen, and no wrong way to play. Just unlimited opportunities to create!

Ready to press start? Explore the Code Club arcade, pick your first game, and let the creativity begin.

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