Club Resources

Top three resources for running a vibrant Code Club 

Launching your new Code Club or resuming a club that has been paused for an extended time might make you feel a little apprehensive. That’s OK! Tamasin Greenough Graham, Head of Code Club, shares three resources that will help you run your Code Club with confidence.

A child and adult looking at a laptop screen.

Picking my top three resources is quite a challenge as we have so many to choose from! There is something to meet your every need. Please check them out on our resource page — it’s full of helpful materials like crib sheets to guide you through our projects, certificates, sample letters, and so much more.

Log in to your account, head to your dashboard, and scroll down to the resources section. 

Resource one: Club organisers’ guide

If you’re new to Code Club or are starting back after a break, the go-to document is our club organisers’ guide. 

This guide walks you through the important first steps you’ll need to plan and set up your Code Club with ease. It also acts as a brilliant refresher if you’re starting your Code Club after a break. 

Pages from the club organiser pack.

Resource two: First session guide

From your feedback, we understand that running your first session can sometimes feel a bit daunting, as well as being an extra task at the beginning of a busy term! To help with this, we’ve created a new step-by-step first session guide to give you everything you need in one place.

Based on the beginners ‘Space talk‘ Scratch project, you’ll find in the guide:

  • A session plan
  • Simple and practical advice to help your prepare for the session
  • All your preparation for the session has been broken down into small chunks
  • New activities to support your coders’ learning 

The NEW unplugged activities link to ‘Space talk’ and are great to hand out to coders who finish the project towards the end of a session, or as activities to try at home.

This guide makes the first session so easy to run. I know I will be using it to give me confidence that my first Code Club session back will be fun and have a positive impact on the learners. 

Front pages from the first session pack; running your first Code Club session, Create and colour, I spy and Space memory game.

Resource three: 250+ coding projects

Where to start? Well, that is easy, I promise! Our ‘3, 2, 1, Make!’ project paths are carefully designed so that as young people progress, they develop their coding skills as well as their independence to create projects that matter to them.

We have paths about Scratch, Python, Unity, physical computing, and how to get started with a Raspberry Pi Pico. Each path contains six projects that are guaranteed by our young testers to be great fun!

You can learn more about ‘3,2,1, Make!’ and the pedagogy behind these projects in this blog.

Bonus resource: Certificates!

I know this is my top three, but I couldn’t write this blog post without mentioning our certificates! 

Recognising success and achievements, however big or small, is such a vital part of Code Club. We’ve got a huge selection of certificates to celebrate everything from superstar coders to completing a whole project path. 

A selection of Code Club certificates.

We can’t wait to get back to Code Club and see all the creative projects from your Code Club members. Share how you’re getting on using the hashtag #MyCodeClub or by tagging us on Facebook or Twitter. If we see your posts, we might even send you some stickers!

Let’s get coding! 

If there is a resource that you’d like to see in our library, share it with the team and write to us at support@codeclub.org

Physical computing kits available for Code Clubs in England

From making your first LED blink to creating a musical instrument, physical computing can bring the ‘A-ha!’ moment into your Code Club.

If your Code Club is running within a school in England, you can hire a selection of physical computing kits from an NCCE Computing Hub for free.

Bringing the ‘A-ha!’ moment to Code Club

Physical computing helps club members to build connections between the real world and programming. By designing, programming, and making their own creations, young people get the opportunity to learn about microcontroller boards, LEDs, inputs and outputs, and so much more!  

The kits are designed so that you can get started straight away. No experience is necessary as you’ll have access to:

  • The Teach Computing guide to physical computing kits
  • Step-by-step projects
  • Our online FutureLearn courses 

What are the kits?

The physical computing kits are available from the 34 NCCE Computing Hubs located at secondary schools across England. The kits are split into trays by type of device, and each tray is suitable for teachers to get started with physical computing at different key stages:

  • Crumble trays – aimed at key stage 2
  • Micro:bit trays – aimed at key stages 2 and 3
  • Raspberry Pi Pico trays – aimed at key stage 4
  • Raspberry Pi 3B+ trays – aimed at key stage 4
This is what a Raspberry Pi Pico tray looks like

How can I borrow a kit to use at my Code Club?

If you’re a teacher in England, you can visit the NCCE Hubs webpage to find your local Hub, then contact them to find out what’s available to borrow. Each computing kit is generally available to use for up six weeks at a time. 

If you’re a volunteer, you can still access the free Teach Computing Curriculum to use in your club. 

I’ve hired a kit. How do I get started? 

The Teacher Guide to physical computing kits provides a detailed explanation of all of the equipment and components included in the kits. It also has information about free teaching resources and training. 

The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently launched two fantastic new project paths that your Code Club could explore with the Raspberry Pi 3B+ and Raspberry Pi Pico trays:

Each project has step-by-step instructions to help young coders and educators to learn and develop their coding skills together! 

Raspberry Pi Picos bring Python code to life when connected to breadboards and other electrical components

How have the kits been used?

More than two hundred trays have been loaned out since September 2021. Over 90% of teachers who have borrowed them say that they have used lessons and units from the Teach Computing Curriculum to teach with the physical computing kits, some during class time and others at after-school clubs, like Code Club. 

Ian Cartwright, a teacher from Belvedere Academy, a girls’ secondary school in Toxteth, Liverpool, borrowed a tray of Raspberry Pi Picos to use at his lunchtime club with a small group of 11- to 12-year-old students. Ian started with five students and that quickly went up to a group of ten when they started telling their friends about making the LEDs flash. Ian said, 

“[It’s] massively more engaging than programming Python on a screen — walking into a room with the box of kit grabs their attention straight away. They love the idea of building something physical, like a car. When the lights flash they ask whether they can take their phones out (but they’re not allowed to) so that they can show their mum and dad when they get home.”

Young people can build motorised buggies and bridges with the Crumble tray

Year 5 and 6 students from Purford Green Primary Academy in Harlow, Essex, told us about how they used Crumbles to make buggies drive around tables and control bridges to make them go up and down. When asked how using Crumbles compared with other computing activities, such as using Scratch, one student said, 

“I liked the Crumbles because it helped me develop my block coding and make my bridge move. I couldn’t do that on Scratch.” 

Bring the magic of physical computing into your Code Club and share your adventures with us on Twitter and Facebook. 

Coding 3D worlds at your Code Club

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has released a path of six new Unity projects to help young people take their first steps to create 3D worlds. Find out why Unity is such a versatile tool and how you can use it to stretch your more confident coders.

What is Unity? 

Unity is a free coding platform used by developers, artists, and professionals across the globe.

It’s perhaps best known for its part in the creation of many well-known games — such as the viral hit Among Us — but Unity’s uses extend beyond the gaming world. Medical simulations created in Unity have allowed doctors to learn through 3D interactive experiences, and it can support a wide range of 3D projects, from architectural visualisations, to animations and interactive displays.

3D adventure project

Last year, several young people used Unity to make their creations for Coolest Projects. Their incredible projects included an amazing minigolf game and a virtual reality ‘Escape the Maze’ game. Through our new Unity project path, your Code Club members could build the next gaming sensation or code amazing interactive 3D stories to share with the world!

What can you learn with Unity?  

Unity scripting uses C#, which is a popular object-oriented programming language used by many professional developers. C# scripting tells GameObjects that represent characters, props, and scenery in Unity how to behave and interact. 

For learners who already have some knowledge of text-based coding, Unity opens up an exciting world of new opportunities. Our team has created a path of introductory projects to guide your learners from their first steps in Unity, to creating a self-directed Unity project. 

Before you get started

Unity is a powerful piece of software. Before you use it in your club, make sure you check the system requirements to ensure your hardware is able to run it. 

Our Unity guide takes you through all the steps to download the Unity Hub and Visual Studio. It can take a while to download this software, so make sure to leave plenty of time ahead of your Code Club session!

World builder project

Six new projects 

The new Unity project path builds young people’s skills across six linked projects.

First, there are three Explore projects for young people to get to know Unity: they build their knowledge as they follow instructions to create a 3D game with players, animations, sounds, and effects. 

The following two Design projects ask learners to use the skills they’ve developed to make design choices: they create their own 3D world and add quests and NPCs (non-player characters). 

The final Invent project of the path then asks young coders to fulfil a brief: they create a 3D adventure with a goal that the player needs to achieve. Learners can draw inspiration from a series of examples or use their own interests and experiences to decide the direction of their final project. 

We have a NEW Unity crib sheet to help you build your confidence and navigate these projects with your Code Club.

Unity crib sheet

If you’re based in the UK, the USA, India, or Ireland, visit your dashboard to download the crib sheet. If you’re based outside of these countries, visit the Club Organiser Pack page of the Code Club International website to download the crib sheet.

Your learners can also join The Raspberry Pi team for their first-ever Unity livestream on Thursday 24 March at 6.30pm GMT. The livestream will run for around 45 minutes. It will be the perfect introduction to Unity and our project path for you and your experienced coders.